About Washingtonian Today
Washingtonian Today is not just another political news roundup. Instead, this daily morning brief provides local context on national news, catches you up on what’s happening at Washingtonian, points you toward super duper awesome things to do around town, and lets you in on some special events going on in-house. Sign up here to receive Washingtonian Today in your inbox every morning.
Good morning. Brittany‘s out so you’re stuck with me–in case you needed another reason to know that Mondays are the worst! As we head into a week of partisan hangovers, a dense fog advisory has settled over part of the DC region. Probably not a metaphor.
My family and I spent the weekend in south central Virginia, much of the time without cell or internet service, and it was a real upgrade! We visited Danville, whose AAF Tank Museum is a quirky marvel, and where Ballad Brewing makes a delightful IPA that even British people (whose version of IPAs is quite different from ours) can drink, and I discovered that late-’60s Dan-Press ads were incredibly metal.
I can’t wait to return.
A lot of people have the day off for Columbus Day. If you don’t, or you’re observing Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead, this newsletter is dedicated to YOU.
What we have cooking at Washingtonian:
- There have been a lot of restaurant openings lately. Anna Spiegel rounds up five you should probably pay attention to.
- Michael Bekesha has one of the District’s most interesting tasks: He hopes to convince people here to vote a Republican (himself) onto DC Council. He talks with Rob Brunner about why.
- Now that Brett Kavanaugh‘s on the Supreme Court, could his mate Mark Judge, an occasional sight in the nether reaches of conservative media, parlay his piece of this story into right-wing-media stardom? Brittany Shepherd spoke with some people who said: Probably not.
Our pick for things to do around the District:
FILM Midterm elections are still a month away, but it’s never too early to start thinking about the issues that will show up on the ballot. The Meet the Press Film Festival with the American Film Institute (AFI) will feature nearly two dozen short-length documentaries at the Landmark Atlantic Plumbing Cinema. Films will be grouped by themes; each program will conclude with a Q&A with filmmakers moderated by an NBC News correspondents and anchors. The schedule features films on immigration, gun control, poverty, and more. $10, 5:30 PM. (Several screenings are sold out but there will be a standby line for any unfilled seats.)
Good reads:
• Crystal HyunJung Rie was studying at Georgetown when she noticed that the Washington area, despite a relatively small Asian population, was bonkers for Asian food. So she’s working on an oral history project about Asian chefs here to help figure out this turn of events. Cool story by Tara Bahrampour. (The Washington Post)
• Today in reasons to seize generational wealth: Super-rich people in the Hamptons are reportedly building luxury safe rooms because they’re scared of MS-13. (New York Post)
Essential long read:
• Why do people who hate elevators live in New York? The same reason other people rob banks. (Topic)
Big events from Washingtonian:
Our Cheap Eats list has been out for a few weeks now. I can’t recommend La Mexicana or Saba enough. How many of our picks have you visited?
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Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
