News & Politics

Washingtonian Today: Amazon Dumps NYC on Valentine’s Day

Pretty cold, Bezos.

Photograph by Evy Mages

Our ranking of the 100 Very Best Restaurants in Washington is now online! Blue Duck Tavern has always been a favorite of mine, and I’ve recently added Sushi Taro, All Purpose, St. Anslem, and Kogiya to my regular rotation. What are some of your favorites? Send me an email and let me know.

Our food critic, Ann Limpert, chats with readers every Friday at 11 AM. Have a question about the full list? Wondering why your favorite didn’t make the cut? Leave a question now for this week’s chat, and Ann will get to as many as she can this morning.

Welcome to Friday! I’m your author, Brittany Shepherd. Email me at bshepherd@washingtonian.com and follow me on Twitter. Are you paying someone for this newsletter? They’re ripping you off; it’s supposed to be free! Sign up for your own copy here and help stop cyber crime.

Amazon broke up with New York—on Valentine’s Day, too! The company will no longer be opening an additional office in Long Island City. For now, the neighborhood formerly known as Crystal City is the lone spot for HQ2. New York doesn’t really need Amazon. But does Washington? Could we afford to lose Bezos, too?

What’s on my mind: A 22-year-old actor from California has been arrested in connection with a fire that was recently set at Comet Ping Pong. Authorities haven’t provided a motive.

What we have cooking at Washingtonian:

Our pick for things to do around town:

THEATER Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theatre is hosting The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, an adaptation of Rick Riordan’s bestselling young-adult fantasy novel. If you missed the film, the title character discovers that he’s the son of Poseidon and then must embark on an epic quest to find Zeus’s lightning bolt. Recommended for ages 8 and up. Through February 17. $39-$139.

Good reads:

Meet the Hill staffers who Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hired to shake up the political system in Washington. (The Washington Post)

Big events from Washingtonian:

Join me and Brad Jenkins, a veteran of both the Obama administration and Funny or Die’s DC office, for a discussion on what it’s like to work in the White House, how Americans get their information, how to make policy entertaining, and more! Listen: The bar will be open, the laughs will be plentiful, and the karaoke optional. This is a great opportunity to mingle with folks in the know. Plus you get to meet me, which is often a memorable experience. It’s happening on February 27. Get tickets here.

 

Staff Writer

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.