Ah, July - the month of heavy heat and humidity, of languid lolling in cafes sipping anything to cool off, of quieter weekends in town while so many are out, and of guys in French maid outfits running up and down DC's streets.  Say...what?  Oh, yeah. July may be hot, rainy, muggy and whatever, but it's also the month for celebrating independence - ours and other people's.  With July 4th over and done, you still can look forward to the French Independence Day - Bastille Day - on July 14th.  There are all sorts of celebratory events happening in and around town, ranging from the suggestively and previously mentioned French Maid Races, to special restaurant menus, wine specials and much more.   For Bastille Day fun and all the Bastille Day specials, click here.  

And,that's not all!  Don't forget the big Independence Day celebration for Belgian National Day.  Celebrated on July 21, National Day has spawned a whole bunch of great activities at the city's great Belgian restaurants, including Belga Café, Brasserie Beck and Et Voila, with beer dinners (Belgian beers AKA  "the champagne of bottled beers!"), mussel "throw downs," happy hours and more.  Have we piqued your interest? Click here to satisfy it with all the mussels, beer and waffles you can consume.

Still more.  Hot or not, this summer is popping with stuff happening all over the region.  Check Local Events for deets on everything from embassy dinners, kids cooking classes and squash blossom festivals to wine and beer tastings, demos, vineyard events and more.

Know anything about cupcake cocktails? The Mexican Festival de Helados?  How Spaniard José Andrés -- he of Jaleo, Zaytinya, Oyamel, Café Atlantico, etc. -- is bringing you into his celebration of Spain's World Cup victory? The casting call for a new cake baking show with the Cake Boss? Or, even about the beer drinker's deal of deals -- two beers for 99 cents at Againn?  No? Then, you'd better click to the Buzz or you will seriously miss out.

Nothing seems to slow the pace of restaurant openings. In Openings, find out more about the latest and greatest including Mark Kuller's (Proof) Estadio, another jewel in the culinary crown that is 14th Street.  Just opened across from the Studio Theater, Estadio joins Cork, Posto, Birch & Barley/Churchkey, Bar Pilar to name a few on the street that's getting to be akin to a funky-to-chic, open air shopping district for great food and drink.

And, more's on the way. Check Coming Soon for all the openings about to happen, including Robert Weidmaier's (Brabo, Marcel's & Brasserie Beck) Mussel Bar on Bethesda Row and Top Chef-testant Spike Mendelsohn's (Good Stuff Eatery) latest, We, The Pizza.  

As always is the case, our exclusive Chef's Column and Grapes & More column have food for thought that you can't find elsewhere.  In the Chef's Column, Edan MacQuaid, executive chef at Pizzeria Orso and an alum of Pizzeria Paradiso and Two Amy's, talks about the new takes on pizza now featured at Orso and what it took - including time in Italy (poveretto!) - to develop them. In Grapes & More, Beverage Program Director Jeremy Sidman of the Bar Dupont and the Café Dupont at the Dupont Hotel, talks about the dramatically renovated cocktail and wine programs he has instituted at the equally as updated hotel, which recently completed a $52 million renovation.  Check out all the great, new treats that Jeremy -- a veteran of The Ritz in London and Miami's Mandarin Oriental - has waiting for you.

That's it for me - but not for you.  We were working our fingers to the bone (and gnawing on a couple too) getting all the "what's happening" info into this issue of TheListAreYouOnIt.com. Consider this your summer reading: Sit back, relax and ... Enjoy!