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News & Events
Restaurant Club
April Restaurant Club: Eat Thai, Russian, or Both!
No, we aren't planning to visit some very unusual restaurant that features both Thai and Russian cuisine; instead, this month we have two separate venues in mind. The less-expensive option (Thai) is significantly further away and will require coordination with rides, while the more-expensive option (Russian) is conveniently located in downtown DC.
On Sunday morning, April 28, at 11 a.m., join fellow alumni as we head to Aldie, Virginia for the annual Songkran festival at Wat Pananchart - Songkran is the New Year's festival where Thais "make merit" by feeding the monks, and there is a lot of scrumptious homemade food for sale at VERY reasonable prices (and yes, it IS allowed, and even expected, to feed yourself). If we are lucky and the weather is nice enough, we will be there for the water-throwing part of the festival; the splashing of jasmine-scented water is meant as a symbol of washing away the past and celebrating the oncoming year.
Some dishes that you can expect to find at the festival include Massaman Curry - gaeng matsaman - this rich, aromatic, and mild curry has a base of coconut milk and tamarind with an aroma of cardamom and cumin, and is considered a "training curry" due to its lower level of heat compared to red, green, or Penang curry; Som Tam - a very popular spicy and refreshing salad of shredded green papaya. This dish combines the four main tastes of Thai cuisine: sour - lime, hot - chili, salty - fish sauce, and sweetness - palm sugar - it's a popular treat at lunchtime food stalls in Bangkok; Pad Thai - ane of the world's favorite noodle dishes, Pad Thai is available as street food all over Thailand - a stir-fry dish made with rice noodles with a tamarind sauce, it also includes peanuts, egg, and dried shrimp paste.
Sunday, April 28, at 11 a.m.
Songkran Festival
40539 John Mosby Highway
Aldie, VA 20105
(Out Route 50 past Dulles Airport)
Rides can be arranged for those without access to wheels of their own.
RSVP to Paul Levy '72 at plevy@citizen.org for further information or to arrange rides.
Then on Tuesday, April 30, at 7:30 p.m., join possibly different fellow alumni as we enjoy a fine-dining experience at Mari Vanna, a Metro-accessible Russian restaurant located in downtown DC. Mari Vanna is a strong new entrant on the Russian-cuisine scene. You can stick to several different versions of blini (traditional homemade Russian crepes) or Siberian pelmeni (handmade dumplings) or vareniki (Ukrainian dumplings) or go dig into beef stroganoff, rabbit solyanka, oven roasted quail, or half-smoked salmon. Mari Vanna also features an amazing vodka collection--you can get a full glass, or a brimming shot glass for $8. Try the vodka infused with horseradish, or honey and oats, or sea buckthorn (Sea buckthorn berries are rich in vitamins A and C, as well as a variety of bioflavonoids). This restaurant is definitely more expensive than the usual restaurant-club outing, but we will be sensitive to making this meal affordable to alumni on more limited budgets.
Tuesday, April 30, 7:30 p.m.
Mari Vanna Restaurant
1141 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20036
202/783-7777
Nearest Metro station: Farragut West (blue line)
RSVP to Margaret Anderson '05 at anderson.margaret@gmail.com, or on the chapter Facebook page ("DC Reedies") so that we can be sure to make a reservation large enough for all who want to attend.
DC United vs. the Portland Timbers
Join us on Saturday, May 25 (the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend) to watch the Portland Timbers play DC United at RFK stadium in DC. The game is at 7 p.m., but come early for the tailgate so that we can hang out together before the game!
During the game, fans of the Timbers will have tickets in the Timbers Army part of the stadium (Section 318), while DC United fans will be in the Screaming Eagles Nest (sections 132-134). I'm in touch with the Timbers front office and the Timbers Army to make sure that Timbers fans can connect up with the group coming in from Portland (as of late March, there were already 50 signed up for the Timbers section!).
So, when you RSVP, please say where you want your "seats." Tickets will be $30, unless we are able to exceed 15 attendees, in which case the tickets will be $28.
RSVP no later than May 20, 2013, to Paul Alan Levy '72 at plevy@citizen.org.
Thirsty Third Thursday
The chapter gathers monthly for happy-hour fun at different locations around the area; check on the most current coordinates on the TTT webpage.
Facebook + Listserves
The chapter now has a Facebook page, check us out!
Also, we have an email listserve to arrange get-togethers with fellow Reedies on short notice. If you want to invite Reedies to join you for a concert, movie, drink, dinner or a hike, please send an email to the list. This is an opt-in list, which means the only people who will see the announcements will be people who have subscribed to the web page. There is an option to get the messages combined in one message daily or weekly; please subscribe at https://www.lists.reed.edu/mailman/listinfo/alumni-dc-network
If you have an idea for an event please contact the DC chapter. We'd love to hear your ideas.
Steering Committee
To contact the chapter, send email to alumni-dc-steering@lists.reed.edu or you can look up individual members using the alumni directory in IRIS.
Bennett Barsk '82, chapter chair
Harreld Dinkins '94
Paul Levy '72
Jonathan Make '98, chapter rep
Karen Melnick '99
Leslie Overstreet '71
Paul Sikora '70
Kristin Williams '07