Day 33 of the partial government shutdown. We’re reached shutdown inception. Agencies are now sending re-furlough notices to their workers. At least there are even more food and drink specials for them; we have a convenient list of them all.
Get ready for our 100 Very Best Restaurants list! The issue hits stands Friday, and we started counting down our Top 5 picks on Instagram yesterday. Tail Up Goat and Sushi Nakazawa already made the cut. What do you think our top three will be? (I’m still holding out hope for the shuttered TGI Fridays in Foggy Bottom.)
The Briefing, Briefly? Yesterday I asked if the on-the-fly press scrums from the White House were enough. And later that afternoon, the White House Correspondent’s Association released a statement about the situation, saying that “this retreat from transparency and accountability sets a terrible precedent.” What do we do from here, though? Do White House reporters refuse to ask questions in the driveway? I’m not sure what the solution is. Have a thought? Shoot me an e-mail and I’ll anonymously publish a few later this week. Maybe Hogan “Tidley” will know.
Hello, I’m your author, Brittany Shepherd. Happy Wednesday! Email me with comments or questions and follow me on Twitter. Sign up for this newsletter here.
In case you missed it: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called into a Twitch video game livestream and people lost their minds. And she apparently wants to teach Super Smash Bros to other Dem members. (Who do you think she plays as? I hope it’s Kirby. Plus, I can’t shake the idea of Chuck Schumer as Mr. Game & Watch.)
What we have cooking at Washingtonian:
- Here’s why you can catch the ambassador to Indonesia at Izakaya Seki.
- Maybe Pusha T took after his trainer Trell and adopted a vegan diet while he recorded Daytona.
- DC has a new stupid burger place. Yes, that’s really the name.
- Bourbon Steak has been serving power lunches and delicious duck fat french fries for more than 10 years.
Our pick for things to do around town:
BOURBON The Nationals are hosting a Bourbon in the Ballpark event in the clubhouse at Nats Park. Enjoy a four-course dinner paired with four different Buffalo Trace bourbons (Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Bourbon Cream, and George T. Stagg or Stagg Jr.). The Nationals’ executive chef, Vince Navarrete, and reps from Buffalo Trace Distillery will help guide the tasting and will explain why each dish was paired to complement each drink. $250, 7 PM.
Good reads:
If you have a spare few minutes, dive into this Perry Stein story about the major rift within the team that helped expose the dangerous drinking water in Flint, Michigan and DC. (Washington Post Magazine)
Big events from Washingtonian
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Brittany Shepherd covers the societal and cultural scene in political Washington. Before joining Washingtonian as a staff writer in 2018, Brittany was a White House Correspondent for Independent Journal Review. While she has lived in DC for a number of years now, she still yearns for the fresh Long Island bagels of home. Find her on Twitter, often prattling on about Frasier.
