All photos by Kat Lucero.

McKee Floyd says that people usually have two reactions to whoopie pies. The first is nostalgia–I haven’t had one in years! And the second is curiosity–What in the world is that?! Mine would be the latter.

The whoopie pie, to me as a child in Chicago, was like a mythical creature. I’ve heard of stories about it, but I’ve never touched, tasted or seen one. But just a few days ago,  I finally had my first encounter. Two slider-sized chocolate cakes sandwiching strawberries and a delectable-looking homemade cream beckoned me to indulge. I came, I saw,  I ate. And yes, after the first bite, my inner Tag Team had to say “Whoops! There it is!”

There was definitely a party in my mouth that day, and I have Floyd, founder of Whoops! bakeshop, to thank.  Whoopie pies may not have a firm grasp on Washington’s tastebuds yet, but that will change. If Georgetown Cupcakes’ Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis are leaders of the cupcake pack in DC, then Floyd is bound to be a leader in the city’s whoopie pie revolution.

A whoopie pie is a baked good that looks more like a sandwich, than a pie. It is composed of two cookies or cakes that is usually chocolate flavored with a cream filling in between. Its origin is thought to be Amish, but the whoopie pie has been a classic dessert in New England, especially in Maine. The New York Times seemed to have recently stamped it as a trendy treat, while the Bay Area is just starting to fancy this East Coast transplant.

But first things first in preparing for a revolution. Floyd has renamed her creations as “whoops.” Going along with the playful spirit of her business, she wants people to rethink the idea of dessert as a treat that can be enjoyed any time of the day. She even admits to eating an occasional  “whoop” for breakfast.

She also says the “whoops” can have a variety of components. With that idea, she’s planning to set up DC’s first whoopie pie bar once she secures a retail space.

“The idea with that is to let everyone take these elements they love…and create their own whoopie pie using the elements they like best,” she says.

A chocolate cake can be on top, the bottom vanilla or both can be pretzels. The frosty filling can be a variety of flavors and the toppings can range from nuts, fresh fruit to bacon bits. Yes, bacon bits. Whoopie pies may be a classic, but she’s making them edgy.

Edgy enough that out of all the people she’d love to bake for, aside from Oprah, she chose Lady Gaga, whom she describes as the perfect embodiment of a “whoop.” Classically trained, but with an outrageous presentation. But ask which DC-area local she dreams of baking her confections for other than Michelle Obama, and she’ll say Ezra Klein, the 26-year-old Washington Post political blogger.

“I’m blushing right now,” she says laughing. “I just think he’s a genius. I have such a big wonk-crush on Ezra Klein.”

Floyd, who recently left Capitol Hill earlier this year to become an entrepreneur, still has her inner politico. Even one of the best advice she has received was from a mentor on the Hill, and it sounds a lot like political campaigning. “Talk about your product all the time. Never stop telling people on the street what you’re doing, on the bus, at a party, in line at a grocery store. If you strike up a conversation with someone, just talk about it. You never know who might be interested.”

A Connecticut-native, she attended the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and moved to DC to work for Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.) as a legislative assistant for two years. Starting a business has been on her mind and the concept of the whoopie pie, she says, was a great platform to launch.

Prior to leaving the Hill, some of the people she consulted were young local entrepreneurs. One of the Sweetgreen owners advised her to “just do it.” And she did. Sweetgreen employed her so she can learn more about small business ownership. Floyd traded a day of sitting in front of a desk and writing memos to standing up all day making food and mopping floors. She also became a baker for local-favorite Cakelove, whose founder, Warren Brown, also left a cozy legal job to start his bakery.

A retail space and partnerships with vendors to sell her treats are still in the works, but Floyd has been busy baking. She is currently taking orders of at least 100, baking from her Logan Circle kitchen for mostly events and parties.

Follow the developments of Whoops! at Twitter (@ WhoopsBakeshop) and check out the bakeshop’s new music video. Floyd is pumping up DC with the arrival of Whoops! to the tune of Two Door Cinema Club’s “Something Good Can Work.”

We have a PAIR of tickets to see Kele of Bloc party w/ Does It Offend You Yeah? on Thursday, September 2nd at 9:30 Club. Comment below with your FULL NAME to enter for a chance to win!

All photos by Victor Zapanta.

With the end of this brutal summer drawing near, the light at the end of the tunnel just may be DC’s many street festivals. The Columbia Heights Day kicked off street fair season this past weekend with it’s yearly gathering at Harriet Tubman Elementary. Local eateries from throughout the neighborhood shared their offerings outside the event while many vied for primo seating+discounted booze around the corner at Wonderland. This DC blogger couldn’t resist spending the majority of his time enjoying the performance by DC’s own Batala [http://www.batalawashington.com/ ], the amazingly talented women’s drum band.

No need to despair if you couldn’t make it out this weekend, as there are a number of community fairs coming up in the District. Here are some highlights:

Adam’s Morgan Day 9/12 18th St NW
http://www.adamsmorgandayfestival.com/

Festival Latino 9/26 12pm-7pm Mt Pleasant St NW
http://www.fiestadc.org/

Craft Bastards 10/2 10am-5pm Marie Reed Learning Center at 18th NW & Wyoming
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/craftybastards/

If you know of any big community events coming up, please drop us a line in the comments.

While we sit back and wait for the streetcars to arrive, another form of inter-neighborhood transport will be coming sooner. Sooner as in a few weeks from now. Capital Bikeshare will launch in September with 100 locations and over 1000 bikes in DC and Arlington. The first bikeshare stations were installed today in Arlington. Mid-September is the goal for all stations to be installed and programmed. ReadysetDC will be documenting this progress. We received a tour, led by Alison Cohen, of the assembly warehouse of Alta Bicycle Share, the company that is assembling and installing Capital Bikeshare, located near the riverfront in Southwest.

Left: Alta’s current office. Right: Alison Cohen on one of the brand new bikes.

Above: One of the bike docks up close.

Left: Lots of docks. Right: Station kiosk getting decals applied.

Each bike is assembled here.

Next to the warehouse is the yard. The photo below shows one day of production.

Lots and lots of station maps. Each one has it’s location labeled. One side will show the entire system map, and the other will have a local map for each location.

For more information on Capital Bikeshare, or to get a membership, visit www.capitalbikeshare.com.

All photos by Shauna Alexander (via BYT)

If you were craving live entertainment later in the evening of Thursday, August 26th you were SOL unless you had bought tickets to the The Family Hemerlein Variety Show: August Edition at Gibson Guitar Showroom a day beforehand. Presented by BYT and hosted by Matthew Hemerlein and Seaton Smith the sold-out show incorporated music, comedy, theatrical aspects, audience participation and, of course, amazing talent. Various performances included: Matthew Hemerlein, Seaton Smith, Alison Carney, Erin Jackson, Saurabh Tak, Typefighter, and Birdlips. The intimate setting of the Gibson Guitar room was a great for enjoying these memorable performances while sipping on Tido’s Vodka drinks and Flying Dog beer.

This was my first Family Hemerlein Variety Show and my mind was blown by the sheer awesomeness of it. I’ll be at the next one, I recommend you buy your ticket the second they go on sale.

Beautiful photography by Chris Svetlik.

On Thursday, August 26th the snowpocalypse was relived. The End of Summer White Party thrown by the Pink Line Projecttook over the Phillips Collection, a last hooray for summer. The theme was the now iconic snowpocalypse, fitting well with the minimalism seen in the Phillips Collection’s two current exhibitions; Robert Ryman: Variations and Improvisations and Pousette-Dart: Predominantly White Paintings.The End of Summer White Party featured interactive art by Kenny George and Alberto Gaitan, music by BLUEBRAIN and dancing by Glade Dance Collective. Event goers sipped on wine (white, of course) while enjoying the cooler weather. While not everyone wore white, there was an impressive effort (especially at a post-work event).

This one was submitted by local filmmaker Steven Greenstreet.

Free in DC

Week of 8.25.10 – 8.29.10

Free and low cost things to do in DC this week!

All events are all ages, free and in DC, unless otherwise noted.
—————————-

Thursday,  August 26th

Rooftop Pool Party with DJ’s at the “Top of the Tree” party at the Doubletree in Bethesda
6:00pm – 9:00pm, bring your bathing suit!

“90th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment” Panel discussion at the National Archives
7:00pm, seating is first-come first served

Poetry Open Mic, Spit Dat’, every Thursday night near Howard University at the ECAC
8:45pm – 11:30pm, all ages, $1 cover

Live Jazz at 1905, just off U St,  every Thursday night
9:00pm, 21+

Friday, August 27th

Smooth Jazz Violinist Miles Stiebel performs at NGA’s “Jazz in the Garden”
5:00pm – 8:30pm

Art + Law – Mingle with folks from Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts at BloomBars
6:30pm – 8:30pm,  donation based

The Cornel West Theory & The Last Poets perform at the “6th Annual DC Poetry in the Park” 7:30pm at Carter Barron Ampitheatre

Outdoor Screening of The Birdcage at Rosslyn’s  90’s Theme Film Series
8:30pm approximately

Saturday, August 28th

Columbia Heights Day Annual Festival!
10:00am – 6:00pm

Free Admission to Chuck Close at the Corcoran Free Performance by the Virginia Virtuosi 11:00am Music,  2:00pm & 3:00pm Highlights Tour

Outdoor Screening of Invictus at Carter Barron Ampitheatre
7:30pm, Tickets are required, distribution begins at box office at noon

Sunday, August 29th

Free Community Yoga Class at Quiet Mind in Columbia Heights
4:00pm – 5:00pm

Meditate with IMCW at All Souls on 16th St near Columbia Heights
6:00pm – 7:30pm, donation based

Outdoor Screening of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs at Carter Barron Ampitheatre
7:30pm, Tickets are required, distribution begins at box office at noon

Final Film of the Asian Film Series at 5th & I St, NW, this week’s film is in Hindi with subtitles
8:00pm – 10:30pm

For more Free Things to Do in DC and the Metro Area, visit Free in DC and follow @FreeinDCBlog on Twitter. You can also become a fan of Free in DC on facebook now!

Whether you accept it or not, the end of summer is here. Tonight The Pink Line Project invites you to the End of Summer White Party at the Phillips Collection, a Caribbean style white party featuring interactive art by Kenny George and Alberto Gaitan and music by BLUEBRAIN. BLUEBRAIN has spent the past few weeks compiling your stories from the snowpocalypse to create a one-of-a-kind multimedia presentation. Check out the Phillips Collection’s website for more information.

All photos by Brandon Bloch.

What do DC creatives need on a daily basis? We decided to ask them. Five Things answers the question: “What five things do you need everyday?” First up is artist Kelly Towles.

1. iPhone
Yup… need it. Sounds cliche. I need my iPhone. When you work for yourself, running around all the time, it is really good for me to be able to handle most of my needs with my phone. Now if i could get it to make me food, I would be set.

2. Stickers
They are good for everything, but the one thing I have found out is that when I meet some one and they ask what I do, I explain and I hand them a sticker. Most peoples faces light up. Either they know my work or they just simply like funny little guy on the sticker.

3.Pocket Knife
With all the work that I do there is always a need for a pocket knife. Cutting rope, scrapping paint, opening odd this or thats. I really wish I had a smaller version of flat swiss army knife, but who bitching. The one’s I buy are a $1 and are not well made, but they so work for me when I need them.

4.Bicycle
I love my bike. Transport. Stress reliever. Work out. Time machine.
I would rather ride my bike then drive in this city. Driving is something we all have to do.. but I prefer to ride my bike. Also you can get to almost anywhere in the city in 30 min or less. Riding in the rain is the shit. Seriously. Like a amusement park ride.

5. A solid set of music
When I work I need to have a good set of tunes. So key to my day. I listen to music all day and It really helps me push through. Some would say.. well that just goes under iphone… you may be right.. but I feel it is something on it owe that is key for me each day.. so quiet down.

From our photo editor Tracy Clayton, on a recent trip to Seattle.

All photos by Brandon Bloch

I rarely venture to Capitol Hill, not that I don’t enjoy the neighborhood. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, I find the area quaint, charming and full of  historic homes that are warranted of envy. Naomi Davis and her husband Josh (and Kingsley) live on Capitol Hill  after relocating to DC from New York. The trio are the focus of Naomi’s blog The Rockstar Diaries, part pleasing photography and part lifestyle blog. Naomi and gang were kind enough to give us northwest-lovers a tour of their dear Capitol Hill and the famed Eastern Market. With Kingsley in tow, we set out to peruse vibrant flower stands, sample goodies and talk to the vendors, some of whom have been in business for 35 years. The friendly nature of market-goers is infectious and our tour was halted for adorable impromptu puppy play dates and conversations with fans of the blog. The sweet smells of ripe peaches and the welcomed slow pace are just a few reasons why Eastern Market is a perfect place to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon. Naomi answered a few questions about the Rockstar Diaries and her feelings on DC, her new found home.

RSDC: What are the Rockstar Diaries?

The Rockstar Diaries is our own little personal blog where we share bits and pieces of our day to day adventures here in D.C., and the little things we love about life.

RSDC: Why did you start the blog?

I started our blog shortly after we were married in summer of 2007 as a way to keep track of photos and share updates with family and friends about our life in NYC (where we were married and lived before we moved to D.C. last spring.)

RSDC: Describe your blog’s aesthetic and style.

Other people have described our blog in a lot of different ways. I mainly try to make it clean-looking and visually appealing.

RSDC: When you moved from New York to Washington, DC, what sold you on Capitol Hill? What is so special about the neighborhood?

I think we could have ended up in a number of different neighborhoods in the district, but what sold us on Capitol Hill was all the historic charm, the quaint little well-kept row houses and the neighborhood’s overall feel. It’s also incredibly accessible which was important to us.

RSDC: What is your favorite thing about Eastern Market?

The friendly vendors, the atmosphere, the local produce, all the silly attention our dog, Kingsley, gets when we take him there on weekends! Hard to choose just one!

RSDC: What is one thing that is quintessentially DC that you love most?

Living just a few blocks from the Capitol makes it a permanent fixture in our lives.  We can’t believe how beautiful it is and find it difficult to imagine living in DC without seeing it every day.

“Merlindia defense dept. has been put on notice. Future curry may not be served,” the Fojol Bros. announced on Twitter.

“Fight for your right to lunch!” tweeted the sandwich food truck El Floridano.

“Keep the sweets on the streets!” tweeted the mobile café Sweetbites.

Food truck vendors have been concerned these past few days. The news of some Business Improvement Districts (BID) proposing to modify the mobile street food vendor laws has quickly spread throughout social media.

We Love DC broke down the issue surrounding BIDs and food trucks. The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA), which manages the city’s street vending program, is “pushing new rules and regulations that will advance the District’s efforts to make its sidewalks a vibrant place of business with dynamic food options,” according to its Web site.

BIDs, however, want to restrict where the trucks can park and sell food. Golden Triangle Business Improvement District’s Leona Agouridis said in the Washingtonian that restaurants “are paying the rent, the fees, and the overhead for the whole business day, instead of just coming in for the peak hours.”

Food truck owners are definitely in favor of the current proposal, Title 24 Chapter 5. A website promoting to prevent “discriminatory” changes to the proposed regulation has been launched. It encourages people, especially DC residents, who favor the current status of food trucks to send an e-mail to DCRA, which has so far, published 350 public comments. “We’ll be posting in batches of 50 as we get them,” the department announced on Twitter.

What’s your take on this issue? Do food trucks harm brick-and-mortar-businesses or do they add more diverse options to DC?

AND they will be on sale tonight at FIFTY-ONE: Be The Tourist for only $15. There will be only 51 limited edition first run shirts, so get there early to grab one!

You can get your ticket to FIFTY-ONE for half-price in advance. Tickets are HERE.

Check out this video for ArtAya, Dana Ayanna Greaves newest endeavour and be sure to snag some designs from these talented Washingtonians.

AITE from Mod Madness via NicoleHamam.

Tracy Clayton says hello while out of town in Portland.

All photos by Chris Svetlik.

Last night, The Pink Line Project presented PM@ The TM: Mod Madness at the Textile Museum.  The event fit nicely with the Textile Museum’s current exhibit of textile designs from the 1950s and 1960s, “Art by the Yard: Women Design Mid-Century Britain”. The Mad Men craze is everywhere you turn and Mod Madness further spotlighted the phenom. Event goers dressed in their best interpretation of the period’s pieces, all competing for the title, “best mid-century dressed.”  The whole glamorous-yet-conservative Betty Draper-look was prevalent, as was the fedora. And, of course, there were cocktails–Gin Rickey’s to be exact. The rain held off as guests poured in, gallivanting around the museum’s interiors and the courtyard, enjoying tours led by WE ARE SCIENCE and music by DJ Jahsonic.