TO DO: Christmas Eve Contest at Medium Rare

Christmas-ing in Cleveland Park and just gotta get out of the house? Head on down to Medium Rare in your WORST, tackiest, most ridiculous Christmas sweater and you could be a big winner (of food, not attention from the opposite sex).

Everyone donning Christmas themed sweaters will get free Egg Nog, but the worst of the worst will score a $150 in Medium Rare gift cards.

And if your entire family is the first one through the door wearing matching sweaters, Medium Rare will buy ya dinner:

Follow Medium Rare on Twitter for more fun deals and treats! Medium Rare is Cleveland Park's hottest steak joint, located at the 3500 Connecticut Avenue, right at Cleveland Park Metro. Check out their menu at http://mediumrarerestaurant.com/

Power Outage in Cleveland Park

My Christmas tree lights flickered and New Girl on DVR just went dark. A quick neighborhood canvas showed neighbors lights were out too, so I went to Pepco.com to report the outage.

Pepco's iPhone app Outage Map

Upside is, they know about it. Right now it's affecting 650 homes. A crew has been assigned to figure out the issue.

When you register your outage, they give you a choice to receive a phone call when power is restored. Pretty convenient so that you can go run errands or visit friends (ones that have heat and TV.)

Pepco's website says they expect power to be back on around noon. Now, what should a gal and a very small dog do for the next few hours?

UPDATE 11:08am: My power is back on at Ordway Gardens. Happy dance. Lesson learned... Pepco has an iPhone (and Droid and Berry) app. You can easily report outages, get updates and see maps of areas affected right from your smart lil phone. Who needs electricity? I mean, until you have to recharge.

To Do: Be The First to See "New Years Eve" and Help Woodley House

Looking for a laid back, fun night out this week? Thursday night at the Uptown, catch a special advance screening of the celeb-laden new flick, New Year's Eve. In addition to catching the romantic comedy starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Robert De Niro, Jessica Biel, Michelle Pfieffer, Zac Efron, Cary Elwes (*squee* Princess Bride fans!), Alyssa Milano and (that dawg) Ashton Kutcher, you'll also be helping an amazing neighboring charity, Woodley House. 

The night kicks off at 5:30pm at Spices for a reception and then the movies opens at 7:30pm and will be hosted by CNN's Dana Bash.

Movie Night at The Uptown Theater

All proceeds go to Woodley House, a local non-profit that helps people with mental health problems reclaim their lives. Each year, they help more than 300 people at their residential facility!

More information and tickets are available on the Woodley House website. (There are many levels, including just catching the movie in the balcony.) 


Follow Woodley House on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date on their good work.

Fall at Rosedale Conservancy in Cleveland Park

One of my favorite finds since moving to Cleveland Park is Rosedale Conservancy, three-acres of terraced lawn hidden in our neighborhood since the 18th century. Through this gate, you enter rolling hills and secret spaces that are protected from development.

It is a privately-funded park that is supported solely by the neighborhood. As soon as I found out, I contributed to keep the space "as is" and even paid a little extra for Ike to be able to get his Rosedale dog tags. It's his favorite spot to stretch his legs and run all four pounds he's got a rocket launcher speed.

It's hard to say what season is the best at Rosedale, but fall is certainly gorgeous with the leaf lined paths and colors of the trees. (But sledding down the hills when it snows is up there too!) There are community events year round, such as Easter egg hunts and cookouts.

To learn more about Rosedale Conservancy or to help support it, visit the website... or better yet, just drop by (there are membership forms right by the entrance gate.

The main entrance to Rosedale Conservancy is located on Newark Street at the corner of 35th Street.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Sandwich at Jetties Express

The Nobadeer Sandwich at Jetties (photo credit: Tammy Gordon) 

The picture speaks for itself, but the Nobadeer sandwich at Jetties Express comes with carved turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce with mayonnaise and is served on sourdough bread.

Jetties Express is located at 3708 Macomb Street NW, just off Wisconsin Avenue (in the same location as Something Sweet.)  They also have free delivery Monday - Friday from 11am to 2pm for orders over $40, so if you work nearby, take note!

Cleveland Park Christmas Trees

There are two things I'm looking for in a Christmas tree - one is looks, the other is ease of getting it to my house. Here's a running list of where you can get your tree right here in Cleveland Park:

• Brookville Market on Connecticut near Ordway Street has Christmas trees and poinsettas for sale now, if you want to get an early jump on decorating.

My Christmas Tree 2010

• Eaton Elementary School Playground at 34th Street & Lowell is selling a large variety of trees including Douglas Fir, Canaan, Fraser, Balsam, Scotch and White Pine. They also have balsam wreaths in multiple sizes and pine roping for really draping your house in the holiday spirit. Purchases can be made the first two weekends in December and - bonus - benefit Eaton's resource programs.

Where else have you spotted trees for sale in our neighborhood?

Post-Thanksgiving Deals in Cleveland Park

Sick of turkey? Saunter up to Dino today through Thursday, December 1, 2011 and owner Dean Gold will celebrate the Cleveland Park restaurant's 7th anniversary with you by offering a $30 family style meal.

Risotto from Dino

(Kids up to $11 pay their age - did you know that's always the case at Dino?)

You'll get salad, soup and meatballs to kick things off. Then chicken with citrus, ginger and garlic, beef cannelloni and risotto. For dessert, you'll be served Dino's tiramisu and gelato.

And just like home, you can get seconds for no extra charge. So, pop by and see Dean and Kay. Wish them a happy anniversary and let them know how much we love having them as part of our neighborhood.

Dino is located at 3435 Connecticut Avenue NW (at Ordway Street), right across the street from Cleveland Park Metro. Follow Dean Gold on Facebook and Twitter. Reservations via Open Table.


MORE DEALS:

• Medium Rare is opening at noon for lunch with free Champagne for adults and free sundaes for the kids! (Also, they've got hot cider!)
• City Fitness is waiving initiation fee today and giving you an extra five weeks free (Lord knows we need it after all of that Thanksgiving food!)
• Cafe Deluxe is open for a rare Friday brunch.

Seen other deals, let us know in the comments or tweet em to @CPUptownGirl!

Fall Holiday Cocktails at Dino

One of my favorite things about Dino is how the menu changes with the seasons. The bar, thanks to Andrew Shapiro at the helm, also follows the seasons. I love walking in and saying "bartender's choice" because I know I'll get something unique, inventive and tasty.

This evening, I got a delicious organic cranberry-ginger-rosemary vodka concoction with a gorgeous garnish. Go by this week to see Andrew - tell him what you love and he'll make something special for you! Follow Andrew at @ShapsinDC & @DinoDC on Twitter to get up-to-the-minute updates

Music at the Metro

Am I the only one who gets a kick out of music at the Metro? It's usually reserved for hot spots like Dupont Circle and Penn Quarter, but earlier this week, I snapped a shot of this trio rockin' it out in our own Cleveland Park.

Here's hoping they come back soon!

Tonight, Brought to You by Takeout...

Between travel, events, friend visits and work, sometimes, you just need a night in.  Tonight, it's spring rolls and papaya salad from Paragon Thai paired with a Keis Gruner Viltliner from Weygandt Wines.

This will pair perfectly with embarrassing TV on my DVR and a date with my dog. Cheers!