Author Eleanor Herman will be at Politics and Prose at 7 PM Wednesday to discuss Mistress of the Vatican, her biography of the woman known as “the secret female Pope.” Sold? If not, Bourbon in Adams Morgan is hosting a Q&A with Whitney Matheson Thursday at 9. She’s author of the popular Pop Candy blog on USAToday.com. Grab a drink and chat about indie rock, comic books, TV, and other pop-culture topics.

Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe’s summer music series is coming to end soon, so stop by after work or before you head out on the town any night Wednesday through Saturday. Busboys and Poets is also pushing through the week with a selection of artists: Chester River Runoff performs on Wednesday and PS24 on Friday.

Angelina Jolie in serious mode or Angelina with guns and in high boots? EW’s Lisa Schwarzbaum and Owen Gleiberman discuss the question. Personally, we prefer our Angelina Jolie very crazy and threatening to jam a pen in our aorta.

The Los Angeles Times profiled Shawn Ryan, the man behind FX’s The Shield. The show starts its seventh and final season September 2—also known as the day after the return of Gossip Girl.

With Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Woody Allen has found funny again. Or so we hear. Every screening we tried to attend this weekend at E Street Cinema was sold out. If the film is half as funny as Allen’s production diary, we can understand the craze.

Monday, August 25: Hello, Sweet Thing
The cupcake craze continues ablaze with today’s opening of Dupont Circle’s Hello, Cupcake. With espresso drinks, wifi, and cupcake flavors like “Velvet Elvis,” “24 Carrot,” “Peanut Butter Blossom” and more, you can already count us amongst the store’s fans. Open from 10 AM to 7 PM today.

Tuesday, August 26: An All-Day Happy Hour
Each Tuesday, Chef Geoff’s serves up one of our favorite happy hours that can’t be beat. Believe us. It’s a $5 bistro burger, with a heaping pile of crispy shoestring fries. Drinks? The dark-wood-paneled bar tosses out this heavenly thing called a Supermug: 34 ounces of beer for $7.95 from an excellent array of beers on tap.

After being discovered on MySpace by a record-label intern, the pop/rock band Metro Station quickly grew to celebrity status with the release of its self-titled debut album and a catchy single, “Shake It.” The Los Angeles-based group, made up of four young guys (including Miley Cyrus’s brother), will perform at Sonar this Halloween, Friday, October 31. The $15 tickets ($18 at the door) also include performances by opening acts Shwayze, Tyga, and Cash Cash. Ticket sales begin Saturday, August 23, at 10 AM.

In addition to a show at the Black Cat on Thursday, October 2, the electronica duo Ratatat has lined up a show at Sonar for Sunday, October 5. Composed of producer Evan Mast and guitarist Mike Stroud, Ratatat just released a new album last month titled LP3. Tickets are $15 ($17 at the door) and go on sale Friday, August 22, at 10 AM.

Country and blues fans will appreciate this upcoming tour: An Acoustic Evening With Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt makes a stop at the Warner Theatre on Sunday, October 19. Tickets ($69.50) go on sale Friday at 10 AM.

Thursday, August 21: The good folks at Goodwill are holding a trunk show of vintage and vintage-inspired designs at Marimekko in Silver Spring from 5 to 7 PM. Marimekko and vintage together? It’s like a dream of ours, finally coming true.

Friday, August 22: Make sure to catch a film in the Made in Hong Kong Film Festival at the Freer before it wraps up this weekend. Today and Sunday, it’s Triangle, a classic Hong Kong crime thriller. The film is told in three 30-minute parts, each directed by a different Hong Kong filmmaker. 7 PM (2 PM on Sunday); free tickets required.

It’s a block party for all! To mark its 50th anniversary, Ben’s Chili Bowl is hosting a free block party outside its U Street location from 10:30 AM till 2 PM. Expect family-friendly fun, games, and music.

Standup comic Mike Birbiglia, who got his start at Georgetown University, will be back in town showing off his self-deprecating humor at the Improv through the weekend. 8 and 10:30 PM; $20.

“You are what you eat” is a common truism. What you put inside your mouth tells the world exactly the kind of person you are. In the same vein, you are what you drink. A Stella Artois tells the world you’re probably a snob, but more likely just effete. Likewise, nothing says cheap like a can of PBR—even if you’re trying to be ironic.

But what about what you make? Are you what you choose to make? The basil-watermelon cooler placed in front of me on the bar at Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert suggests so. Chosen and prepared for this Video Buzzed by bartender Jeremy Onesko, the summer drink is refreshing and simple, but with just enough of a kick to keep it from being bland. Likewise, Onesko is straightforward and energetic. In between takes, he joked that this video will launch his television career (not going to happen—sorry, Jeremy) and got a kick out of sharing his recipe with some customers. Onesko is equally forthcoming about his hobby: When not tending bar, you can find him  at a golf course.

You can order a Basil-Watermelon Cooler at Westend Bistro through the rest of the summer. You can also check below for the drink’s recipe and our video with Onesko.

Monday, August 18: Suzanne Vega
Ready for a trip down memory lane? Suzanne Vega, the folky singer/songwriter behind 80s super popular song "Tom's Diner," performs tonight at Birchmere Music Hall. Though Vega has released a number of records over the past years, she'll always be the "d,d, duh, dut, d, d, duh, dut" girl to us. The show starts at 7:30 with Christina Courtin as the opening act. Tickets are $35.


Tuesday, August 19: Navy Band Concert
Concerts on the Avenue is a free summertime series featuring performances from the United States Navy Band that runs every Tuesday through Labor Day. Tonight, the Cruisers, a specialty unit of the Navy Band, perform a variety of music, including classic rock and blues tunes, as well as contemporary top 40 hits. Performances are held at the U.S. Memorial Plaza.