La Fourchette: My Morning Escape to Paris

When I originally started this blog I had two main goals in what I wanted to write, one being of a spiritual nature, that is my personal meditations on scripture, church and theology, and the second being of a more cultural perspective dealing with the culture and atmosphere found within Washington D.C. I admit I haven’t kept a good balance with what I originally planned but I do plan on writing more concerning D.C., so today is my reattempt (see my blog on Raheem DeVaughn) at dealing with our beautiful city.

This morning I had the privilege of enjoying a wonderfully delectable and fulfilling breakfast at a small café on 18^th street in D.C. La Fourchette is a little slice of Parisian dining placed snuggly within the eclectic neighborhood of Adams Morgan. It sports the nuance and ambiance of a French café right after World War II where you are liable to run into the likes of such names as Camus, Sartre, or Beauvoir. The owner of Fourchette, after dropping off the bill, expressed to me and my date in a heavy Parisian accent to “stay young, merci.” The atmosphere is great, yes, with all the right attributes conducive for young writers who seem to be most creative surrounded by the quieted hustle and bustle of a city café. But what grabbed me was the food.

I was only able to see the brunch menu, but I hear the regular carte du jour remains authentic to its roots. The crepes were not your regular IHOP selections but were made only with seafood found native to France. My breakfast choice was the Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon, and as a self proclaimed connoisseur of eggs benedict I came away convinced that I had found my holy grail of Benedict. The hollandaise sauce set the bar with the first bite and I’m determined to go back and find the recipe. They also sport a full assortment of teas that contribute to and accompany any meal or just simply work to start off the morning. Their wine list also seemed quite commendable, but because of our need to make another appointment, I was unable to adequately peruse their selections. All in all, I enjoyed my time at La Fourchette and will definitely be giving its name as a future dining recommendation.

The Soul of D.C. Longs for Her Grammy?

My musical tastes vary and you will never catch me caught up in one particular genre more than another. One particular style of music I have fallen in love with is what is commonly referred to as Neo-Soul, which is a beautiful mix of R&B, Soul, Rock and even Jazz. It is todays equivalent of Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Gil-Scott Heron, etc. Washington D.C. though has had a thriving venue for these type of artists for quite a while now but only really getting recognition locally and never quite reaching the mainstream. The U Street Corridor, the D.C. neighborhood historically dubbed “Black Broadway”, has been the cities main stay for catching such performances by very talented and creative local artists.

One of these artist goes by the name Raheem DeVaughn. Raheem’s music is really something to get a hold of and keep in your cd player if you are at all a fan of R&B. In 2005 he released his first solo album The Love Experience which brought him due recognition as an artist in whom real musical talent and soulful lyrics can be genuinely enjoyed. In 2008 fans will be awaiting the release of his sophomore album Love Behind The Melody in which the already released single Woman has been hitting the airwaves with fervent play and even more requests.

Raheem has just been nominated for a Grammy at the up coming 2008 Award Ceremony for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance which is a great honor to his music but also a huge boost to Washington D.C. and the culture Raheem carries from it. Local fans are hopeful for his win and ready to show the world the talent that arises soulfully from within the Diamond District. From a city that has been known to be almost impossible for artists to gain the respect of its people, Raheem DeVaughn is one artist we are truly proud of. Bring it home, son!

Brand New Site, Brand New Blog!

I must admit, I am somewhat apprehensive about starting this blog. For starters I don’t want this to be a project that I start and then let fizzle away in a couple months. I want to set a pretense of continually blogging on here almost every day, make it a part of my regular routine, be able to write on here with such diligence that if I miss a day I feel incomplete. Why? Well, I do write everyday, just not publically, and I write for reasons that I believe to be true, that is, I write devotionally what it is I have been meditating on all day. I put it on paper as a sort of ministering to my own soul. I write prayers alot, I write Poetry often, I write thoughts and discoveries, and I write what I have learned throughout the day. I want to now post these personal writings of mine for others to see. I’ve been greatly impressed and encouraged by others that have undertaken this same train of thought and have successfully created a blog and their writings have ministered to me greatly in my daily walk. I would hope that I may be able to do the same.

With that being said, and the knowledge that I do not want this project to die away, your comments and suggestions and feedback would be greatly apreciated as encouragement for me to keep writing. If my posts suck than I know I will not get readers, which will in turn give me reason to stop posting here on SoulahGratia. So tell me! If you like what you read, please say so. If you didn’t like what you read, say so. It is for others to read why I have begun this endeavor and as a new born baby to this I greatly desire attention and feedback. (=

What will be posted here? See the About Me section for a description of what I see this blog centering around, but it will come in the form of personal prayers, deep diatribes, clever conversations, and alliterations galore! (Actually, probably not alliteration.) I will post here what I have been posting in private journal form for years. So the more I write the more you will be able to see and understand. Lets begin!