Good afternoon, everyone.
Welcome to the first DC-edition of Feed Me. The idea for this letter came about after I hosted an event with Friend of the Letter Jake Sherman earlier this year at Punchbowlâs townhouse. I met a group of Feed Me readers who live in DC who expressed interest in more local culture-y news, so after running some audience numbers, and poking around at what other newsletter offerings existed, I figured Iâd give this a shot. (Disclaimer: I told Jake to try this at Punchbowl, but heâs focused on The Hill). If you have thoughts after reading this email, reply and let me know. Iâm going to try to get down there later this fall.
Todayâs newsletter includes: Catching up with The Washington Sun about their subscriber bump post-NOTUS rebrand, the restaurant NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang rented out, a scoop on DCâs newest (official!) party reporter, a Washington-area Beauty and Wellness Black Book (according to DC Feed Me readers), the hotel that stocks rooms with mini Smeg fridges for skincare, an Arlington family with a dietary restriction list longer than the phonebook is looking for a private chef, a foie gras ban on the ballot, jobs, and DC residents are drinking a ton of Guinness.
If you need to get in touch or have feedback, reply to this email or reach out to emily@readfeedme.com.
You can also text the Feed Me Tip Line: âȘ(646) 494-3916âŹ
The Washington-Area Beauty and Wellness Black Book, According to DC Feed Me Readers.
Last month, I emailed a group of DC-area Feed Me readers to help me assemble a comprehensive guide to the best healers, injectors, masseuses, colorists, and facialists in Washington. The reason I wanted names of people and not just names of practices or spas is because I was looking for clients who actually know the names of the experts taking care of them.
The final list includes 25+ contributions from Eliza Brooke, Capitol Hill staffers, Jamie Brown, and a late-20s professional thatâs on TV a fair bit. The guide includes a dermatologist that one woman would âtake a bullet for,â a cosmetic dentistry artist, an âNYC-levelâ nail artist, the Brazilian lymphatic drainage massage that brought someone to (good) tears post-breakup, Traditional Chinese Medicine acupuncturists, and almost-impossible-to-book colorists.
HAIR.
âOkay there is a spot called Manifest, which does menâs haircuts. Itâs equal parts bar/membership club/clothing store/barber shop. Both of their locations have speakeasies, their new location also has a restaurant. Thereâs one in Adams Morgan and then another in Union Market. They have a same-day appointment system that doesnât quite make sense to me but also you can get a membership that lets you book further in advance. I like Camrin, who works at the Union Market location. It has kind of an elevated vibe that feels out of place in DC â beautifully designed space, tightly curated products, even has pretty solid food. The cuts are solid but the experience is top notch. Very escapist.â - Rob, podcaster
âEunice Kim at Blackbird Salon in Navy Yard. Exceptional haircuts! I trust her implicitly with my short bob (not easy even for highly skilled stylists). Eunice is much loved on DC Reddit threads that warn to book her way in advance. You can get an appointment, but book a month or two out. Sheâs one of those stylists where you can walk in and say, âWhat do you think?â Know that sheâs going to put in so much attention to detail and that youâre going to walk away with a cut that doesnât just look good on salon day.â - Katherine Brooks, Executive Coach
âDaniel Dagucon at Scissor & Comb Salon is a magician, there is nothing else to say. He can do everything, but I recently had hair-painting and Iâve literally never been happier with a salon result. He takes online booking, but do it wayyyy in advance.â - Anonymous
âBalayage by Ali in Arlington is truly a master at lived-in blondes, and only works on one client at a time. Does all the extra stuff like âroot smudging,â Olaplex treatments, etc. She does a full style before you leave (typically beachy waves) and it lasts for days.â - Capitol Hill staffer and resident who is willing to go to VA for the good stuff
âIâve been seeing Jen Phillips (colorist) and Liana Phillips (stylist) at Aurora Salon for almost 10 years, from when they had chairs at the âcoolâ salon where Obama sat for an interview with LeBron to now at their own millennial pink-coded place. Jen brought my hair back from a harsh lockdown-era at-home dye job and consistently delivers the softest balayage. When I asked Liana for bangs two years ago I assumed it would be a short-lived experiment but as cut by her theyâre so easy to style and maintain that Iâve kept them. Theyâre sisters who started their own business, are good at what they do, and are blessedly chill.â - Caitlyn, lobbyist
FITNESS
âI would have to give a shout-out to Sweat DC. They are a local & founded-in-DC Strength & Conditioning group fitness studio. I would say more down to earth Barryâs with much less cardio and much more focused on strength and functional training. You can sign up for class passes or a monthly membership on their website. If you want to get started with a class, def recommend Coach Starlight at Park View. Regularly attending Sweat DC has made me stronger and itâs a good community to boot.â - Anonymous
âDown Dog Yoga in Georgetown. Best hot yoga classes ever. Love Sarah. 60 min, so hot, no mirrors, no music, âomâ to start and end class, so good every time. Nestled into the cozy streets of upper Georgetown. Mostly middle-aged crowd with mix of college kids. So much better than CorePower or chain yoga places. Book online. Every class makes me stronger and more calm.â - Anonymous 22-year old GW alum who stayed in DC post-grad
âYousefi Chiro-Care is my ultimate rec. Itâs called âdirectional non-force techniqueâ and itâs a type of chiropractic work that uses your own body to re-align itself. I see one of the owners, Yasi, and she is the most incredible healer. You wear a little gown during the adjustment, along with these wooden shoes. You are fully naked except for your underwear, and she adjusts every part of your body -- front and back. Iâve been going for over 10 years and whenever I feel a twinge, tweak, or just want to feel more in alignment, itâs the first place I call. There arenât many of these types of practitioners in the U.S. so I feel so lucky to have found Yasi!â - Meg Bradshaw, consultant
âThe Method Room in Adams Morgan/Dupont for pilates. Itâs like Solidcore, but a more pleasant environment and a local business where people actually talk to each other. Book Online.â - Halle
âI know you didnât ask for a workout class, but since it falls under the self-care umbrella, I would be remiss not to recommend Bode atâhear me outâSoulCycle. He takes the millennial out of SoulCycle, brings an insane amount of energy to every class, and has incredible music taste. Iâm loyal to him because he has created such a chill but friendly community that makes every class feel the way you wish all group fitness classes would. He teaches at the Georgetown and 14th St locations.â - Chloe