Jamaican Queens are the antitheses of Detroit music and proud of it. “Everyone in Detroit is obsessed with garage rock. Unfortunately, I think that shit’s soooo boring” says the bands front man Ryan Spencer in an interview with CMJ. I shuddered at reading this due to my own penchant for fast, distorted fuzz, but I opened up while hearing them play live at Black Cat last Thursday.

Last night, Tony Hudgins and his crew welcomed a few VIP’s to celebrate its recent opening in style. However, you’re not going to find a framed Ovi jersey on the wall here — The Gryphon is challenging your typical DC sports bar to step up its game. This gorgeous new spot, with its leather club chairs, animal skulls on the walls, and unique antler chandeliers makes for an atmosphere more polished than your average sports bar. At The Gryphon, you can enjoy watching The Masters, March Madness, or a Nats game on any one of their 31 flat screen TVs while sipping a cocktail served up by one of their excessively attractive bartenders. That said, in an environment like this doing anything but slowly sipping a scotch on the rocks seems out of place. If smoking cigars inside were legal, you’d do it here.

RJ Cooper’s Rogue 24 showcases his culinary vision both literally and creatively by focusing the diner’s experience around the kitchen and allowing his chefs to precisely execute his gastronomic ballet. The expression, “culinary theater” has never been a more apt description as it has in Cooper’s two year old establishment. You wouldn’t assume such a sophisticated menu and execution awaits as you arrive to Rogue 24; located down a back alley in the Shaw neighborhood one block from the convention center. The exterior of the building has wooden paneling and the inset “Rogue 24” is illuminated in bright white lights, in case you were lost. The abandoned auto shop next door covered in graffiti being a perfect introduction to the hip culinary destination that awaits you across the alley; mechanical execution, covered in artistic flair. The location is perfect for Copper’s pedigree; a Detroit native with stints cooking at Vidalia the DC seminal upscale southern comfort food destination; his elevation of simple dishes working side by side with his crew shows the level of art that this once humble working class profession has been raised in DC.

I was getting my hand stamped at the Black Cat on last night when I overheard the guy behind me in line say “if I don’t leave here with a black eye I’m gonna be pissed.” If I was walking into any other show I would roll my eyes, but for this one I nodded in approval. Ty Segall Band does not mess around.

What a week two in the NFL. We’re going to touch every single issue you’re boiling about and many more. I’d like to address the replacement referee situation in the opening instead of doing it as a bullet point below. It’s important to address this development first and separate from the other noise of the NFL. So, how awesome is it to call bullshit on the officiating team at the top of your drunk lungs during the game and actually be right most of the time? Awesome – that’s what it is – AWESOME. If the NFL required quarterbacks to be fatter and shorter than me, it would be even better. Lace up your panties and pull up your cleats – this going to hurt.

If you are looking for good food, great service and a mellow atmosphere, look no further. Sticky Rice DC is located at 1224 H Street NE and boasts an eclectic menu of American and Pan-Asian cuisine with a great crowd of local district dwellers. As a sushi restraunt in DC …

The Big Board, a specialty burger joint, is located at the start of the H Street corridor on the corner of 5th and H NE; a five minute walk east from the H street exit of Union Station. The second you walk through the door you realize that the four …

Clyde’s Restaurant Group opened its newest eatery adventure this weekend and a few visits have assured me that the restaurant/music venue has everything you need for your weekday, weekend, evening, and late-night fun. Named after founding father Alexander Hamilton, the 37,000 square foot restaurant features 400 restaurant seats spread out …

Capitol Hill has become a location full of good places to eat in the last four years. There’s really no question about that.  We’ve all been beneficiaries of the fantastic places opening and hill residents have supported these places, showing that we enjoy staying close to home and eating good …