Spring Flowers

Looks like the first buds of spring have come out in D.C. The Cherry Blossom Festival runs through April 12. Though the peak bloom isn't until this weekend, they look beautiful already. I had a chance to snap a few pics of the blooms down at the Tidal Basin as well as some beautiful magnolia trees on Georgetown's campus. Here's hoping the weather will stay this gorgeous throughout April.

Point, Click, Collect.

Mike Monteiro's cheeky Untitled (my therapist)

As an art history major, I’m always on the lookout for an easy way to start collecting with unique pieces by young artists. Unfortunately, most galleries can be intimidating for a young collector, due to the typically haughty attitude of the gallerist and the just out-of-reach price points. So I was pleased to happen upon the website The Beholder a few months back, where pieces start at just under $50 and top out around $3,000, with most pieces in the $200-900 range. Browsing the site is a cinch, with helpful categories to view the pieces by price, size, or medium. There’s even an option for a 7-day trial, where you can return the work within a week for a full refund. Favorites include Mike Monteiro’s “Words” series, which consist of simple white Helvetica lettering on a black backdrop spelling out tongue-in-cheek phrases like “I hope my ex isn’t here” and “OK, but no gay stuff,” as well as Katie Baum’s gridlike photographs of flowering trees; the triptych Cherry Blossom would be the perfect choice for a D.C. resident to liven up those tired white walls. Whatever piece you choose, The Beholder makes it easy to ditch the stale Monet posters from your college dorm room and hang up something that’s really worth looking at.

Come Hell or High Water (Pants)

A recent article in the New York Post tells of CFDA award-winning menswear designer Thom Browne's financial woes:

"He's in a real squeeze," said one source close to the situation. "If he can't wriggle out of it in the next couple of weeks, he's facing a potential bankruptcy."

The designer, who (like me) grew up in Allentown, PA, is famous for tight, cropped suit jackets and ankle-flashing "flood" trousers that carry pretty high price tags (suits are around $5K). With the economy failing, so is the market for products that are viewed as too fashion-forward for the mainstream consumer. It's a shame, for while his company is small, his impact on the entire menswear industry has been substantial. As the suit has become cool again, designers at every price point have adopted a watered-down version of his look, with slim lapels and shorter jackets. Here's hoping that he makes it out of this slump.

Cloak-and-dagger Cocktails at PX

follow the blue light to PX

Friday night’s drinking adventure took me over to Old Town, Alexandria, a quaint spot on the Potomac in Northern Virginia. Our destination was PX, a modern speakeasy with no number and no sign out front. Before we get into the specifics of PX, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the current trend that has everyone looking backward to the roaring twenties and the era of national Prohibition. Bars are springing up everywhere that pride themselves equally on both the clandestine nature of their entrances and the quality of the ingredients that go into the cocktails - house made bitters and tonics, freshly squeezed juices, and hand-cut blocks of ice. These old-school establishments are the polar opposite of the slick lounges and scene-y spots of the early 2000’s. Whether this genre of bar has staying power or is just another fad has yet to be seen, but with places like PDT (short for Please Don’t Tell...oops, just did) and Little Branch in Manhattan leading the charge, the speakeasy seems to have carved out its own niche for now.

No address is listed for PX, just a vague “Follow the blue light” on their website. A quick Google search, however, turned up 728 King Street as the address, simultaneously demystifying their directions and ruining any romantic notion of a search through the rainy night for a blue lamppost. A knock on the door led to the opening of a metal peephole. “Name, please?” said the voice on the other side of the door. Though their criteria for admission is unclear, apparently we passed muster, because we were escorted inside to a small table with water carafes, white croc-embossed menus, and homemade potato chips (a welcome touch). We settled in to the white leather chairs and took in the scene.


As my friend Kyle said (somewhat ironically) a few years ago, “staying in is the new going out,” and the atmosphere of PX seems to have taken that mantra to heart. The vibe was more akin to a friend’s living room than a bar. Quiet and relaxed, the dark paneled walls were mirrored and lined with shelves of empty crystal containers and vintage silver cocktail shakers. A mysterious girl in a tight red dress sat idly at the bar, lending a sense of noir mystique to the whole joint.

The cocktail list is small but concentrated, and there was nary a disappointed palate in my group. For the amount of labor that goes into creating each drink, the prices are quite reasonable ($11-14 each). Equally cool is watching the bartender create each drink; for some, including the Sherlock Holmes, the fruit is set aflame to give a fragrant aroma to the cocktail. Standouts include the Bittersweet, a combination of gin, bitters, and sweet vermouth ($12) and the Cure All, a complicated and delicious mix of tequila, gin, turmeric, and basil coconut water ($12). Even the seemingly simple gin and tonic ($12.50), crafted with house-made tonic, was heads and shoulders above any other G&T I’ve ever tasted; the tonic was at once sweet and tangy, and the Citadelle gin may soon find itself a permanent place in my home bar. Another must try - if only for the song and dance that comes along with it - is the absinthe. Ice water is diffused out of a large carafe over sugar cubes resting on a spoon with a skull and crossbones carved out of it into the absinthe in the bottom of the glass. Spooky, I know, but the lovely licorice aroma of the drink is well worth the $16 price tag.

If I could find any fault with the establishment, it would be the lack of a real energy. It could have just been an off night, or perhaps the room we sat in, but the atmosphere was lacking a certain intangible feeling. (There appeared to be more seats to the place behind a white curtain, but I dared not peek inside, too worried we might be ever so politely asked to leave.) For sure, the place is more suited for a hushed conversation among friends than a raucous tête-à-tête, but there was still something left to be desired.

All in all, I would definitely recommend a visit to this place. It’s only 20 minutes by cab from DC proper, and well worth the trip. Throw on your velvet dinner jacket or vintage dress and prepare to enter a world of hush-hush cocktailing, roaring 20’s style. That is, if you can get past the door...

PX, 728 King Street, Alexandria, VA (no phone)