What Should I Do In A Weekend in London?

The upside of an overseas business trip that involves five flights in seven days is that I get to spend the weekend in London... and they are celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. I fear that I might have to buy a suitcase to bring back an egregious amount of things with the Union Jack on them.

The most common response when I tell people I'm visiting London for the first time is, "It's been nice knowing you. You're going to want to stay there forever."

View London in a larger map 

I'm stoked that my friend Koren will also be there for work so we're meeting up for dinner at Rasoi. I clearly need to hit as many markets as humanly possible. What else should I do? Check out what I already have on my London Google Map and share your tips!

Two Days in Prague: Where Should I Go?

I'm headed overseas next week for work. Don't hate. Help.

I'll be speaking on social media at the IFA Global Conference on Ageing in Prague. I'm really only there for two and a half days. I've been asking friends where I should stay, what I should eat and how to best get around the city - and because I'm a giant nerd, I've turned it into a Prague Google Map. Check it out and if you've got tips, let me know in the comments below or tweet me and I'll add them in!

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Vintage Furniture & Fun in Lucketts, VA

Before noon today, I'd never heard of Lucketts. Now, I'm planning to rent a truck for my next visit to this vintage and antique home goods and furniture Mecca. (Hat tip to Rivka who told Alejandra who told me...)

This weekend was their annual Lucketts Annual Spring Market. Their website says "seriously, bring a trailer" and they aren't kidding. I saw the perfect dining room table for my condo at half the price - plus a vintage chest of drawers that I want to repurpose into a bathroom vanity. I had to leave them there because I had no way to get them home. Related: Anyone have a pick up I can borrow?

I want it all!

I mean, how can you not love a place with vintage mini trailers, Union Jack storage, antlers and laughing Buddhas all in one place?

Love. Love.

I love you too, Lucketts... and your disco ball.

I bought this nightstand and weathered mirror for a combined $100. I'm in love with them both! But, after tweeting about them, my friends reminded me I should also have brought home the Champagne and the antlers. Next time!

Bought these from Uniquely Yours... Or Mine.

The Old Lucketts Store is located at 42350 Lucketts Road near Leesburg, VA. Follow them on Facebook to get information on events - and don't forget to reserve your truck or trailer for next year's Spring Market.

Roof With a View: 1905 Restaurant

Let's be real. I come to 1905 for the food, not the view. Nevertheless, it was exciting to see that the roofdeck has been completed and was open for business tonight! I've been sneaking up to check on the progress for months, so it was so nice to have a little "friends and family" drink up there and finally get to share the fantastic sunset views of the Washington Monument along with the row houses up 9th Street NW.

Photos from 1905 Roofdeck

It's open to the public starting Wednesday, May 16th (thought be patient as they are still getting everything up and running on a new level... consider it a friend's clubhouse at this point...)  When you go, pop by the bar to say hi to Joel and make sure to try the lamb sandwich - it's my favorite thing on the menu.

Lamb Sandwich at 1905 Restaurant

1905 is located at 1905 9th Street NW in Washington, DC. You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates.

Taking a Spin in the Google Self Driving Car

This morning, my friend who works at Google emailed me, "Hey, do you want to take a ride in the Google self-driving car today?" Um. Yessssssssssssssssss.

me and the google car guys...

It was pretty bad ass. We took a hands-free spin around the block and it deftly dodged city buses and over eager pedestrians. And, being DC we were spotted by one of the nation's leading urban transportation experts who was excited and whipped out his phone to photo op us at a stop light!

The driver has an override if they want to take over at any moment. The computer on the right shows the visualization of the street. Cool stuff.

This was my view from the backseat.

Have you spotted it on the street? Do you think auto-driving cars would be safer than human-driven cars? This one definitely stopped if someone inched so much as a toe into the cross walk.

A Five Step Guide to Getting a Girl's Number on Metro

I just witnessed a miracle. In just five stops on the red line at rush hour, the guy sitting next to me on the Metro scored a girl's phone number. It was like Patti Stanger was all Cyrano de Bergerac in his ear.

He played ever single step perfectly. And before you go there, no, he wasn't smoking hot (he wasn't bad looking at all, but he looked like thousands of other Washington guys... balding, glasses, briefcase)... and she was really pretty. One thing was clear. He knew what he was after and he had confidence. Here's how it played out:

Step 1: Fate Intervenes at Gallery Place:
Guy is already seated. Girl sits in the adjacent seat and is reading. She looks up briefly and he says, "I think I sat next to you yesterday." She did what I would've done. Polite acknowledgment and back to the reading material.

Step 2: Paying Attention Pays Off at Metro Center:
Guy: "You get off at Cleveland Park, right?" Girl: "Um, Woodley." I could feel her internal skepticism shifting... maybe he really *did* sit next to me yesterday and that wasn't just a line.

Step 3: Reassurance You Aren't a Stalker at Farragut West:
Guy: "Small world. Have you ever been to Zoo Bar?" Girl: "No... I know where that is though." Guy: "Are you new to town?" Girl: "Yes, I've been here about six months though. I really like the neighborhood." Here, he shifted attention away from the "pick up" and into something they had in common - a spot they both know about in her neighborhood.

Step 4: Setting Up the Close at Dupont Circle:
Guy: "Zoo Bar's fun. It's a good dive. They have jazz certain nights. I have some friends that go." Girl: "Oh, cool. I'll have to try it sometime." Again, a minor shift away from the pick up. It's not that he's saying oh, let's go to Zoo Bar... more, I like it and since you're new, maybe you will too. I can tell at this point that she's interested. No more looking back down at the reading material.

Step 5: Closing the Deal at Woodley Park:
Girl gets her belongings together to exit. Guy: "Well, nice meeting you. Maybe I'll see you on the Metro again sometime." Girl "Yeah, same commute times..." Guy: "Or if you'd ever want to hang out, let me know." Girl: "Oh yeah." Guy: "Do you have a card?" Girl digs in her purse and hands him a card. Guy: "Great, talk to you later."

Done and done. It was so perfectly executed that I clearly started paying attention. Hyper-attention. As in, this is gonna make a great blog post attention.

I will stress - he seemed nice, chill, fun and genuine. If you are weird. stalker-y or douchey, this likely won't work for you.

He *better* call her.

PS. Have you ever met anyone on public transportation? What was the hook?

To Do List: Get Tickets to 100 Bowls of Compassion

You guys have read my posts about volunteering at Miriam's Kitchen (here, here and here). I love the mission - using healthy food as a way to help people who don't have a home. I love the people - Jenn, Chef John, Chris, Ali, Meghan and team are so nice and fun to work with. I love learning new cooking tips from the chefs. And, yes, I love the convenience - it works well around my crazy schedule.

This Thursday, May 10th, Washingtonian's will converge on the (amazingly cool) National Building Museum for their annual fundraiser, 100 Bowls of Compassion.

This year, the team will take you on a road trip around America. Here are a sample of what's on the menu:

• Massachusetts –Baked Beans, Brown Bread, Boston Cream Pie
• Rhode Island - Fried Clam Cakes
• New York – Little Italy Gelato
• New Jersey - Cuckoo Juice with Garden State Produce
• Pennsylvania - Philly (bison) Steak & Cheese, Keswick Creamery Cheese Course
• Virginia - Ham Biscuits with Honey Butter
• South Carolina - Shrimp & Grits
• Georgia - Peanut Soup with Peppery Brittle
• Louisiana – Pecan Pie
• Illinois - Chicago Spiced Popcorn
• Texas - Rattlesnake and Rabbit Chili
• New Mexico – Poblano Pepper Salsa and House Made Chips
• California - Specialties from San Francisco’s Chinatown including Lotus Root Salad, Dan Dan Jicama, BBQ Pork, and Spicy Eggplant; Rocky Road Bars
• Washington - Seared Salmon with Coffee BBQ Glaze and Juniper Berries

Get your tickets today and join me in celebrating the important work of the entire Miriam's Kitchen team.

[UPDATE: The event is now sold out! Get involved with Miriam's Kitchen by emailing Ashley.]

PS. If you're on Twitter, the hashtag for the event is #100bowls

Must See TEDTalks: Jacob Soboroff on Why We Vote on Tuesdays...

As our European friends head to the polls today and Americans think... hmmm... voting on the weekend would be a lot more convenient, you might be wondering why we do vote on Tuesday?

Because it's American, dammit.

No.

Jacob Soboroff of Why Tuesday breaks it down for you here:

New to DC: 7th Hill Pizza in Eastern Market

Last night, I went to a preview of the 2012 Fancy Food Show at a cute olive oil shop in Eastern Market. After tasting samples of some of the best new food products (you can try em at the show - ticket info here), I was ready for dinner.

A posse of foodie gals decided to try the new pizza place around the corner, 7th Hill Pizza. Let's just say they had me at goat cheese, spacious patio and cute Italian pizzaioli.

I had the Union Station (the 7th Hill spin on white pizza with goat cheese, mozzarella, pecorino, gorgonzola and garlic) and a simple arugula salad with shaved Parmesan. If you're in the neighborhood, it's worth a visit.

7th Hill is brought to you by the team that runs it's neighbor, Montmarte. It's located at 327 Seventh Street SE in Washington, DC and is just a block or so from Eastern Market Metro stop. You can follow them on Facebook for the daily specials.

PS. If you're on Twitter, follow my dining companions who always have the pulse of where to eat in DC: @OneVanillaBean @frijolita @BonnieBenwick @NikkiRap @jigolden and @MangoTomato