New Year's Eve @ Mie N Yu

I can't attest to the New Year's scene in Clarendon because I was at Mie N Yu in Georgetown. The upscale Middle East / Far East fusion restaurant was very impressive and wrapped us in a rich and classy mood to bring in the new year. Entertainment came by way of belly dancers and a terra cotta warrior performer.

Mie N Yu offered a special NYE's menu for the night to simpify orders: either a Middle East or Far East selection in 3 or 5 course. Both were excellent in presentation and delicious, although of course portions are small and expensive (the soup was served in shot glass size for instance). I really enjoyed the Afghan style lamb from the Middle East dinner.

Street parking is limited of course and the metro is a long walk, so either grab a cab or park in the Colonial lot one block east for $18.

Highly recommended for a fun and classy night out!

Ballston bars packed day before NYE

I was not expecting Rock Bottom in Ballston was going to be packed beyond capacity one day before New Year's Eve. The venue offers its own custom beer menu (I recommend the Ballston Brown) , and attracts a similar crowd to its neighbors Union Jack's and Bailey's. At around midnight, there was actually a long line just to get into Union Jack's!

Our waitress confirmed that this is one of the busiest nights of the year for the bar, which surprised me a little.

If Ballston was this crowded, I'm curious about how packed the venues in Clarendon were at the same time.

Merry Metro Christmas

Thanks to Unsuck DC Metro for providing interesting local Christmas photos and movies like this one:


Video credit to Stacey Viera (StaceyViera.com)

Also, if you feel you need to escape your family today and listen to some local music, IOTA is open from 7pm to 2am with no cover charge.

Merry Christmas Clarendon!

Snowpocalypse destroys Clarendon

At the risk of going off topic and writing about the same exact topic every single other local is talking about: The world as we know it was ended by the Snowpocalypse this morning.

The second snowstorm this winter has blanketed the region in at least 8 inches of powder. Thundersnow was reported Friday night.

Metro has closed all above ground stations, and long delays in the tunneled stations. Even walking to the Orange line stop on Clarendon and Highland is a hike, with the wind blowing snow completely horizontal.

Snowball fights are being organized via Twitter in Dupont Circle at 3pm, and someone is trying to set up one in Alexandria as well.

Whole Foods was open this morning with a light crowd, and Moby Dick's on Highland is reported to be staying open.

Laura Rubinchuk caught this photo of firemen rescuing a stuck mail truck, luckily for him the firehouse and post office at adjacent.

Search Twitter for #snOMG or #snowpocalypse for the latest, or subscribe to Arlington Alerts via text or email.

Zoo Lights @ National Zoo

The National Zoo in DC is hosting a great night time event to help get you in a festive mood. ZooLights illuminates most of the park with thousands of lights decorating trees, animal silhouettes, and light shows synced up to Christmas music. Cost is $8 and runs from 6-8:30 p.m.

Schedule:
December 4-13 (Friday through Sunday nights)
December 18-January 2 (Every night except December 24, 25, and 31)

Also open nightly are many animal houses, including the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat, Small Mammal House, Great Ape House, Reptile Discovery Center, Think Tank, and Kids' Farm.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra @ Verizon Center

The very original and entertaining Trans-Siberian Orchestra performed at the Verizon Center in DC tonight to a crowd of 15,000.

The band is extremely talented at both playing impressive classical/metal tunes and head banging. The cast included a handful of skilled singers/dancers, three guitarists, bassist, two on keyboards, drummer, and Caitlin Moe leading a dozen DC local musicians on strings.

Even more impressive and memorable than the great music was the stage performance and light show. At one point the transforming and color stage shot lasers into a cloud of snowflakes falling on the center crowd!

The first half of their performance was dedicated to playing what they are known for best: their take on classic Christmas tunes. The second part of the night was a debut for their new non-Christmas themed album, Dark Castle.

A great night for very loudly getting into the holiday mood!

Arlington H1N1 Clinic on Dec 3

Thanks to Arlington Alerts:

Arlington County Public Health officials announced today that an H1N1 immunization clinic will be held Thursday, December 3. The immunization clinic will take place from 2 to 6 p.m. at 3033 Wilson Blvd. and is intended for priority groups -- pregnant women, household contacts and caregivers of children younger than six months, people from 6 months to 24 years, and people 25 through 64 who have certain health conditions.