FOOD & DRINK: Cocktails for under a buck?! You heard right. The Occidental Grill is offering 95 cent cocktails (Vodka Collins, Planters Punch, Side Cars, Stingers, and Gin Rickeys) from 3-7 p.m. tonight (and every Monday through Saturday in March) when you purchase food off the bar menu. The price is a throwback their 1967 menu. Unfortunately, you're limited to one 95 cent cocktail per person, but it's still a cheap way to get the evening started. more ›

The intriguing dynamic captured by Matt.Dunn in this beautifully lit shot is fodder for any number of amusing captions. more ›

Let's be honest -- there's not much that's authentically "D.C." about The Real World D.C. Sure, the show takes place here, but as our painfully detailed re-caps have shown, the roommates have mostly been tethered to their Dupont Circle home and a rather limited sampling of nearby bars and restaurants. But at least one song played in the background of a recent episode came from a local band. more ›

Neighborhood blogger U Street Girl acknowledged in a post late last night that she had removed a comment that had been posted to her blog after receiving an email from David Shott, the owner of planned new wine bar Du Vin Osteria. Shott had threatened legal action against the blog, according to its author.

It is with regret that I write this post and removed the comment. I wish Mr. Shott had come to me in a more friendly manner and had not immediately written the words “legal action” to a young professional who blogs on her spare time. I was trying to promote Mr. Shott’s business. I posted the comment because it seemed to raise relevant concerns about Mr. Shott.

The context is this: U Street Girl had put up a simple announcement about Shott's business plans -- a new wine bar coming to the Solea at 14th and Florida NW -- and then one of her readers added a comment that wasn't particularly complimentary about Shott. Basically, the commenter said he felt Shott was a difficult guy to get along with, and accused Shott of having sent "several insulting and threatenning [sic] emails" to an email list associated with Union Rown, another nearby condo building. A call to Shott from DCist was not immediately returned. more ›

>> A release party for the "U Know Nando" mixtape will be held tonight at Bohemian Caverns, featuring Lyriciss, The Five One and a host of other local emcees. $10, 8 p.m. more ›

If you missed out on free pastry morning at Starbucks, don't fret. You've still got the rest of the day to grab a free ice cream cone from Ben & Jerry's. The chain's annual Free Cone Day event is back once again, running this afternoon from noon to 8 p.m. Just stop by, wait in the inevitably long line, and score your free cone of any flavor you please. more ›

Good morning, Washington. You've got until 10:30 a.m. to print out this coupon and score a free pastry at Starbucks with the purchase of any beverage. Just be sure to plan your complimentary pastry eating schedule apart from the time you'll spend today contemplating the salmon-and-gray color scheme that's been incorporated into the newly launched redesign of the Washington City Paper's web site. They've got some nice new drop-down menus, to be sure, but that particular shade of pink is ... not exactly appetizing. more ›

• Amazingly enough, a Swedish real estate developer is set to break ground on a large speculative commercial building in downtown D.C., at 10th and G streets NW. Whither the recession? [WaPo]
• The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts is advising DDOT against the installation of the plastic poles and the use of color on the pavement in its plan for putting bike lanes down the middle of Pennsylvania Ave. Unclear whether they really have any authority in this matter, however. [TheWashCycle]
• Canal Street SW reportedly getting speed bumps, in the area in front of Greenleaf Recreation Center. [Southwest ... the Little Quadrant That Could]

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In a week overloaded with sold-out shows, this WMA highlights only those events that needn't require begging, borrowing, or ...something far worse. more ›

The District's dining and drinking denizens have reason to toast each other today, after several of them were named as finalists for 2010 James Beard Foundation awards. Not only did a D.C.-area chef or restaurant make it into some of the heavy-hitter categories -- José Andrés for Outstanding Chef of the Year (again!) and Johnny Monis of Komi for Rising Star Chef of the Year (also again!) -- some chefs were honored for the first time. Amanda Cook from CityZen is a finalist for the award for Outstanding Pastry Chef, while others will be competing against their neighbors in the Mid-Atlantic category. more ›

Our occasional series "Secret History" features profiles of classic D.C. albums as a way of looking back at the District's contributions to music over time. This entry takes a look back at Tuscadero's stellar debut LP, "The Pink Album" (Teenbeat, 1994 / Elektra, 1996). more ›

We told you before, and now we're telling you again. Residential street sweeping starts back up in the District today, with all the alternate side parking restrictions (and $30 parking tickets) that come along with them. Although to clarify, you still have a week to get used to the old routine, as enforcement won't resume until next Monday, March 29. more ›

Renee Bowman, the Maryland woman who was found guilty last month of murdering two of her adopted daughters and keeping their bodies inside a freezer in her home, has been sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 75 years for several counts of child abuse, the Post reports. The sentence is in addition to the 25 years she is already serving for abusing her third, surviving daughter. The Post says Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Michael J. Algeo called the Bowman case "the worst he'd seen in 25 years in Montgomery County as a prosecutor, defense attorney and judge." more ›