A LOFTY GOALOne man found high-fl ying inspiration to lose weight 8

HORSE-ENDORSEDA Virginia spa off ers pampering for humans and their equines 8

A CUP ABOVEFive cocoas from local eateries

leave powder in the dust 9

JANUARY 19, 2014 | A PUBLICATION OF FGHIJ | READEXPRESS.COM | @WAPOEXPRESSTHINKSTOCK/EXPRESS ILLUSTRATION

THE WORD ON THE STREETCARThe future of Washington-area transit looks a lot like its past 6

K

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WILDLIFE

Kermit to Teach ‘Ribbits 101’Healthy frogs, healthy MoCo, says Montgomery County’s

Department of Environmental Protection. Jan. 30 marks

its first training session to teach volunteers to identify

frog and toad calls, then collect data in hopes of boosting

conservation efforts, BethesdaNow reported. The county

fears that falling amphibian populations are affecting the

wider ecosystem. Truth: It ain’t easy being green.

QUESTS

Nemo’s Dad: ‘If Only I Had Known About Hashtags …’A Virginia woman carefully balanced flattering persis-

tence with stalking when she launched a flyer and so-

cial media campaign to find a man she met at a bar in

Old Town. (She didn’t give him her number; “I made the

wrong choice,” her flyers read.) OldTownCourtney’s

#FindBen campaign paid off when she indeed found

Ben, according to Old Town Alexandria Patch. #YOLO

FOWL PLAY

Woman: ‘Bawk Off, Man!’ A 6-foot-tall white male in his early 20s followed a

woman and her children into their Springfield, Va.,

home to … sell them poultry? That’s what the unwilling

customer told West Springfield police in late Decem-

ber after the man entered her home around 8:30 a.m.,

said a Fairfax County police report and Burke Patch.

When the woman refused his goods, the strange sales-

man left without further incident. (EXPRESS)

Your Best Shot | Submitted by Frank Podczerviensky of Herndon, Va.

Want to see your pic in print? Submit your

best shot by joining our Flickr pool at flickr.com/

groups/wapoexpress. Share a photo from the

Washington region, and it could appear here.

LIGHT ’ER UP : Herndon, Va., resident Frank Podczerviensky had been visiting the Manassas National Battlefield for a few weeks when he decided he wanted to go back at sunset to take some photos. His trip paid off, and late last month he captured some spectacular dusk lighting on one of the battlefield’s many cannons.

eye openers

AN APP FOR iPHONE® BY

XX0628 5x3iPhone is a registered trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a servicemark of Apple Inc.

Insider adviceonwhat to see,where to goandwhat’s family

friendly

Theweek’stop exhibitsandevents,

handpickedbyour editors

Streetmapswith step-by-stepwalkingandMetrodirections

0 1 . 1 9 . 2 0 14 | E X P R E S S S U N D AY | 3

for what it’s worthT HE NE W S ,

A L I T T L E

ASKE W

SOUNDS GREAT

OBSERVANCES

How Fitting for King Many people get time off from work for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and it’d be a shame to waste it on the couch. Unlike Presidents Day, which is now just an excuse for furniture sales, MLK Day still means something — it’s a chance to refl ect on the civil rights movement and the contributions of Dr. King. Sure, you could do that at home, but we have a better idea: Visit one or all of these fi ve places to see remembrances of King and learn more about his monumental place in history.

MLK Memorial, left: After undergoing a bit of facelift

last year to remove an inscribed quote that many

felt misrepresented King’s point, the nation’s official

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial will surely attract a

crowd Monday.

Inscription on the Lincoln Memorial: Walk 18 steps

down from the center of

the chamber of the

Lincoln Memorial

and you’ll find an

inscription that commemorates

the exact spot where King gave his

famous “I Have a Dream” speech,

shown. This is history in itself: It’s

the only time a memorial on the

Mall has had an add-on of this

variety, according to the National

Park Service.

For What It’s Worth is produced by Marissa Payne and Rachel Sadon. Have suggestions for the page? Email us at fwiw@wpost.com or tweet us @WaPoExpress.

“No matter what your niche or style of music is, there seems to be a place for everyone here to grow and succeed.”— STEPHANIE WILLIAMS, founder and managing editor of the music website D.C. Music Download, explaining what’s unique about the music scene in

and around D.C. The publication is set to celebrate its two-year anniversary on Saturday, Jan. 25, with the help of a few local bands at D.C.’s 9:30 Club.

For more info, go to dcmusicdownload.com.

THIS SHOULD BE A THING

TemperatricksThe concept of highly fluctuating weather

patterns, like those felt earlier this month

when the D.C. area emerged from the

teeth-chattering polar vortex to weather

so balmy that January’s annual No Pants

Metro Ride could’ve also been the No Shirt

Metro Ride. It seems Mother Nature is up to

her old temperatricks lately.Wax figure in Baltimore’s National Great Blacks in Wax Museum: This wax museum, devoted solely to

black history, features a life-like figure of King at 26 and

audio from his “I Have a Dream” speech. 1601 E North

Ave. #3, Baltimore. Holiday hours, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

MLK at the National Cathedral: King gave his

last Sunday sermon from a pulpit at the National

Cathedral on March 31, 1968, less than a week

before he was assassinated. The pulpit still exists,

as does a carved niche statue that depicts King

preaching. It’s in one of the Cathedral’s bays on the

main level. Free and open to the public.

Bust in the Capitol’s Rotunda, left: King

was the first African-American to be

immortalized in the Capitol. The bust

was added four days before the first

official MLK Day in 1986. Visitors can

take a tour, which includes the rotunda,

from 8:50 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.

The Man, the Myth ...Terry McAuliffe isn’t your standard

politician. Well, at least in terms of his

background. In that sense, Virginia’s new

governor is actually kind of interesting.

Can you tell which two of these stories

about him are true and which one isn’t?

A. McAuliffe once wrestled a

280-pound alligator for a $15,000

political contribution.

B. McAuliffe hunted wild boar in Hungary

with Britain’s Prince Andrew for fun.

C. McAuliffe and Toronto Mayor Rob Ford

are childhood friends.

ANSWER: “C” IS FALSE. ON THE OTHER HAND,

MCAULIFFE IS VERY CLOSE FRIENDS WITH

BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON. WHO KNEW?

Friends don’t let friends hire

tasteless interior decorators.

Find home service providers you can trust.With help frompeople you know.

We’ll help you get, and keep track of, providerrecommendations from people in your social networks.

Because that’s what friends are for.

Available Now! I Friendorsements I Directory I Coupons I Deals

XPV0438 1C 5X3

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01.19-01.25THE BEST THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK | COMPILED BY EXPRESS STAFF

MSP Polar Bear Plunge And PlungeFestThis will be the 18th year that participants willingly dive into the frigid waters of Sandy Point State Park to raise money for Special Olympics Maryland. When you warm up, head to PlungeFest to see sand sculptures and live music. Sandy Point State Park, 1100 East College Parkway, Annapolis; Sat., various times, minimum $75 donation for adults; 410-242-1515, plunge2014.kintera.org.

ONGOING

‘Monty Python’s Spamalot’Venerable British sketch troupe

Monty Python’s reunion show

isn’t coming to America. Toby’s

has the next best thing: “Spa-

malot,” the musical based on

the fi lm “Monty Python and the

Holy Grail.” It’s full of Spam,

laughs and an evil rabbit. Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia, 5900 Symphony Woods Road, Colum-bia, Md.; Sat. through March 23; $51-$56; 800-888-6297, tobysdinnertheatre.com.

Dionne Warwick and the Let Freedom Ring ChoirThe Millennium Stage free performance series continues Monday when fi ve-time Grammy

winner Dionne Warwick joins the Kennedy Center’s Let

Freedom Ring Choir for a musical tribute to Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s enduring legacy. Arrive early to claim up to two free tickets distributed in the Hall of Nations

at 5 p.m. Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW; Mon., 6 p.m., free; 202-467-4600, kennedy-center.org. (Foggy Bottom)

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MONDAY

SUNDAY

‘The Following’Network TV’s most

buzzed-about series

returns Sunday at

9 p.m. on Fox for a

second season. Former

FBI agent Ryan Hart

(Kevin Bacon) has dis-

tanced himself from the agency

after cornering serial killer/cult

leader Joe Carroll (James Pure-

foy), who appeared to die in an

explosion. Now, Joe’s psycho fol-

lowers are wearing masks of his

face, below, and up to no good.

TUESDAY

David BrozaIsraeli singer-songwriter David

Broza is known for blend-

ing rock with pop and even

fl amenco. For his latest

album, “East Jerusalem/

West Jerusalem,” he takes

it a step further, adding

Israeli and Palestin-

ian sounds. Sixth and I Historic Syn-

agogue, 600 I St. NW; Tue., 8 p.m., $30-$35; 202-408-3100, sixthandi.org. (Gallery Place)

TUESDAY

The Beatles U.S. Albums Box SetTo commemorate the 50th

anniversary of the Beatles’

famous introduction to America

on “The Ed Sullivan Show,”

Capitol Records is releasing a

box set of all 13 Beatles albums

released in the U.S. The set

($159.99) includes the original

titles, track mixes and album art

used in the U.S. releases.

SATURDAY

WEDNESDAY

‘Broad City’Comedy Central’s newest series,

“Broad City” (10 p.m. Wed.),

comes with the Amy Poehler

stamp of approval, so you know

it’s going to be funny. Based on

a Web series of the same name,

it follows broke New Yorkers

Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson

as they awkwardly navigate

life. The show sounds a lot like

HBO’s “Girls,” but with more

silliness and less drama.

THURSDAY

‘Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song’

Freda Payne,

left, best known

for her 1970 hit

single “Band

of Gold,” says

she grew up

listening to

Ella Fitzgerald. Payne takes

on the iconic title role in “Ella

Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song”

The musical follows Fitzgerald’s

career from homeless street

dancer to legendary performer.

MetroStage, 1201 North Royal St., Alexandria; through March 16, $55-$60; 703-548-9044, metrostage.org.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

Monster JamMonster Jam, coming to the

Verizon Center this Friday,

attracts three kinds of people:

A. Kids looking for a life-size

version of smashing together

their Hot Wheels cars; B.

Road ragers jonesing for some

vicarious stress relief; and C.

Other. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW; Fri. 7:30 p.m., Sat., 2 & 7:30 p.m., $10-$65: 202-628-3200, verizoncenter.com. (Gallery Place)

SATURDAY

Tedeschi Trucks BandIt seems it really is better

together for husband-and-wife

duo Derek Trucks and Susan

Tedeschi. Their bluesy sound,

which they’ll bring to Warner

Theatre Saturday, won the

pair a Grammy in 2012. Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW; Sat., 8 p.m., $57.50-$85.50; 202-783-4000, warnertheatredc.com. (Metro Center)

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Simple.more snow. more terrain.WINTER ESCAPE PACKAGE STARTING AT $81For reservations please call 888-804-5341.

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cover story

District of Columbia: $1 billion over the next five to seven years

H/Benning: The nearest streetcar

project to completion, H/Benning

runs along H Street NE for 2.4

miles between Union Station and

Benning Road. The first streetcar

is on the tracks and testing has

begun. The service is expected

to begin in spring, once a safety

certification is approved.

Union Station to Georgetown: Set to

connect with the H/Benning line,

this east-west segment would

give K Street workers a new

mode of transportation along that

congested thoroughfare. The city

has completed an analysis of the

When you think about the future

of transportation, you probably

imagine driverless cars, hover-

boards and maybe the Hyperloop.

The reality — at least, for the

immediate future — is less sci-fi.

The tech that’s set to alter the way

we get around is the same that

ruled D.C. and its suburbs a cen-

tury ago: the streetcar.

Streetcar fever is upon us. The

tracks are laid and cars are here

for D.C.’s H Street NE line. In

Arlington and Fairfax, plans are

in the works.

“Streetcars fill a gap in our

transit portfolio,” says Dennis

Leach, deputy director for trans-

portation for the Arlington Coun-

ty Department of Environmental

Services. “This is a maturing of the

region’s transit system.”

With 5.8 million residents and

counting, Washington is pushing

its transportation infrastructure to

its limits. Metro trains and buses

are overcrowded. Car commuters

waste more time in traffic than

those in any metro area nation-

wide, according to the Texas A&M

Transportation Institute.

Electric streetcars, which pol-

lute the air less than buses and cars

and are cheaper than new Metro

stations, could provide relief.

City planners are forging

A new streetcar arrived on H Street NE in December for testing. The line is scheduled to begin service this spring.

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The Region’sStreetcar Future

After decades gone, streetcars in D.C. and NoVa will transform how many commute

Transit

transportation options and needs

to complete an environmental

impact study before receiving

federal approval. No timeline is set.

Anacostia: A 1.1 mile track will connect

Anacostia Metro Station to Joint

Base Anacostia-Bolling. It’s

targeted for completion later this

year. A proposed extension would

run through historic Anacostia.

North-South Corridor: This 9-mile stretch from

Buzzard Point in Southwest to

Takoma could run along Georgia

Avenue. This line is the least

developed and still under initial

study. No timeline is set.

Virginia:Columbia Pike: This $250 million streetcar

project would stretch from Bailey’s

Crossroads to Pentagon City.

After about a decade of studies,

the planning process is under way.

Streetcars still need to be procured,

a process that takes about three

years because cars are made to

order. Engineering design plans are

expected to be presented to the

Arlington County Board in this year.

Crystal City: This line would run along

Crystal Drive to connect Pentagon

City to Potomac Yard and the Alex-

andria border. A preliminary esti-

mate puts the cost at $144 million.

The project is in an early phase,

with an environmental assessment

expected in mid-2014. A.A.

Throwback Tracks

The number of people who are

predicted to commute along

Columbia Pike by bus daily by

2030. Today, 16,000 people take

buses along the Pike every day.

30K

1

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Pentagon City plans call for a

streetcar along the median.

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What To Expect:

Streetcars ride along

rails embedded

into public streets.

They require

overhead wires,

called catenaries,

in most locations,

but some modern

streetcars can run

for 2.5 miles without

them. In most cases,

streetcars will share

a lane with other

traffic, but along

K Street NW there

may be a dedicated

transit lane for

streetcars and buses

only. The streetcars

planned for the

District are about

the same length as a

bending bus, but hold

more people — up to

160 riders. (EXPRESS)

Takoma

Georgetown Union Station

Anacostia

Buzzard Point

BenningRoad

4

21

3

The District: Proposed 22-mile “priority” system

Virginia: Proposed Columbia Pike and Crystal City routes

SOURCE: DISTRICT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

SOURCE: VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION; EXPRESS GRAPHICS

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cover storyahead. After a decade in the works,

the H/Benning line is slated to

open this spring. D.C. wants to

extend that line to Georgetown

and build a new one to run from

the Southwest Waterfront to the

Maryland border, plus a shorter

line in Anacostia.

Arlington and Fairfax are get-

ting into the game as well, with

streetcar lines planned for Colum-

bia Pike and through Crystal City.

These projects aren’t cheap:

In D.C., the government’s 37-mile

streetcar proposal, of which 22

miles have been designated “pri-

ority,” is projected to cost federal

and District taxpayers $1 billion

over the next fi ve to seven years.

Arlington anticipates a $250

million investment in federal, state

and local dollars in the Columbia

Pike line, which will link Bailey’s

Crossroads and Pentagon City.

Preliminary estimates for the

Crystal City line, which will run

south to the Alexandria border,

clock in at $144 million.

Most of this is at least a decade

away. In the meantime, com-

muters can expect to be incon-

venienced as rails are installed

along busy thoroughfares.

Leach likens this moment to

the 1970s, when the region made

heavy investments in building

Metrorail. Despite any complaints

modern Washingtonians may have

about Metro, the system allowed

the city to grow in ways it wouldn’t

have otherwise. “We are lucky that the com-

munity and the elected offi cials

in the ’70s made the decision to

do it,” he says.

If streetcars sound retro, they

are. They dominated D.C. streets for

about 100 years, until the systems

were shut down to make way for

private automobiles in the 1960s.

“The need to continually move

people in a clean way brought us

back to the streetcar,” says Ronal-

do Nicholson, the District’s chief

engineer.

Streetcars may be costlier to

deploy than buses, but they can

hold more passengers. About

16,000 people ride buses every

day along the 4.9-mile stretch

that the Columbia Pike streetcars

would serve. Projections put that

number at 30,000 by 2030. Buses

already run every two to three

minutes during peak times. Advo-

cates say streetcars’ larger capac-

ities are the only way to keep up.

There’s an even bigger draw

for offi cials here and in cities such

as Portland, Ore.; Tucson, Ariz.;

and Cincinnati: Streetcars revive

neighborhoods. Property values

increase, apartments and condos

go up, and new shops open.

“Streetcars fi ll a gap in our transit portfolio. This is a maturing of the region’s transit system.”— D E N N I S L E AC H , DEPUT Y DIRECTOR FOR TRANSPORTATION FOR THE ARLINGTON

COUNT Y DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

Case in point: H Street NE.

The area known as the Atlas Dis-

trict has seen a surge of new bars,

restaurants and apartment build-

ings in anticipation of the coming

streetcar line.

“The businesses and residen-

tial developers along that route

know that there is a transporta-

tion option that is going to reg-

ularly bring people to and from

there,” Nicholson says.

That economic windfall is what

proponents say will justify the ini-

tial investments.

Some fans just think street-

cars are cool. They’re old, but

new: Like using a typewriter app

on an iPhone.

“There’s a bigger ‘wow’ factor

with streetcars than with buses,”

Nicholson says. Planners hope

streetcars will have enough “wow”

to lure car commuters as well.

“We’re doing streetcars to

convince travelers, commut-

ers and tourists that you have

options,” Nicholson says. “You

don’t have to be in a single car.”

AMBREEN ALI (FOR EXPRESS)

Streetcar FightersNothing attracts detractors like a public meeting. So when I showed up at a District Department of Transportation event in November — the fi rst in a series discussing streetcar plans for the north-south corridor — I was ready to jot down signs of debate. I shouldn’t have bothered to bring a pen.

The harshest comment I heard all night? “We already

have such great public transportation around here,

so I’m not sure we need it.”

It’s not that everyone in the District is gung-ho

for streetcars. But the loudest complaint seems to

be that they haven’t arrived fast enough. With ser-

vice set to start on H Street, the only question is

where the network will head next.

The streetcar debate is more heated in Arling-

ton, where the issue may decide a spring County

Board election. Citizen groups

have sprung up on either side

of the fi ght: Arlington Streetcar

Now and Arlingtonians for Sen-

sible Transit.

Arlingtonians for Sensi-

ble Transit’s Bill Vincent argues

that the millions needed for the

Columbia Pike project could be

better spent elsewhere in the

county. Besides, there are lower

cost alternatives, adds Vincent,

a consultant who formerly ran a

nonprofi t focused on bus rapid

transit.

“A lot can be done to make

the buses faster, higher capaci-

ty and more attractive to riders,”

Vincent says. “If buses can no

longer handle demand, then we

can talk about streetcars.”

That doesn’t sound like

a good deal to Chris Slatt of

Arlington Streetcar Now. The

computer programmer bought a

house on Columbia Pike in 2008

because of streetcar plans.

“I talk to a lot of people like

me who are excited about a bet-

ter experience than a bus, and

a more reliable schedule,” says

Slatt, who’s eager to patronize

more businesses along the street-

car route. He also questions how

much better bus service can be

without a dedicated lane.

Both groups are focused on

education, so Arlington residents

can expect to hear more debate.

In the District, meanwhile, the

only people going back and forth

on streetcars will be the ones rid-

ing them. VICKY HALLETT (EXPRESS)

Read the DC Rider page weekdays in Express for the latest developments with streetcar projects and all other area transit news.

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Get There.

Find the next train

arriving at a stop near you,

and when it will get you

where you’re going.

Get Informed.

The Washington Post’s Dr.

Gridlock team diagnoses

your commute with the

latest news on Metro.

Get Events.

What’s happening near your

Metro station? Read up on

events from Express and

ExpressNIghtOut.com.

Get Talking.

Warn other riders about

the band of tourists at

the Smithsonian stop or

recommend a new drink

deal in Dupont.

DC Rider

Download

the free app from

the iTunes App Store and

Google Play.

On the web at

readexpress.com/ dcrider

POWERED BY

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health

When it comes to weight loss, the

stakes for Alton Marsh are sky-high.

The 69-year-old aviation writ-

er has been assigned a piece that

requires flying in a P-51, a teeny-

tiny plane from World War II that

was designed to carry just a pilot.

With modifications, a passenger

can come along. But that person

can’t look like Marsh did at the

beginning of 2013 — at 6-foot-1

and 239 pounds, he wasn’t about

to squeeze into anything.

Marsh admits he hasn’t been dis-

ciplined about watching his weight,

which nudged upward over the

years. Even when he got on a jog-

ging kick a while back, there was no

guarantee he’d actually log mileage.

“I’ve put on running clothes

and gone to the park, and then I’ve

driven to Panera Bread instead,”

Marsh says.

Last March, determined to get

in flying form, Marsh joined Sport

& Health’s North Frederick, Md.,

club, near his home, and signed up

with personal trainer Jenny Foit. The

plan she devised for their twice-a-

week appointments was tougher

than anything he’d ever done alone.

“I call them beat-up sessions,”

says Marsh, who found himself on

Up, Up and a Weight Loss

an inclined treadmill dashing fast-

er than he thought possible. (“She’d

say, ‘Can you do eight?’ And I’d say,

‘Of course not,’ ” he says. But he did

intervals at 8 mph.) Then came

situps, pushups, assisted pullups,

moves on exercise balls and so on.

When Marsh had knee surgery

shortly after they started training

together, Foit switched to mostly

upper-body exercises.

The weight kept coming off,

which Marsh attributes to Foit’s

nutrition advice. The hardest food

to give up? The mint ice cream

sandwiches that had become part

of Marsh’s daily diet.

“I had to forget them now and

forever,” Marsh says.

And that didn’t change when he

reached his goal of getting under

His strategy is to change things

up while still pushing himself. He’s

switched from personal training

to TRX group training with Foit,

so she can monitor his progress.

“Al has followed me through

everything. If I had a class called

jumping off a bridge, he’d do it,”

Foit says. He’s her assistant in the

sessions, demonstrating plank vari-

ations with his impeccable form.

Marsh may be the oldest person

in the room, but that doesn’t stop

him from holding the positions lon-

ger and pounding out more reps

than anyone else.

“One of my goals was to humil-

iate others,” jokes Marsh, who can

list other perks that have accom-

panied his 40-pound (and count-

ing) weight loss.

Tests from a recent doctor’s

appointment show that his choles-

terol levels have plummeted, which

means he no longer needs medica-

tions he’d been taking for a decade.

He’d developed a waddle to coun-

terbalance his extra weight, but he

can walk normally again. And he’s

shopping for slim-fit pants.

He’s ready to turn 70 in Febru-

ary (“I’m up there, and my weight

is down there,” he says), and then

finally take that long-awaited plane

ride. He’s nervous, however, about

what will happen once he lands.

“After April, it’s uncharted ter-

ritory,” Marsh says. But he has

an idea for how to keep his res-

olution going in 2014: Zumba.

VICKY HALLETT (EXPRESS)

“I’ve put on running clothes and gone to the park, and then I’ve driven to Panera Bread instead.”— A LT O N M A R SH , 69, ON HIS BAD HABITS BEFORE HE GOT SERIOUS ABOUT LOSING WEIGHT

200 pounds this fall. He knew he’d

need to maintain through the hol-

idays in order to get on that plane

in January. And Marsh recently got

word that his flight has been pushed

back until April, so he has to keep

it up even longer.

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Alton Marsh has lost more than 40

pounds working out with personal

trainer Jenny Foit.

A tiny plane was just the ticket for getting an aviation writer to stick to his resolution

Fitness

That’s a Horse of a Different PostureWellness

Try downward dog on a standing horse.

MA

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EN/S

ALA

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ER R

ESO

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& S

PA

We’ve heard of spas with horse-

back-riding lessons and even horse

grooming. But a horse couples mas-

sage, too? For that you have to go to

Salamander Resort & Spa (500 N.

Pendleton St., Middleburg, Va.; 866-

938-7370, salamanderresort.com).

In their Human/Horse Syner-

gy Ride program, a spa therapist

and an equestrian expert evaluate

the two of you as you take a riding

lesson ($250). After, you can each

enjoy the spa treatment they rec-

ommend — such as a massage, chi-

ropractic adjustment or acupunc-

ture — for an additional fee.

For example, while a masseuse

works out your knots and kinks, a

chiropractor might do adjustments

to your horse’s neck, jaw or spine.

“[The chiropractor] will also pull

their tail, and you’ll hear the verte-

brae crack,” says equestrian direc-

tor Sheryl Jordan. “You’ll see them

get very relaxed. They’ll close their

eyes; their lower lip will droop.

They love it.”

If you love horses but don’t have

one, take a 45-minute yoga class

in the stable ($20) or try Yoga on

Horseback ($150 per half hour ses-

sion). After a mat warm-up in the

stable, you will do poses on the

horse. Yes, the horse becomes a liv-

ing yoga mat as you pigeon pose

your way to health. TR ACY KRULIK

(FOR EXPRESS)

0 1 . 1 9 . 2 0 14 | E X P R E S S S U N D AY | 9

food

Short of reading “The Polar Express” in front of a fireplace while listening to Bing Crosby, few things in winter are as comforting as a cup of hot cocoa. While those chalky, just-add-water mixes will do in a pinch, why bother when the D.C. area abounds with some seriously sophisticated options? “When it’s too sweet, you taste all kinds of chemicals and you wonder what you’re drinking,” says Noah Dan, CEO of Pitango Gelato, where you can order a classic European sipping chocolate. “The best hot cocoas have a mix of bitterness and sweetness.” And you certainly won’t find any dehydrated marshmallows floating in these cups. HOLLEY SIMMONS (EXPRESS)

It’s WinterIn a Cup

Bayou Bakery1515 N. COURTHOUSE ROAD, ARLINGTON; 703-243-2410, BAYOUBAKERYVA.COM

Made with 64 percent cacao Valrhona

chocolate, Bayou Bakery’s hot cocoa

($3.25) is more bitter than sweet. Chef

David Guas adds a hint of vanilla and tops

it off with whipped cream. “It has enough

body to feel indulgent,” Guas says. The

New Orleans native also whips up some

mean beignets: Order a side of three ($3) to

add sweetness to your piping cup.

Boccato2719 WILSON BLVD., ARLINGTON; 703-869-6522, BOCCATO.COM

In the summer, this Clarendon gelato shop

alleviates the heat with icy scoops. In the

winter, the addition of a three-chocolate

hot cocoa ($4.75) brings temps back up.

Made with Ghirardelli chocolate mocha

mix, white chocolate syrup, dark chocolate

syrup, cane sugar, organic whole milk and

dashes of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and

cloves, the temperate offering is sweet

and aromatic. “We churn the chocolate for

an hour and a half so it’s well-blended and

rich,” owner Christian Velasco says. Top it

off with whipped cream or marshmallows.

PitangoVARIOUS LOCATIONS; PITANGOGELATO.COM

Pitango’s sipping chocolate ($3.50) makes

Swiss Miss taste like water from the

Potomac. The intense concoction from the

Baltimore-born gelato chain includes just

three ingredients: whole milk from grass-

fed cows, organic cane sugar and lots and

lots of organic cocoa from Turin, Italy. The

puddinglike treat should be consumed

slowly. Those who can’t handle the

richness can try it with steamed milk ($4)

or a scoop of hazelnut or chocolate gelato

(called a chocolate affogato, $4.50).

Poste Moderne Brasserie555 EIGHTH ST. NW; 202-783-6060, POSTEBRASSERIE.COM

Chef Dennis Marron drew inspiration from

pimandes — chocolate- and chili-coated

almonds — for his spiked hot cocoa of the

same name ($15, above). First, Marron

steeps cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans,

vanilla sugar, chili, milk chocolate and dark

chocolate in milk. Next, he adds WhistlePig

whiskey and Grand Marnier and tops it with

Frangelico-laced whipped marshmallows

for a hint of hazelnut. “The Grand Marnier is

not traditional, but I like the way it gives the

drink a longer finish,” Marron says. Try the

cocktail in Poste’s outdoor winter lounge,

equipped with fire pits and blankets.

The Sweet Lobby404 EIGHTH ST. SE; 202-544-2404, SWEETLOBBY.COM

Yes, it’s European-style hot chocolate,

which means it’s thicker than your average

cup of cocoa. Yes, it’s made with 70

percent Belgian dark chocolate, so it’s

rich and bittersweet. Yes, it’s made with a

touch of brown sugar and a little cream,

so it’s got a depth of flavor. But the real

draw of The Sweet Lobby’s hot cocoa is

the house-made marshmallows available

in maple rum, vanilla bean, cardamom

and chili varieties. “The marshmallows

float on the top and slowly melt,” owner

Winnette McIntosh Ambrose says. “But

some people can’t wait and mix them in

themselves.”

HOME SWEET HOMEPrefer to enjoy a cup of quality hot cocoa on your couch? The following local sweet shops offer take-home mixes, available for purchase in-store or online.

ARTISAN CONFECTIONS’ BITTERSWEET HOT CHOCOLATE MIX

Just add hot milk to this decadent mix of dark and milk chocolate, cocoa

powder and vanilla bean ($16). 1025 N. Fillmore St., Arlington, 703-524-0007

and 2910 District Ave., Fairfax, 703-992-6130;

artisanconfections.com

FLEURIR’S COCOA MIX

Fleurir’s bittersweet cocoa mix is made of a smooth combo of four chocolates, while the spiced white cocoa mix has hints of almond, nutmeg and clove ($15).3235 P St. NW, 202-465-4368 and 724 Jefferson St.,

Alexandria, 703-838-9055; fleurirchocolates.com

CO CO. SALA’S HOT CO CO. POPS

The chocolate lover’s paradise offers single-serving chunks of chocolate on a stick that you can stir into warm milk ($4). Flavors include dark chocolate and salted caramel.929 F St. NW; 202-347-

4265, cocosala.comCO

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BAYOU BAKERY

BOCCATO

PITANGO

THESWEETLOBBY

10 | E X P R E S S S U N D AY | 0 1 . 1 9 . 2 0 14

ACROSS1 32-card game

5 Chalky mineral

9 Eats in the

evening

13 Solemn

promise

17 Currency

abroad

18 Chocolate

source

19 Syllables sung

while skipping

21 ___ gin fizz

22 “Bonanza”

brother

23 Bit of high

jinks

24 “Snowy” bird

25 Do a takeoff

on

26 Stare at, as a

wreck

28 Like a fast

driver

30 Emulated a

parrot

31 Ski lift

33 Bouncers’

requests

34 Person saying

“you’re it!”

37 Remove rinds

38 Serious kind of

arrest

42 Emotional

upheaval

43 Opera solo

44 Hasty escapes

45 Cowboy boot

part

47 Perform

penance

48 Is affected by

49 Skip over

50 Amateur’s

opposite

51 Women’s

counterparts

52 Minimal

amount of rain

53 More cunning

55 Narrow groove

57 Reason to

gather signatures

60 “Cheers!”

alternative

61 Execute, in old

France

62 “Cat got your

tongue?” e.g.

63 Far from

original

64 Cause of a

rash reaction?

65 Yell

67 Truth ___

(interrogation

injection)

68 Men’s

headwear of the

17th and 18th

centuries

71 More skilled

72 Bubbly mixer

73 Word with hall

or slicker

74 “___ you

serious?”

75 Ewe’s milieu

76 Barber’s

symbol

77 Common

military color

79 Home of logs

81 Small boys

83 ET carriers

84 Angler’s need

85 Muddied the

water

86 Long drive

over the wall

88 Sheet-music

symbol

89 Berber

language

90 Sick

91 Cubicle item

92 Artist’s studio

93 007 film

98 Tyrannical

104

Flabbergasted

105 Like freakish

coincidences

106 Art

supporter?

107 Boxing

victory

108 Chimney

passage

109 Ancient city

near Carthage

110 Metric volume

measure

111 They were

once together

112 Flowerless

decorative plant

113 Exceeded 55

mph, e.g.

114 Veteran

sailors

115 Type of load

DOWN1 Burn the

surface of

2 African

antelope

3 Kuwaiti or

Omani

4 Taj Mahal, for

one

5 “Full House”

surname

6 Was part of the

picture

7 Not of the clergy

8 Tom Collins or

Rob Roy

9 Burial markers

10 Prodding

person

11 Prefix with

normal, legal or

chute

12 Flexible Flyer,

for one

13 Gradual

absorption

14 Landed

15 Sao ___ and

Principe

16 Sit up and take

notice

18 It goes wall-

to-wall in some

homes

20 In the

beginning

27 America’s bird

29 Strange

32 Weapons used

by hired muscle

34 Private

student

35 Spanish sherry

36 Colt or

Magnum

37 Kind of school

38 Saharan “ship”

39 One spelling

for a Mideast

prince

40 Enough to

be estimated or

measured

41 Ancient Roman

senate

42 Pack down

tightly

43 At least two

eras

fun & games

Last Week’s Solution

WARM HEARTED EDITED BY GARY COOPER

44 Faithful

46 “The Long and

Winding ___”

48 As of

52 Christian the

fashion designer

54 Rich, dark soil

55 Highway rig

56 Spring melting

period

58 Run at the curb

59 Big piece of

cake

60 Mumbai

garment

61 Hide, as a dog’s

bone

63 “Seinfeld”

character Elaine

64 Alien-seeking

project

65 Stop

66 West Indian

sorcery

67 Wise Greek

statesman

68 Freshwater

game fish

69 “Peer Gynt”

composer

70 Ship or mail

72 Health-food

store staple

73 Grocery-store

vehicle

76 Regular

hangout

78 Most big and

strong

79 Raccoon cousin

80 Balloon filler

82 Wee bit

85 Frilled strip

87 Teeny

toymaker

88 Go over again,

as a contract

89 Copy machine

supplies

91 Clear before

takeoff, perhaps

92 One who

weeps, in a saying

93 Fisherman’s

handled hook

94 Admire

amorously

95 Deep scowl

96 Earns after

taxes

97 Get a handle on

99 Pro ___

(proportionally)

100 Throw out of

kilter

101 Metered

vehicle

102 Word with bug

or misty

103 Medication

amount

IN NEXT WEEK’S

Some of the area’s best restaurants are tucked away in nondescript

strip malls. We’ll show you where to find them.

0 1 . 1 9 . 2 0 14 | E X P R E S S S U N D AY | 11

fun & gamesWUMO | WULFF & MORGENTHALER

POOCH CAFE | PAUL GILLIGAN

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE | STEPHAN PASTIS

Last Week’s Solution

Sudoku DIFFICULT

Need more Sudoku?Find another puzzle in

the weekday Express,

the Comics section

of The Post every

Sunday and in the

Style section Monday

through Saturday.Published by Express Publications LLC,

1150 15th St. NW, Washington, DC 20071, a subsidiary of WP Company, LLC

How to Reach Us

Who We Are

To place a display ad: Call 202-334-6732 or email ads@readexpress.com.

Spot a mistake? Email corrections@readexpress.com.The newsroom: Call 202-334-6800, fax 202-334-9777 or reach out to us on Twitter @WaPoExpress.

Publisher: Arnie Applebaum

Executive editor: Dan Caccavaro

General manager: Ron Ulrich

Circulation manager: Charles Love

Managing editor, features: Holly J. Morris

Managing editor, news: Lori Kelley

Creative director: Jon Benedict

Features editor: Jennifer Barger

Copy chief: Diana D’Abruzzo

Story editor: Adam Sapiro

Deputy creative director: Adam Griffi ths

Senior editors: Sadie Dingfelder Vicky Hallett Kristen Page-Kirby

Section editors: Michael Cunniff Rudi Greenberg Beth Marlowe Marissa Payne Rachel Sadon Sara Schwartz Holley Simmons Jeffrey Tomik

Art director: Allie Ghaman

Designer: Rachel Orr

Production supervisor: Matthew Liddi

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