A Mental Workout in Cleveland Park

When people head to bars in the D.C. area, getting a mental workout is usually the last thing on their mind.

But a few bars in Washington offer the chance to do just that, and one of the most fun bars to work your brain while you drink is Ireland’s Four Fields, in Cleveland Park, NW.

The large pub, right on Connecticut Avenue, is like any typical Irish bar — Guinness on tap and dartboards in the back.

Every Wednesday, the bar mixes things up with a pub quiz; but it’s different from most trivia nights in the area.

While most bars give participants a little machine to punch in answers and display results on a television, the game here is decidedly old school. It’s also very intellectual and very stimulating. Questions aren’t just: “Who won the World Series in 1985?” No, the pub quiz at the Four Fields is much more challenging.

At 8:30 p.m., a stack of papers is placed on the hostess stand along with a pint glass full of pens. A small announcement is made, with a reminder to not cheat by using your cell phone. And then the fun begins.

Each week’s test begins with the “A-Z” category, where a random topic is selected and 26 questions are asked, with each answer corresponding to a letter in the alphabet. On a recent Wednesday, the category was movies and the quiz featured some of the following questions: [All answers are below]

“A: Which film featured an oil driller called Harry Stamper?”

“N: Which 1994 Oliver Stone film spawned several copycat killings in Louisiana?”

“R: Which film saw Tom Hanks playing a mafia hit man called Michael Sullivan?”

After the alphabet section comes a Jeopardy-style section, with groups of four or five questions where the category title gives a hint to the answer. For example, in the category titled “DD-T,” the answers all contain the letter “D” back-to-back. A couple questions in that category were:

“He has represented Connecticut in the U.S. Senate since 1981.”

“This common viper is the only poisonous snake in the British Isles.”

The quiz is typically two pages long and while the first page is mostly fact-based, the second page consists of brainteasers. First, there’s usually a category of odd phrases that need to be deciphered into something more meaningful. The prompt on a recent quiz was that, “all answers must rhyme.” Some twenty phrases were listed, and they all needed to be converted to corresponding rhymes. Phrases like:

“Weighty Tax.”

“Parisian Seat”

“Ethical Sea-Rock.”

Lastly, the quiz always ends with word teasers that need to be decoded. A recent riddle was:

“Polmomice”

The quiz ends at 10:00 p.m. It takes about 15 minutes for staffers to tally the results and then the best part happens. The owner of the bar, a decidedly Irish fellow with an almost indecipherable accent, comes out and reads the answers.

It takes much longer then it should because half the time he’s cracking jokes with the crowd and taking shots at England. In response to the, “it’s the only poisonous snake in the British Isles” query, he told the bar the answer was, “the English.” Only after a bit of needling did he conceded the answer was, “adder.”

After the answers are given, the winners are announced. Fourth place wins a round of drinks, third and second place a $25 gift certificate to the bar, and first place a $50 gift certificate.

It’s a great prize, but even if you don’t win, you can still leave satisfied and happy to have given your brain some exercise.

- David

Answers to the Trivia Questions:

A-Z: Armageddon, Natural Born Killers, Road to Perdition.

DD: Chris Dodd, Adder

Rhyming: Heavy Levy, French Bench, Moral Coral

Word Teaser: Mother-in-law.

McLean/Tysons Corner, VA Market Report – 2/9/2011

A popular community in McLean, Tysons Corner is home to a major shopping mall of the same name and its upscale sister mall, Tysons Galleria. Tysons is considered the “downtown” of Fairfax County since one quarter of the county’s office space and one eighth of its retail space is located there.  And as the Metro Silver line construction is completed those numbers will grow considerably.

Surrounded by every conceivable amenity, homeowners and business owners in Tysons will find the very best in shopping, dining and recreation. The year-end statistics for Tysons indicated the total sales volume was down by 36% in December from the previous December. The average sales price however was up nearly nine percent.

Construction on the Metro Silver Line and the I-495 Hot Lanes will continue for a few years. Congestion is typical on the Tysons roadways. Nonetheless, Tysons Corner real estate is some of the most desirable in Northern Virginia. There are beautiful neighborhoods, great schools, and easy access to many major highways. Many homes in the area have doubled in value in the last 5 years, and though the general market conditions for the county have suffered, Tysons remains a strong option for the savvy buyers.

Market data and commentary provided by Charlie Carroll, Managing Broker, Avery-Hess, Realtors.

Search for homes in McLean, Tysons Corner and all of the DC Metro: www.averyhess.com

MyLife in Metro DC: TOUCHDOWN in the City

Well, it’s finally happened.  My favorite time of the year has come to an end — football season is officially over.

And while my Hokies sadly under performed in this year’s Orange Bowl, I happily cheered on the Green Bay Packers as they claimed victory over the Pittsburg Steelers this past Sunday in the Super Bowl.

It was a bittersweet day as I cherished the last few moments of this year’s beloved football season.

And now that the last play has been called and last trophy awarded, all that’s left is a massive void in my weekend lineup.  Hours of the day no longer filled with team rivalries, tailgates and lazy time in front of the TV.

I know I’m not the only one suffering from post-season withdrawals, so for the benefit of us all, I’ve vowed to be one of the FIRST to put DOWN the remote, emerge from my off-season hangover and get out and enjoy the city.

But what to do?  DC has no shortage of activities, and even in the frozen tundra that surrounds us, plenty of choices abound.

Here are my top three “Post-Season” picks

1) Get “Iced” with Ovechkin & Washington Capitals

It’s not football, but with a better track record than the Washington Redskins, attending a Capitals game always guarantees a great time and will help you get your sport fix.

Selling out over 89 straight home games and coming off two wins this weekend, the Washington Capitals are on a winning streak that will hopefully continue and propel them into the playoffs for a chance to win the Stanley Cup.

With 12 home games left this season, and 5 of those games on the weekends, there’s no better time to grab your family or friends, throw on your Capitals Red and head to the Verizon Center to watch some of hockey’s best duke it out on the ice.

Hockey not your sport of choice? Fear not, we are extremely fortunate to have a number of professional sport teams right here in DC.  Grab a ticket to the next Wizards game and watch the development of the NBA’s #1 overall pick, and future superstar, John Wall –  or you can dust off your old baseball glove and get ready to catch a fly ball on March 31^st when the Nationals have their first home game of the 2011 baseball season.

2) “Window Shop” at DC’s National Mall

With DC being a hot spot for family vacations and school trips, visiting the National Mall during “tourist season” can be more crowded and stressful than a shopping trip to Tysons Corner during the Holidays!

So take this opportunity during the off-season months to go out and visit some of DC’s finest museums and monuments without having to fight the masses or sweltering temperatures outside.  Not sure where to start?  Visit the Smithsonian website to get an overview of all their museums or take a peek at the map below and come up with a plan of your own.

3)    “Wine” a Little in Loudoun County

Your team might have lost in the playoffs, but instead of sitting at home and sulking, take that sadness, bottle it up and spend an afternoon “wining” at one of the beautiful vineyards located right outside of DC. Loudoun County offers some of the best wines on the east coast and is the perfect destination for a leisurely day trip outside of the city.

One of my favorite vineyards to visit is Notaviva.  With a beautiful blue house that has a warm wooden interior and stretching landscapes around back, it’s the perfect place to sample a new bottle of wine, while enjoying the scenery.  Craving something sweet? For a dollar, they’ll even give you a “smores” kit to make your own in the backyard fire pit!

With so much to do around the city, the list could go on and on, and while it’s hard to put down the remote and pull myself away from ESPN, I’m excited to spend the football off-season exploring the Nation’s Capital and recommend you join me in doing the same!

To share your cures for the “off-season blues,” learn more about MyLife, view pictures, videos, post comments, and suggest adventures “like” MyLife in Metro DC on Facebook!

- Kristin

Bristow, VA Market Report – 2/7/11

After being under supplied for the past three years, Bristow’s current housing supply is now finally in balance. We have just about a seven-month supply, which is great news. Economists and “experts” say a six-month supply is just right.

Here are the statistics for the housing market in Bristow, Virginia:

• Homes for sale: 145  (been in the 145-150 range for nine months, was 166 one year ago)
• Homes sold: 21 (down from the mid 30s average all year)
• Average sold price:  $294,218 (compared to $295,652 in November and a whopping $350,374 in the tax credit crazed market of one year ago)
• Average days on market: 20 (that’s not a typo! compare to 55 in November and 30 days one year ago)

Average time on the market 20 days!! 20 days. And that is the average. Imagine the ones that sell fast, since 20 days is an average of the slow and the fast sales. These are not marketing times leading into a double dip. Other parts of the country may have their real estate issues as the media loves to blare, but real estate, like politics, is local.

So now let’s talk about the average sales price. The average sales price stats here would make you think prices are coming down. But what is actually happening is that many lower priced units are selling, which is pulling down the AVERAGE. If you think prices are really falling, go out and make some low offers and see how far you get…you’ll get terribly outbid by competing buyers. Yes, multiple offers are back in full force in all but the highest price ranges in Bristow.

Spotsylvania County Market Report – 2/4/11

Spotsylvania County’s statistics look a little more lackluster than they actually seemed in the month of December.  The market was really busy during the holidays and houses were getting shown and were selling better than they had earlier in the year.

Spotsylvania’s biggest story is the lack of inventory.  Buyers just don’t have as much to choose from as they once did.  Both new listings and pending sales were down year to date (although they were both up in the month of December compared to last December).  While those numbers were down a little, average days on market significantly decreased.  Houses are not staying on the market as long (especially well priced homes in good condition and in good locations!) causing Buyers to make quicker decisions when they see the house they want!

Don’t let these numbers fool you though!  The reality is our market is BUSY!  You will see this reflected in the upcoming months’ statistics!

Short sales are still making up approximately 50% of Spotsylvania’s active market.  The remaining amount is split between foreclosures (which continue to come on the market, just on a smaller scale than the last two years), regular sales and corporate relocations.  Historically our area has always had a healthy supply of corporate relocation homes.

Unfortunately, corporate relocation has been down significantly over the last year as employees are not able to sell their homes at a profit and take the company relocation.  With prices continuing to rise in Stafford and the northern regions, hopefully this will begin to change.  Please read on for a glimpse at Spotsylvania’s end of 2010 recap:

Spotsylania County

December

Year-To-Date

Commentary and market stats provided by Amy Cherry-Taylor, Business Manager, Stafford Regional Office.

Search for Home in Spotsylvania County: www.averyhess.com

The Best Wings You’ve Never Had

Everyone knows that buffalo wings originated in the United States and are one of the quintessential American foods.

But what many people don’t know is that the best buffalo wings aren’t found in their namesake town in New York.   No, the best buffalo wings come from a country nearly 7,000 miles away: South Korea.

But you don’t need to book a trip halfway around the world to experience these delicacies.  You just need to head to Annandale, Virginia and make a trip to Bon Chon Chicken.

Annandale is a small suburb 13 miles southwest of Washington, D.C.   In the past two decades, Annandale has seen an influx of Korean immigrants and as a result, an explosion of Korean restaurants. On the outskirts of the town, at the intersection of Little River Turnpike and Old Columbia Pike, sits a tiny strip mall, Willow Run Center.  There are just five stores in the shopping center, one of which cooks the most amazing wings in the country.

Bon Chon Chicken began in Pusan, South Korea as a small restaurant specializing in just one thing, fried chicken wings.  In 2006, it came to the United States, first to New York, then immediately after to Annandale.

The restaurant is very small, consisting of an “L” shaped bar with 12 stools, seven booths along the walls, and five small tables in the middle.  The décor is simple, with dark wood paneling and clashing beige linoleum floors.  Of course none of that matters, for no one comes for the accommodations.  They come for the only thing on the menu: Wings.

Choosing what to eat at Bon Chon is simple. Pick one of the two styles of wings: spicy or soy-glazed. Then pick a size.  A small has 12 wings, a large has 20.  That’s it.  Those are your only menu options.   There is no picking your sides; all orders come with pickled radishes and coleslaw, (the Korean equivalent of blue cheese and celery).

Then wait. The wings take a long time.  They are twice-fried, which means an order can take up to 45 minutes. But waiting only increases anticipation, and these wings are worth the wait.

The first thing diners will notice is the size. The wings are enormous, in some cases twice as large as typical wings.  And they don’t appear to be sauced.  There is no sloppy red liquid dumped on top of them, but they aren’t plain.  Instead, the sauce is cooked into the crust of the wing.  It’s a marvelous cooking technique and a proprietary secret.

And it’s perfect — no time is wasted spent licking sticky fingers or wiping down with moist napkins. Yet the skin is just as flavorful as any saucy competitor. In fact, the wings are tastier than any rival. The spicy wings have two different layers of heat: an initial burst and a more subtle, longer lasting burn. Neither is too strong, and it doesn’t detract from the overall flavor of the wing. The soy-glazed wings are also scrumptious, with a lovely salty tang.

The skin, even with the saucing technique, remains crisp. It crackles with each bite, snapping off in delicious pieces to chew. The chicken inside is still juicy and succulent, making these Korean-style birds the perfect combination that wing connoisseurs constantly search for but rarely find.

-David