Pinky

Pinky loves her weekends, and tries to pack in as much socializing and as many adventures as possible. She knows that nothing starts the weekend off quite like a good gossip session, so this past Friday she met up with some friends for cocktails at the Tabard Inn.


It was a gloomy day, and the hotel’s cozy bar was the perfect place to be. Unfortunately the comfy couches were all taken, but Pinky, always one to look on the bright side, realized that by sitting at the bar she would never have to worry about her glass being empty. Pinky had a great time, and of course, yet again, made the mistake of imbibing on an empty stomach. Luckily there are many places near her apartment to pick up greasy post-drinking treats, so she made a pit stop before going home. Pinky believes in moderation and (relatively) healthy living during the week, but that weekends are for indulgence…and that there is nothing quite like a jumbo slice of pizza and French fries from Amsterdam Falafel after an evening out.


Friday night’s treats did not, however, satisfy her weekend junk food cravings, and the following day she found herself at Dairy Queen, consuming her all-time favorite guilty pleasure, the peanut butter sundae.


Sunday Pinky was in the mood for some family friendly fun, so she waddled over to Fiesta DC. She loved the parade of traditional dances from all over Latin America, as well as the performances taking place on stages throughout the festival. She wasn’t feeling patient enough to stand in the long food lines, but couldn’t leave without having a glass of horchata, one of her favorite drinks from her time in Mexico. Pinky generally has a ‘no calories in my drink unless it’s alcohol’ rule, but then again, rules are made to be broken.

Marshall

Marshall loves a good party, and was thus lucky to have been invited to a soiree, held at the home of the British Deputy Head of Mission, celebrating the Washington production of Phèdre. The festive crowd consisted of DC’s young patrons of the arts (although Marshall guesses that few, if any, of them had actually seen the play). Some of Phèdre’s stars were also in attendance; a number of his friends were rather taken with Dominic Cooper, but he thought that the host, Dominick Chilcott, seemed like much more fun…certainly not like the diplomats he remembers from his foreign service childhood!


CommonWealth Gastropub provided the snacks, Pimm's, wine and cocktails were flowing, and Scotch and Cognac were available for tasting. A fan of the latter, Marshall happily sampled Rémy Martin’s single vintage Grande Champagne 1989 Cognac (ever so yummy), as well as Cointreau Noir, a mix of Cointreau and Rémy Martin Cognac (the perfect winter drink for him to sip in front of his fireplace). The crowd danced to the music of MADLantic, and amazingly, given the alcohol consumption, nobody fell into the pool. As usual, Marshall was amongst the last to leave. What can he say, he hates for any fun to be had without him!

Smokey

Smokey is a shopper. Although many of his friends are worried about their spending during these economic times, he thinks it’s his duty to help the economy by spending away. He recently found himself at The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City (not one of his favorite places to shop, but then again he’s not really a mall kind of guy). As he wandered from one unimpressive shop to another, a Christmas ornament of the Pillsbury Doughboy with a penguin cookie caught his eye. Part of him regrets not buying it, but as much as he loves picking up cute things he doesn’t need, he couldn’t bring himself to buy a holiday ornament in September.


The following day Smokey waddled over to Georgetown to one of his favorite stores, Anthropologie. He loves their home décor and rarely leaves without something fun (that he doesn’t need) for his apartment. He also enjoys helping his girlfriends pick out new outfits, and wishes the store carried clothing for him.


Smokey is not, however, just about the material things in life. He is also a penguin of culture, and enjoys spending his evenings attending performances across town. This past Saturday he could be found at the Kennedy Center, where he saw the Washington National Opera’s Barber of Seville. He enjoyed the opera, which was both funny and beautifully sung. Smokey was not, however, impressed by the man next to him who apparently thought it appropriate to take off his shoes during the performance. Somebody’s mother obviously did not teach them their manners.

Willy

Willy is a penguin of simple pleasures; just give him his sweets and his bubbly (wine will also do) and he’s happy as can be. He’s a great fan of Dairy Queen and makes certain to try every Blizzard of the Month. September’s is the Oreo Cookie Jar, which he most enjoyed. He loves the goodies (the good stuff that goes into this Blizzard), and can often be found on the Dairy Queen website sending messages of goodyness to his friends. Willy’s favorite Blizzard of the Month, however, is December’s, the Yule Flip Peppermint Chip. He is counting the days until it is available, figuring that if Christmas decorations are already in the stores, he can already start thinking of Christmas treats.


Willy also loves his wines and bubbly, and while he is partial to those from Austria, Germany and Latin America, he is always up for trying new ones. Lately he has been sampling more French wines and bubbly, all from First Vine, which has a good selection of well-priced wines not available elsewhere in the DC area, as well as great customer service. He recently enjoyed their Bernard Mante Extra-Brut Champagne, and realizing that he was depleting his cellar he ordered some of their rosés and whites. Willy is hoping for a bit more warm weather to enjoy his purchases before the cold weather turns his taste to reds (he will, however, always crave bubbly).

Chelsea

Chelsea, like all of her penguin friends, is a vegetarian. She was thus very excited to head to the DC VegFest, sponsored by Compassion Over Killing and the Vegetarian Society of DC, this past Saturday. Chelsea was pleased to see so many people listening to the speakers, getting information from the different participants, and enjoying the numerous treats for sale. Unfortunately she made the mistake of trying the quite dreadful vegan soft serve (thankfully Cone E. Island was nearby so she was able to get some peanut butter frozen yogurt once she left the festival).


More successful were the goodies (a little devil and a carrot cupcake) from Sticky Fingers Bakery, which has, she’s been told, good vegan ice cream. But not being vegan, and hoping to never again experience that unpleasant taste, she might just stick with dairy when it comes to her frozen treats.


After the festival Chelsea decided it was time for some art, so she waddled her way over to 14th Street. She first hit the John Dreyfuss show Enigma, at Hemphill Fine Arts. The title comes from the German World War II coding machines, and the exhibition, which Chelsea rather liked, consists of stylized submarine parts emerging from the gallery’s surfaces. She also stopped by Curator’s Office to see the paintings by Los Angeles-based artist Patrick Wilson, and Irvine Contemporary to see the show New Realisms. Having gotten her art fix, Chelsea decided it was time to head home. She’d had a lovely day, and what better way to end it than with some rosé and cheese (dairy…she wasn’t taking any chances) on her balcony!

Tori

Tori is a fashionista and loves nothing more than checking out the shops for fashion inspiration. She was thus very excited to attend some of the many DC events for Fashion’s Night Out, a global initiative to promote retail, restore consumer confidence and celebrate fashion. She first hit the Mazza Gallerie Neiman Marcus, where various activities (besides shopping, of course) were taking place throughout the store. DJs spun their tunes, and there were makeovers, massages and treats to be had. Tori sipped some bubbly, and indulged in Neiman Marcus’ divine caramel and chocolate covered pretzels, as well as chocolate gelato and lemon and purple basil sorbetto from Dolcezza.


Ex-Top Chef contestant Carla Hall was also on hand to give out her signature Fashion’s Night Out cookies, beautifully decorated in animal prints. They were almost too pretty too eat, but Tori’s incredible sweet tooth means that nothing is ever that pretty. Tori had a fabulous time and thought the event was great; she does think, however, that it might be just slightly early for Christmas decorations to be on sale.


The night was still young, so Tori returned to her part of town to attend an event at Muléh, home to fabulous clothing, furniture and accessories. She bumped into lots of friends and met new people…and of course had some more bubbly! The life of the fashionable really is so hard.

Clinton

Clinton is a New York boy who likes the hustle and bustle of the big city, and the vibrant cultural life it offers. He is still making up his mind about DC – he thinks it has too many politicians and lawyers, and that it lacks the energy of New York. Nevertheless, he has had no trouble entertaining himself or getting his required dose of culture.


He recently stopped by Union Station to check out the exhibition Discover Colombia Through Its Heart. Seven interactive 13-foot hearts are displayed in the station, and 40 8-foot hearts are scattered throughout the city. The exhibition is part of a Colombian tourism initiative, and each heart highlights a different facet of the country. Clinton also sampled some free Juan Valdez coffee, and took home flowers and a heart pin, which were being distributed to passers-by. He was impressed by the Colombian hospitality and is ready to plan his trip there (good thing he has a friend posted to the American Embassy in Bogota and thus a place to stay)!


That evening Clinton stopped by the Corcoran Gallery of Art's opening reception for Sargent and the Sea. He caught up with various people he hadn’t seen in ages, and enjoyed some treats, including very yummy non-cubed cheese. Cubed cheese is one of his biggest pet peeves, for a number of reasons that he would like to share. First, he knows how to cut cheese and does not need it done for him. Second, he would never cut the super-sized chunks that are served at receptions around town. And third, any cheese that can be easily cubed tends to taste like plastic (not that he has eaten plastic, but he imagines it would taste like cubed cheese).


Clinton also indulged in the dessert bar, which included lots of chocolate and mini crème brulees. He has to admit that he did not manage to see the exhibition (socializing is just so distracting). Good thing he has a membership and can return as he pleases over the next few months!

Oakley

Oakely is a California boy who moved to DC from sunny Pasadena. While he still has not adjusted to the humidity and lack of good Mexican food in the area, he loves his many new friends and ever expanding family. Oakley recently trekked down to Fawn Lake to meet Zoe, the family’s latest addition. Young Zoe was rescued from a shelter after having been found roaming the streets on her own. She has settled in well and is already the star of the household.


Oakley had fun playing with Zoe and hanging out with family and friends, indulging in a Labor Day weekend feast and enjoying the relatively mild weather. Feeling well rested after a lazy Sunday, he decided to hit nearby Fredericksburg on Monday for a day of shopping and (more) treats. The Labor Day holiday gave him the perfect excuse to have a “sweets for lunch” day (not that he ever has a problem finding an excuse to substitute a treat for a well balanced lunch). Oakely was especially pleased to discover that some new places had opened up since his last time in town.


He first tried the soft serve (vanilla and chocolate swirl) at Scoops Whistle Stop, a small ice cream shop, and then hit the University Cafe, where he had the peanut butter cheesecake (Oakley is not really a cheesecake kind of guy, but he’ll try anything with peanut butter). The restaurant/coffee shop apparently modeled itself after Tryst, one of his favorite neighborhood spots. It’s much more spacious and has comfy couches and a yummy sounding menu with lots of vegetarian goodies, but Oaklely could live without the multiple large television screens playing sports.


Although Oakley is still recovering from his trip back to DC on the less than glamorous Greyhound, he is already planning his next trip to visit Zoe. He will just make certain to take the train.

Gus

Gus loves a good party, especially when it has a fun theme. He recently attended a friend’s 1920s themed 30th birthday party, held at the cocktail lounge Wisdom. Although Wisdom is located in a part of town he rarely frequents (he is generally too lazy to leave NW DC), the soiree was well worth the journey (and Gus is a party snob, not easily pleased). The evening had all the elements necessary for a good party - the bar was nice, with lots of hidden nooks to gossip in, and the birthday girl did a wonderful job decorating the place - feathers, beads, chocolate poker chips, candy cigarettes and other creative party accessories were scattered everywhere.


Furthermore, he was welcomed with a glass of bubbly, and there was food to be had. Gus likes a good snack (he needs to line his stomach so he can keep on cocktailing), but as a vegetarian he often doesn’t know what he can and cannot eat. Luckily for him, the hostess is a vegan, so he knew he could safely dig into everything on hand. The tofu was tasty and he loved the delectable cupcakes from Sticky Fingers Bakery, especially the almond crème cake ones (the carrot cake ones were his second favorite).


He hasn’t been to the bakery since it moved from his neighborhood, but having been reminded of how yummy its goodies are he might just have to trek up to Columbia Heights (it is still in NW, so no excuses).

Last, but certainly not least, the company was fabulous, making for a very festive evening. He had fun catching up with friends, the majority donning flapper inspired attire. The birthday girl looked lovely in her 1920s outfit, with feathers peeking out from under her skirt, compliments of Your Slip is Showing. Gus felt rather underdressed, so he borrowed a friend’s feathered hairpiece (aka the tarantula).


He’s worried he might have looked like a fool, but then after a few drinks, who really cares?