Better Living Through Introspection

I’ve been remiss in adding to this category for a long time, but I have to break this long silence in order to add my latest reason for loving this city: DolceZZa Argentine Gelato Cafe in Georgetown. I highly recommend a trip to this tiny little cafe near the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Q Street. A Certain Someone and I stopped by there last weekend (me for a capuccino and churro, she for a pumpkin gelato) before heading out to Mount Vernon for some freezing cold history lessons.

I’ve grown so used to the mundane espresso drinks served at the national coffee shop chain that everyone loves to hate that I had forgotten just how complex and flavorful real espresso can be. (And don’t even get me started on the churro, which I had never heard of before, but it the deep-fried equivalent of a heart attack with caramel filling…and worth every bite.) If you are at all a fan of espresso or gelato, you owe it to yourself to stop by DolceZZa — but if you’re unable to, at least check out the owner’s blog and marvel at the beauty that is latte porn.

XM Radio. So, as the satellite radio wars heat up (and the holiday shopping season approaches), I’d like to take a moment to remind you that XM Radio is based here in Washington, DC. To make matters more exciting, their competition is based in city we love to hate, so if you’re considering a satellite radio purchase, take one for the home team. Nevermind the fact that the hardware is cool and the programming kicks ass.

I might add that I have a Delphi XM MyFi™ and I love it. As much as I love channels 44, 80, 81, and 82. Now if only they had an associates program so I could get paid for my love.

Russia House serves Nemiroff Wheat.

Ever since the demise of Arbor Bar I’ve been looking for a new regular hangout. There have been some contenders in the neighborhood: Soussi, Mantis, The Reef (my fave prior to Arbor); but lately one place in particular has pulled ahead of the competition. Which is why for the last three weeks, Thursday evenings find me sitting at the bar at LeftBank.

Nothing in particular happens on Thursdays that I’m aware of (other than the Thursday martini specials) at LB, it’s just I’ve fallen into this habit of stopping by on Thursdays. (Okay, it doesn’t hurt that the bartenders are easy on the eyes — hey, I’m not so shallow that I didn’t notice their pleasant personalities, too.) In fact, I might have to organize a Life in the District happy hour there next week. But I digress. Leftbank has a pleasant atmosphere: kind of a mod retro chic moonbase alpha thing going on, decent music, good food, good drinks…granted, it’s a little pricey, but it’s worth an occasional visit. Oh, and it’s spacious. Lotsa elbow room. My elbows are deadly weapons, so that’s key.

Anyway, LeftBank makes the list.

There’s a whole world of DC-blog related melodrama that no one really cares about, but occasionally when you dip in to it, you find humorous entries like DC Bachelor’s DCist Sucks. I personally don’t think DCist sucks — I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it, either. And, as many of you faithful readers know, since I run a little site called Life in the District, technically DCist would be competition…if I cared enough to compete. In fact, I admire how far the “-ist” sites have come in the last couple years, considering LitD has been around twice as long and has done half as much. Okay, half might be generous.

That being said, DC Bachelor has a way of reminding us (I’m lumping you all in with me now) of the things we don’t like in this city, or things we don’t like in general, and he does it with that edgy, cynical tone that is the hallmark of postmodern social commentary (yeah, you like that, don’t you). He also posts a lot of crap, but so do we all. That’s the drawback to blogs. Anyway, what I mean is, DC Bachelor is funny, funny stuff, and he (along with the rest of the dysfunctional DC blogosphere) is yet another reason why I love this city.