Sasha Madway's Blog

And So it Goes

Sasha — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 21:57:38 EDT

Well this summer has truly been exciting. I hope that I've been able to give y'all some good restaurant and club reviews, as well as point out somethings off the beaten path. Good luck with your studies for those in school, and with jobs for those finishing school up.

Bakeries

Sasha — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:55:07 EDT

If there is one thing that I'm a huge fan of its bakeries. Every time I walk by a bakery in DC I'm compelled to try at least five or six things. The brownies at the Firehook bakery aren't too bad, and the muffins at Marvelous Market pass my test. However, these places are both chains. If you want to try something exciting head over to Love Cafe on U st. Love Cafe has a cupcake bar where you can pick your frosting and topings. If you're vegan head up to Sticky Fingers in Columbia Hights for some great pastries and coffee.

Those last few things

Sasha — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:02:28 EDT

With only a few weeks left in the summer its essential to make the most out of these last few summer weekends, and if you are so inclined weeknights. With that in mind I thought back to some of the things that made my summer great, as well as some things I haven’t had a chance to do yet.

Margaritas

Sasha — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 23:19:15 EDT

If you're in the mood for some great margaritas head over to Lauriol Plaza on 18th St. Lauriol Plaza has a ton of outdoor seating both on the street, and on a rooftop balcony and serves up some great enchiladas, and tacos. The dishes are very large, and filling so you can definitely share a plate between two people, especially as they provide you with free chips and salsa. For a treat get one of the speciality margaritas - the frozen mango rita is a great deal. They also offer pitchers if you're with a group.

End of the Summer

Sasha — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:12:33 EDT

Sadly the summer is beginning to end. One of my friends is leaving the city this Sunday, and another the following Sunday. With that in mind, I was trying to come up with five great things for them to do before they leave the city. Sure some of them might be a bit cliched, but having lived in the city I think everyone should do them:

Prince Cafe

Sasha — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:44:49 EDT

If you’re in the mood for a relaxing evening try heading over to Prince Café in Georgetown. Prince Café offers moderate to expensive food and drinks as well as a great selection of hookah flavors. The price varies depending on the flavor but Prince has a decent stock of flavors and most can be had for a reasonable price. The one problem is that they do charge a cover if you’re party doesn’t spend enough money. For that reason it makes more sense to go in a large group when you’re fairly hungry. The one problem I’ve found at Prince is that the service can sometimes be a bit slow, especially during their peak hours on Saturday evenings. If you haven’t been to Prince yet I would check it out, it’s a lot of fun especially after a movie.

Evening Fun

Sasha — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 21:31:02 EDT

So for anyone who hasn't been to Busboys and Poets yet, you should make it a priority. I just went there for a happy hour with my coworkers and we had a great time. If you call ahead they can sometimes get you a group of tables, or all seated together quickly which is great after work. Even better they have an extensive menu of both drinks and food - the quesadillas are great. If you can legally drink the pomegranate margarita is also worth trying.

McFadden's - worth it?

Sasha — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:14:12 EDT

i'm not sure how to win a $1 happy hour at McFadden's but I seem to be invited to them once a week, so I thought I'd pass on the knowledge. What seems to happen is that someone wins a discount happy hour and all their friends get $1 beers for an hour. It sounds like a great idea right?

Cheap Eats

Sasha — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:29:37 EDT

Following the theme of ending the summer posts I thought tonight I would post some cheap eats. Its always fun to go out and eat, however, now that summer is almost over many of us are running a bit short on funds and need to start finding the cheapest places to eat. Going out with friends after work, or during lunch is fun but can also become prohibitively expensive. With that in mind I've got some quick and easy ways to save some money.

Changing Internships into Action

Sasha — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 23:33:08 EDT

Now that summer is startng to end - we have less than a week left in July its time to start thinking about how to turn our summer expreiences into action. Some of us we may have a tangible product from our internship, while others may recieve academic credits, or a stipend. Whatever we've done, and whatever we recieve from our internships it is crucial that we start thinking about how we can take our summer expriences and use them to further the progressive movement.

Dupont Cirlce Lunches

Sasha — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:26:34 EDT

If you're in the Dupont Circle area and looking for a quick bite to eat head to Zorba's on 20th street. Zorba's offers some excellent Greek options at a reasonable price for lunch and dinner, and the portions are fairly large. Even better they serve wine and beer, so its a great place for a decent dinner after work, especially if you'd like a drink. Zorba's doesn't offer table service, but it does have outdoor dinning, and some great vegetarian options. Definitely a place to check out.

If you need another quick place to eat in the Dupont Circle Area you can also try Thai Chef, which offers reasonably priced thai food and sushi for lunch and dinner. prices go up a bit for dinner, so its definitely better to try for lunch. The spicy tuna rolls, and drunken noodles are both excellent choices.

Scenic Escapes

Sasha — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:20:17 EDT

I'm from right outside Philly, so I'm used to a bit more nature than I experience in DC. Every so often I really start to crave a car free environment, or at least an environment with slightly less asphalt. Although we have the National Mall, which has a nice beautiful lawn, its all grass. I've found a few ways to escape from the city and I thought I'd share them in case anyone else wanted a more earthy experience. I know that most of you came to the city, to be in the city, but I thought I would try to at least encourage everyone to leave the city at least once.

Roommate Negotiations

Sasha — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:52:43 EDT

Its the middle of July now, so its the prefect time for all those roommate problems to flare up. During the academic year we normally have contracts, or forced agreements to at least give us the semblance of order. But with these removed we must *gasp*, struggle to deal with these issues as they come up.

Staying Cool

Sasha — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 17:49:27 EDT

Now that its towards the end of July, and the beginning of August its starting to get really hot, and it may only get hotter. For a lot of people from outside of the DC area, it may get a bit too hot. For those from DC its probably still too hot, but at least we've dealt with 102 degree days, with 99% humidity before. If there's one thing that I've learned from my summers in DC there are in fact plenty of ways to get cool, without having to pump up your AC.

Tapas Find

Sasha — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:31:34 EDT

If you're in the mood for a great dinner, albeit a pricey one head down to Bodego in Georgetown. Bodega serves tapas, with a Spanish theme including some delicious paella. Most of the tapas range from $7-$10, with some entrees priced at $19-$24. The peilla is much more expensive, but it serves 2-3 people, and is prepared fresh, so its possible to make substitutions. Bodega also has a fairly good wine list by the bottle, so if you're in the mood for a good dinner, or treat Bodega is a great choice.

Activism Alert

Sasha — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:56:31 EDT

This Saturday from 1-3, the DC Trans Coalition will be protesting new DC Department of Corrections regulations for transgender prisoners at the Corrections building across from the African American Civil War Memorial on U St. Come help make signs on Thursday night at 7 PM, email the coalition for the meeting location. Further the Office of Human Rights is trying to amend the D.C. Human Rights law come find out what you can do to help in the fight for equality!

Eco-Friendly

Sasha — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:16:26 EDT

A few days ago my room-mate convinced me to go see Wall-E. I had heard mixed things about Wall-E, and it had gotten some good reviews, including an editorial in the New York Times, and so I went to the movies with high hopes. Unfortunately they were dashed by a movie with almost no dialogue, and what appeared to me to be a very pessimistic message about our future. I know that many viewers took something optimistic from the movie, but I unfortunately could not. Although I can't recommend Wall-E it did get me thinking about some eco-friendly things to do.

Late Night Craving

Sasha — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 13:06:30 EDT

So at some point everyone in their life has a craving for pancakes at 3 am. We don't like to admit but it happens and normally we go hungry. Fortunately for us DC has The Diner, which is sort of like your typical diner except that the food it serves is actually good, they have healthy options and they serve alcohol. Best of all its open 24/7 to serve your late night cravings and is located up in Adams Morgan which has some great bars. Other late night spots to hit up are the IHOP in Arlington VA, which is much less metro accessible, or checking out some of the options on campus food, some of which are open rather late. Unfortunately many of the places in DC tend to close early, but its definitely still possible to get a late night snack.

Sick in the City

Sasha — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 21:12:19 EDT

Having lived in DC I've gotten sick multiple times, and its not particularly fun. Its sometimes more difficult over the summer when you have fewer friends around. However, I thought I'd share some of my knowledge of medical providers in the area so that if you do get sick and need to see a doctor you'll know what to do.

Spy Museum

Sasha — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:21:49 EDT

One of the most hyped museums in DC, and one of the few too charge admission is the International Spy Museum. The lines at the museum are incredibly long and they recommend you buy your tickets for timed admission well in advance. Once inside museum your taken upstairs to assume your spy identity, and watch a training video. After this introduction your able to walk around the museum looking at the various exhibits many of which are interactive, and try to complete your objective.