In Case You Missed It: Caribbean Family Travel

Want to know where to take the kids on your next Caribbean vacay? We have the scoop over here on AOL Travel.

Deacon Says: A Washington Post Top Tweep? Thanks!

Hi Guys! I'm taking a break from my snow day (that's me, at left ... catching my breath after chasing my wubba around the yard) to say THANKS!

We just found out that we've been nominated as a "Top Tweep 2010" by The Washington Post in their Bloggers category. This is very exciting news, and we're excited to share it with our readers (whom, ahem, we hope will vote for us). We couldn't have done it without you guys.

There are some great nominees in the other categories too, so get out and vote - click here to do so. 

And remember, you can get all of your Deacon news on Twitter too, @DeaconDoesDC.

Hope everyone is enjoying this snowy weather!
xoxox,
Deacon

Wishing You Sugarplum Fairies and Snow-Covered Dreams

We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and has the happiest of New Years. We're on vacation until 2011, but you may see the occasional post. 

xoxo,

Deacon 

Mark Your Calendars: South Moon Under Model Contest

Ready for your big break in the modeling world? This winter South Moon Under is holding a free nationwide online-based casting call to discover new talent for their Spring 2011 NYC photo shoot.

The casting call is open to females and males, 16 and older from December 6 through the end of February 2011. Each contestant should submit an entry form with photos (professional not required) on ExploreModeling.com. At the end of February, South Moon Under will select six lucky winners (3 women and 3 men) to be featured in their Spring 2011 photo shoot. And the prizes don’t stop there! Each of the six models will receive $250 in clothing products and professional tear sheets from the shoot.

After the completion of the shoot, South Moon Under will then choose one female and one male model as their “Top Models” based on the photographs. The two chosen models will receive $500 cash and an additional $250 in clothing products. Even if you aren’t the chosen 6, the top 10 contestants will be entered in a random drawing to win a $500 shopping spree at South Moon Under.

Dust off that camera and put your fiercest look on! Check out ExploreModeling.com for more information and to apply.

Say Yum: Free Lunch at Chop't K Street Today

Yes, there is such thing as a "free lunch" when you head to the K Street outpost of Chop't Creative Salad Company today between 11:30 and 1:30 PM (or until the green runs out). Hint, go early ... lines for this day are notoriously long. The store's newest location at 1629 K Street is the 7th area outpost in the DC area and will continue the tradition of offer a gratis bowl o' green on their first day.


Chop’t K Street opens to the public on Tuesday, December 21 and regular business hours will be Monday through Friday 10:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and closed on Sunday. Catering and delivery services will also be available.


Deacon is excited ... are you?

You're Invited: An Affair to Remember at The Jefferson

We'll admit it. Deacon sometimes plays favorites, and The Jefferson is one of them. It is, in our humble opinion, the classiest hotel in DC. Which explains why IF we were doing a big NYE celebration we'd be headed here for the second annual New Years Eve Celebration at Quill , the hotel’s elegant cocktail lounge, on Dec. 31, 2010 from 10 p.m.–2 a.m. Guests will enjoy an evening of expertly crafted cocktails featuring Chopin Vodka and will toast the New Year with Krug Champagne.

Quill’s terrace will feature a complimentary Mulled Wine station and will be the perfect spot for cigars and cognac to keep warm in the cool night air. Inside, tempting libations by Quill’s expert team of mixologists will add to the evening’s festivities while musician Peter Robinson will perform throughout the evening on Quill’s piano.  At midnight, guests will be invited onto the terrace to watch as bottles of Champagne are cut open simultaneously by saber to ring in the New Year.

For $75, guests receive admission to the party, complimentary Mulled Wine on the terrace and a Krug toast and passed canapés at midnight. For $125, revelers are guaranteed a private table in Quill’s lounge area, which will feature individual raw bar displays. They will also be privy to a tasting of three Special Club Champagnes. Considered among the best in the world, each Special Club Champagne must follow a strict set of guidelines outlining how the grapes are grown, crushed and fermented to ensure only the best is bottled.

The Jefferson’s Cabinet rooms, featuring luxurious leather seating, flat screen televisions and more, are located just off of Quill.  They will be combined as an exclusive enclave for up to 10 guests, reserved for $1,500, which includes a private raw bar display as well as a Jeroboam of Krug.  In addition to their private retreat, guests of the Cabinet rooms enjoy access to all of Quill’s festivities. 

In Case You Missed It: The House Barbados - Island Luxury

Here's the first coverage of our Barbados trip, via Luxist.

In Case you Mised It: Lorien Hotel and Spa on Jetsetter

One of our favorite Old Town spots, reviewed for Gilt Groupe sister site Jetsetter.com

In Case You Missed It: 24k Facial

Gold facial? We're all about it. Via Luxist.

In Case You Missed It: Whiskypedia

I know a few men who would love this: Whiskypedia, via Luxist.

You're Invited: New Years at the W Hotel

Sunset over Washington from W Hotel

Still searching for somewhere to ring in 2011? The W hotel is granting your wish, hosting an all-night soiree at both J&G Steakhouse and their famed rooftop, with overnight packages that make this party an entire weekend of experiences. We've got the deets on each of the options:


New Year’s Eve Rooftop Soiree at P.O.V
Ring in the New Year on the W Washington D.C. rooftop as you dance the night away to the sounds of DJs Borus Gluck, DJ Oz, and Aly. Indulge in a two-hour open bar including P.O.V’s famed craft cocktails from 8-10pm, savory hors d’oeuvres all night and a champagne toast at midnight. Let us WOO you with W party favors, surprise W WOW moments plus our featured performer, hip-hop superstar Doug E. Fresh. Cash bar from 10pm-2:30am. Price: $140 per person.


Dinner at J&G Steakhouse + NYE Rooftop Soiree
Treat yourself to a five-course New Year's Eve dinner at J&G Steakhouse, Jean-Georges Vongerichten's critically-acclaimed restaurant at W, followed by the NYE Rooftop Soiree! $200 per person with dinner wine pairings; $160 without, plus tax & gratuity, including rooftop access (see Option 1 for complete description). Limited a la carte menu available from 5:00-7:00pm (P.O.V Rooftop Soiree tickets must be purchased separately with this option). Five-course dinner seating begins at 8:30pm.

NYE Rooftop Soiree, W Stay and Breakfast
W Washington D.C. grants your every wish with the hottest escape in town! This package includes 2 tickets for the New Year’s Eve Rooftop Soiree, a Wonderful room with champagne upon check-in, a late check out at 2pm on New Year’s Day, and a continental breakfast to go upon checkout. Package starts at $529 for two. Book online or call 877.822.0000 and ask for rate code NYEBRPKG. Upgraded packages available incorporating dinner, late checkouts, and other room types.

Say Yum: New Matchbox Opens in Rockville

Matchbox's newest location opened over the weekend in Rockville's Congressional Plaza, meaning Maryland residents are now just minutes away from the resto's signature wood-fired pizzas, miniburgers and craft brews.

This is the group’s fourth and largest matchbox restaurant, with a seating capacity of up to 400, featuring two outdoor patios and fire pits.


Named “Best Pizza” by the Washington Post Express in 2010, this “vintage pizza bistro” sets itself apart with its authentic wood-fired masonry oven where the fire produces an intense heat--over 800 degrees--to achieve the crispy, smoky crust from dough made fresh daily in-house.

The new restaurant features signature matchbox Food Group designs. The “matchbox” seating area, which first appeared in the Capitol Hill location, will also be in Rockville. This wooden box can seat 6-8 people and has become a highly requested table for those who want to see and be seen. The newest location also features a mezzanine level and walls made of aged wood planking taken from two old barns near Rochester, New York.

Luxe Life: Deacon Does AOL

Thanks to Carrots n' Cake for this great image!

We're really excited to announce that we spent yesterday at AOL headquarters participating in a panel discussion on one of our favorite topics ... female bloggers. Well, it might be Deacon's second favorite topic, next to his Wubba, but that's beside the point.

We were very excited when they approached us last week to see if we'd offer our thoughts, although we weren't expecting a crowd of 120 eager ears. We discussed issues that female bloggers face, including where to gain finances (most of us have day jobs, it seems), how to sell ads, and where we're seeing the most traffic growth. We of course pointed to our loyal Twitter and Facebook fans, who are helping us grow our audience every day, as well as our partnerships with content syndicators TBD.com and GalTime.com.

Overall we were thrilled to see the amount of engagement from the audience. They were excited to ask questions and AOL as a company seems strongly committed to both the female demographic and to the goal of helping bloggers grow their sites. There's even talk of a new blogging platform that will allow selected bloggers to join with the AOL network to publish their own sites, an opportunity we'd be very excited to pursue.

Our co-panelist, Tina, is author of Boston-based healthy living blog Carrots n' Cake, which we've already fallen in love with. If you're a fan of great food, healthy living, running, and of course, a great dog (her pug, Murphy) ... follow her!

We'll add event photos as soon as we get them, but in the meantime, check out Carrots n' Cake's great post on the event!

Say Yum: Festivus at Old Glory

Seinfeld fans, get ready. Old Glory BBQ is breaking out its aluminum pole from the crawl space for its first annual Festivus Celebration.

Because tinsel is “too distracting,” a simplistic aluminum pole will be displayed inside Old Glory to signify the obscure month-long holiday celebration. The restaurant will also designate a space for the “Airing of Grievances,” where guests can write and post notes about how they’ve been disappointed over the last year.

Starting December 1 and culminating with a Festivus dinner on December 23, Old Glory will serve a menu of traditional Festivus dishes including homemade meatloaf and the infamous chocolate cake decorated with M&Ms.  Naturally, there are also drink specials, including Festivus Punch , a spirit-lifting concoction of Captain Morgan rum and fresh pineapple, orange and cranberry juices and the Kramer ($8), a classic Manhattan made with Dewar’s 12.


Old Glory’s Festivus celebration will culminate with dinner on December 23, where guests can enjoy a three-course prix-fixe Festivus meal for $18. Throughout the evening, the grievances aired throughout the month will be read aloud and guests are invited to chime in with any additional grievances they would like to share.

This sounds like a holiday celebration that even Mr. Costanza would be proud of.

Say Yum: Redline Opens

Say "hello" to Redline, Penn Quarter's newest dining hotspot. Playing off of the popular gastropub trend, Redline combines the atmosphere of a casual dining destination and sports bar and offers convenient proximity to the Verizon Center.

Snack on tuna tartare spring rolls, a slider trio or Peruvian-style roast chicken with plantain mashed potatoes, plus pizzas from their stone pizza oven. 

One of our favorite parts of this new resto is the "Personal Table Tap" system. They've outfitted eight booths with personal taps so guests can pour their own draft. The amount poured is displayed on an electronic meter embedded in the table. That way, you don't miss a minute of your favorite game -- which you can watch on the 33 plasma screen TVs while you check scores on a 22-foot customizable Vegas-style ticker.

Jetset: Deacon Does Barbados

We're baaaack! We've been with Elegant Hotels in Barbados for the past few days, touring their lovely Barbados properties. See below for a photo slideshow, and stay tuned for articles to come this week.

Mark Your Calendars: Holiday Sparkler Tasting & Sale

Calling all wine enthusiasts! Eatbar will be hosting its 4^th annual Holiday Sparkler Tasting on Saturday, December 11 from 1-4pm, perfect for sampling and stocking up on your favorite wines from around the world.

Guests are invited to enjoy tastes of delicate and refined Champagnes and sparkling wines. To complement the wine tasting, executive chef Barry Koslow is preparing small plates including House-smoked, salmon served on a savory waffle, Country pate with stone mustard, caramelized onion and anchovy flat bread with olives, and Dragon Creek Oyster shooters.

For more information or to purchase tickets visit the Holiday Sparkler Tasting online.

You're Invited: Lindsay Czarniak Lights Rockville Town Square Christmas Tree

If you're in Rockville tomorrow around 6:30 PM (Thursday), be sure to pop by Rockville Town Square, where local celeb Lindsay Czarniak will light their Christmas tree, you can enjoy festive holiday music, enjoy comp photos with Santa as well as Wagon and Horse and Carriage rides.

Treats and hot beverages will also be provided ... as if you needed more of an excuse to get into the holiday spirit! 

Toy and monetary donations for Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission will be accepted.

You're Invited: Kimpton Hotels Fundraising Party

Want to spice up your boring Wednesday? This Wednesday, December 1, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants is hosting a fundraising party for Red Ribbon Washington DC, Cocktails for a Cure.

Join others at Urbana Restaurant and enjoy hors d’oeuvres and one complimentary drink for the $10 admission ticket. Urbana will be offering small Western Mediterranean bites while guests enjoy live auctions, including jetBlue Airways tickets, stays at Kimpton Hotels throughout the country, designer furnishings, original artwork, and much more.

All proceeds will go directly to Whitman-Walker Clinic. So hurry, time is running out. Visit Cocktails for a Cure online to RSVP.