What better place to be on Fourth of July weekend than Washington, DC. Get into your zen state so the crowds won't get to you and:

• Hit the National Mall for the yearly parade, concert and fireworks display on Saturday.
  

• Do not miss the Folklife Festival, especially not the Latin American music section. Sunday is the last day.
  

• Sunday also closes out this year's Artomatic.
  

• Not to worry, the Source Festival continues.
  

• And Capital Fringe kicks off on Thursday.
  

• Also next week is the DC Hip Hop Theater Festival.
  

• Oh, and for all you skate rats, there are skateboarding demonstrations at the NMAI all weekend

Happy Fourth.

Review of Lauriol Plaza

The search for a good Mexican restaurant has continued. Pictured here is Lauriol Plaza.

Lauriol Plaza has a few things going for it. They have a large outdoor eating area and a huge dining room. They make some great drinks. And they have an ideal location (between Dupont and Adams Morgan).

The first time I went there (for breakfast) I ordered the chilaquiles. They were awful. I didn't go back for a long time. The next time I was dragged there by my work and ordered a carne asada. It was flavorful and perfectly cooked.

I went back again with Chris. This time I ordered a salad and a tamale. He ordered an enchilada. The salad was passable. The tamale was good. The enchilada was delicious. All in all, Lauriol Plaza is a hit or miss experience. Stop by for a few drinks with friends. And stick to the few things on the menu they seem to do well.

Ruff & Ready

Ruff and Ready is on 14th street, not too far south of U. It's located in an old house that is quite literally falling apart.

The place is packed to the gills with antiques and junk. This is the patio area where they keep outdoor furniture, some dishes, pots, birdhouses, iron, and who knows what else.

Beyond the patio is a huge warehouse type room with furniture in a variety of conditions. Prior to the patio was the main house which is so packed that two people cannot get through any hall at any time.

Any kind of knickknack or whatnot you can think of can be found at this place. I could wander its dusty corridors for hours. Last trip, I discovered that they have a basement as well. Turns out it was just as packed as the rest of the place. It's nuts.

If you are a treasure hunter, this place is not to be missed.

Review of Lebanese Taverna

There are several Lebanese Tavernas in the area, but I have only been to the one in Woodley Park. It has a very healthy sized outdoor eating area and a lovely dining room.

Pictured is the shankleesh (feta with paprika rolled in sesame, thyme and sumac). Another favorite, the fattoush salad, is perfectly spiced and flavored with olive oil.

The pitas are like puffy little pillows, perfect for dipping in hummos or shankleesh or (for the brave) their super spicy harissa.

Prices at Lebanese Taverna are surprisingly reasonable, although you always have to watch yourself in places with a large selection of small plates. Service can be a little spotty, but not usually terrible.

All in all a good choice.

Asia After Dark at the Freer Sackler

Back on June 4th, the Freer and Sackler galleries had their first ever Asia After Dark event.

Tickets were only $15 each and included food, entertainment, and one cocktail. You could also wander around the exhibits.

The dancers in the picture are from the Silk Road Dance Company. They had two performances of traditional Middle Eastern and Persian Dance.

The woman who was describing the dances to us had the biggest hair I had ever seen in my life. She was also extremely cranky that nobody was listening to her shpeel.

It was a great event, with two exceptions. The DJ had every drunk person out there dancing up a storm and nobody was very happy that the dancing had to stop for the performance. Also, the food was stuck in two little corners. The lines for the food were incredibly long and then the food wasn't too great.

Still, I'll be looking forward to the next one.

Coming This Week

Another packed weekend here in DC:

• For play addicts, the Source Festival continues until July 12th
  

• For art addicts, Artomatic continues through July 5th
  

• The Smithsonian Folklife Festival kicked off this past Wednesday. This year the focus is on African American storytelling, Welsh crafts, and Latin American music.
  

• The annual Safeway BBQ Battle is this weekend
  

• As is the grand reopening of Eastern Market, complete with free food and entertainment
  

• Yoni Ki Baat, the South Asian version of Vagina Monologues has three performances this weekend at the DC Arts Center
  

• Jazz in the Garden continues tonight in the Sculpture Garden
  

• You can join the ACLU tomorrow to protest Don't Ask Don't Tell
  

• And if you aren't completely exhausted by Sunday, you can hit the Festa Italiana
  

Three Servicemen Statue Vietnam Memorial

When you think of the Vietnam memorial in DC, you probably think of the long, black, reflective wall of names.

The memorial actually consists of two parts, that wall and this statue called Three Servicemen.

Apparently, many people thought that the wall was too focused on death. They wanted something more heroic. The servicemen were added a couple years later.

Frankly, I think the focus on death was appropriate, but the statue is fine. The figures are not particularly heroic or grim.

They are just a few somber kids with very large weapons.