HIS TIME on Bravo's "Top Chef" might be over, but Spike Mendelsohn is about to get up close and personal with fans in D.C. Or his restaurant is, anyway.

Signs announcing his new burger joint, Good Stuff Eatery, now adorn the spot at 303 Pennsylvania Ave. SE that's been vacant since Pulp moved out many moons ago.

On the signs? Spike himself, of course, in one of his signature hats. And a promise that good food and other, um, goodness will emanate from Good Stuff. (Goody!)

Quoth the sign, quoting Spike:

"A natural heaping hickory bacon burger dripping with melted Vermont cheddar, topped with a farm fresh Ruby red tomato ... Fresh cut fries seasoned with rosemary and thyme or topped with tangy chipotle mayo and a thick, creamy toasted marshmallow shake made with our homemade ice cream ... Are you kidding me, we HAD to call it Good Stuff!"

Continue Reading "Capitol Hill Gets Spiked: Good Stuff Eatery" »

SHIRLEY TEMPLE is known to us all because of the little drink that was named for her. But surely you've seen the curly-haired 1930s moppet on one of the many Easter and Mother's Day TCM marathons that somehow seem to always feature her?

She grew up to be an ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia, which is probably more impressive than singing and dancing (and winning a special juvenile Oscar) in movies at the age of 6.

Anyway, they're screening one of her most famous films, "The Little Colonel" (also starring the great Bill "Bojangles" Robinson) at the Library of Congress tonight. All singing, all dancing, all Shirley.

» Mary Pickford Theatre, 101 Independence Ave. SE; Tues., 7 p.m., free; 202-707-5677. (Capitol South)

THE LEGEND OF FAUST goes back 600 years, and it's been the subject of many dramatizations. "La Leggenda di Faust" is a 1948 Italian cinematic take on the tale, directed by Carmine Gallone, a man whose career stretched back to the advent of his country's film industry.

In other words, lotsa old-school stuff to consider tonight during the 87-minute, 35mm screening of "Faust and the Devil" (the American title) at the Pickford Theater.

While we couldn't find a trailer for Gallone's version of Faust, we did stumble upon this cool clip from the famous 1926 German version by director F.W. Murnau, edited to new music by Roberto Fiore (the composer, not the neo-fascist politician).

» Mary Pickford Theater, Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave. SE; Tue., free, 7 p.m.; 202-707-5677. (Capitol South)

LISTEN UP, future President of Our Great Nation. Madeleine Albright has some suggestions for you, and she has kindly organized them in her new book, "Memo to the President Elect: How We can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership."

The former secretary of state focuses on assembling a first-rate foreign policy team, anticipating the actions of other key countries and reviving our commitment to our founding ideals. Hey, even if you're not Obama, Clinton or McCain, a lunch break with Madam Secretary might do you some good.

» The Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave. SE; 12 p.m., free; 202-707-5000. (Capitol South)

ERIC NAVARRO'S MEMOIR of his time in Iraq, "God Willing: My Wild Ride With the New Iraqi Army," is extremely crude.

But that's not the only reason it's an eye-opening, disturbing and disheartening look at Iraq.

Navarro, a Marine sent to train the new Iraqi army, encountered countless barriers during his '04-'05 tour, and the resulting book is a tragic comedy in which the protagonist is constantly getting shelled and shot at and is obsessed with Iraqi bowel movements.

The combat vet sees the vast differences between Iraqi and American approaches to restroom etiquette as emblematic of the cultural chasm between the occupiers and the occupied, and his book reads like a list of reasons why the U.S. should not be in Iraq.

Navarro writes that he went to Fallujah in December 2004, had little access to a translator and was shelled almost immediately after arriving. Months of chaos ensued, and Navarro writes that his mission was severely undermanned and that the behavior of the Iraqi army was almost entirely disappointing.

"God Willing" is full of familiar military catch-22s, bitterness, confusion and fear of going native.

So it's amazing to hear Navarro on the phone now, saying that we should leave our troops in Iraq — and that it will likely take the U.S. 20 years to finish the job.

What changed his perception so radically?

A second tour.

"Vast improvement. Vast," Navarro reported recently. "I did not personally get shot at once, which was unreal. Progress all across the board. I was able to see that Americans learn from their mistakes. Part of my book points out that during my first tour, the American effort behind the advisers was not there. Well, now it is. We've learned that it is truly the main effort [and] we're putting a lot more resources into those adviser teams. However, the Iraqis still have a ways to go. There is progress. They're setting up municipal governments, they're taking control of their own lives.

"It looks like a lot of the Iraqis that we talked to have hope for the future," he continued. "That was completely nonexistent in 2005."

"There are signs of progress, and it shows that if we put our mind to it, with the right strategy and the right leaders, we can actually accomplish this, but it'll take a long time. Anyone that thinks we are going to withdraw anytime soon — or that we should — is not being very realistic. We can leave. And then it will just completely implode. ... I was in Haditha, which is northwest of where I was last time. Haditha, interestingly enough, is the site of the widely reported incident where civilians were killed. I mean, I drove by the site and, again, now that town is flourishing, [it's] pro-American and working with us. I mean, it's an amazing turnaround considering that was one of the epicenters of anti-coalition sentiment. It's pretty interesting to see the turnaround."

Express spoke with Navarro about staying the course, homosexuality in Iraq and the new Iraqi Army. He'll further discuss his new book on May 6 at noon at the Library of Congress.

Continue Reading "Damage Report: Marine Eric Navarro" »

ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S most prestigious environmentalists (as in, before it was trendy), Bill McKibben, appears at the Library of Congress tonight to discuss his latest book, "American Earth: Environmental Writing Since Thoreau." He also recently released "the Bill McKibben Reader," which features 44 essays published over the last 25 years.

If you're wondering, as we all should be, about how to live a more Earth-friendly life and employ alternative energy sources, McKibben is your man.

» The Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave. SE; 6 p.m., free; 202-707-5000. (Capitol South)

THE PRECIPITOUS RISE in gas prices has affected nearly everyone who drives — but the impact on those who drive for a living must be even more staggering. So it's easy to understand why truck drivers might want to protest.

And so they did. With their trucks. Lots of them.

According to the Associated Press's Brett Zongker, around 350 vehicles were expected to circle the Mall near the congressional campus before their drivers, part of a group called Truckers and Citizens United, parked them at RFK Stadium and then held a rally on Capitol Hill.

There was the potential for a big traffic tie up — D.C. drivers + heavy rain + large trucks = ruh-roh — but Zongker said traffic "was not significantly affected" despite the protest.

Continue Reading "Photos: Truckers Protest at Capitol, on the Mall" »

ARE LILTING works of poetry
Your favorite kind of art?
Then get down to the LOC
So in this you can take part.

Tis a program made for everyone:
"Poem in Your Pocket Day."
You can read the work you find most fun
And you don't even have to pay!

The Madison Building is the zone
On this Thursday at noon.
Bring a published poem (not your own)
And read it to the room.

» More on Poem in Your Pocket Day

» Mary Pickford Theatre at the Library of Congress, 101 Independence Avenue SE; Thu., noon, free; (202) 707-5677. (Capitol South)

DAVID JONES' film "Betrayal," based on Harold Pinter's play, is like any other love triangle story — except that it's told backwards.

Sorry to spoil it, but it'll be less confusing for you now. Ben Kingsley and Jeremy Irons star in this restrained but brilliant British-made drama of love, marriage and (you guessed it) betrayal.

» Mary Pickford Theatre at the Library of Congress, 101 Independence Avenue, SE; 7 p.m., free; (202) 707-5677. (Capitol South)

Photo by Helayne Seidman/The Washington Post

GUN CONTROL is an issue that's spawned thousands of books and articles, has fed countless diatribes on television and radio and has stood tall as one of the premier hot-button political issues for many a decade.

So you'd think today's arguments before the Supreme Court in the first case in nearly 70 years to address the meaning of the Second Amendment — and one that concerns a ban on guns right here in the District, no less — would draw hordes of protesters.

And you'd be wrong.

Members of the media and other onlookers outnumbered those holding signs or chanting slogans at least two-to-one. And if someone rounded up all of the protesters on either side of the issue and pitted them against the phalanxes of kids on school field trips who cluttered the area in a cage wrestling match, it's surely the adults who'd lose their lunch money.

Continue Reading "Few Protesters, Scads of Kids at Supreme Court" »