Tom Seitsema Gives Toki Underground 2.5 stars

That's no small potatoes coming from the Washington Post food critic. It places tiny Toki Underground (2nd floor 1234 H Street) on par with the Atlas Room (1015 H Street) as far as Seitsema's appraisal.

Remembering Capital City Diner

The Capital City Diner closed its doors last Sunday, but its passing did not go undocumented. Here's a bit of the local coverage:

The Washington Post: Capital City Diner's Last Weekend, in Pictures
NBC4: Say It Ain't So: Capital City Diner to Close
We Love DC: Elegy for a Diner
Neon Dreamscapes: Farewell Capital City
Eater: Capital City Diner Closes With Hopes to Reformat
Roadside: The Cap City Closes
Washington Post: Capital City Owner Talks About the Closing of His Beloved Diner

Curbed Talks Popularise

Curbed mentions the Popularise experiment in which people can vote on the type of business they would most like to see come to 1351 H Street. Curbed also notes that you can now be part of a hard hat tour of the space. For those who have not been following the votes, the H Street Joodlum is currently in the lead with 288 votes.

WP: A History Trail For H Street

With the new history trail you'll be able to travel further back in time than this 2005 photo

The Washington Post reports on the new history trail coming to H Street. This trail results from the tireless efforts of many people, including a number of neighborhood residents who have spent countless hours researching and documenting the history of the H Street Corridor. It's set to open in the spring, and I promise it will be far more accurate than what this 2008 April Fools Day post suggests.

Former ANC 5B Chair Admits He Stole Funds

Disgraced former ANC 5B Chair William Shelton has admitted that he stole public money from the Advisory Neighborhood Commission. He must repay all of that money, serve 6-12 months in federal prison, and could be fined up to $20,000. His sentencing is scheduled for May 4th.

Disposal of Surplus School Buildings

DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETINGS REGARDING
SURPLUS RESOLUTIONS PURSUANT TO D.C. OFFICIAL CODE 10-801

The District will conduct a public hearing to receive public comments on the proposed surplus of the following District properties. The date, time and location shall be as follows:

Properties: Parcel No: 01410047 at 1375 Mount Olivet Road, (“Webb School
Building”)
Parcel No: 01600045 at 820 26th Street NE, (“Young School Building”)
Date: Monday, February 27, 2012
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Trinidad Recreation Center
1310 Childress Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
Contact: Althea O. Holford, Real Estate Specialist
Department of General Services
202.478.2428 or althea.holford[at]dc.gov

UD: Get Your Sin on at Church and State

I've mentioned the long anticipated Seven Deadly Sins cocktail menu at Church and State (2nd floor 1236 H Street), but it's been a while. The seven deadly sins is meant to be a a non-traditional menu complement the more traditional menu they have been serving (AKA The Bill of Rights). Urban Daddy has the full menu, as well as photos.

CP: Why Did Roadside Cafe Really Close?

Housing Complex speculates on what really lead to the shuttering of the Roadside Cafe. Oh, and it's being replaced by a tire shop.

Capital City Diner Closing

They posted a letter on their site. Stop by and say goodbye between 7am and 6pm Saturday and Sunday (1050 Bladensburg Road). It's sad news, but it's a tough economy, and (with help from Harry Thomas Jr.) a Denny's recently opened up down the street. That can't have helped.

New Barbershop & Social Club Coming to 705 H Street

705 H Street is the red building

It doesn't have a name yet, but the space is looking quite nice. They will have barber chairs downstairs and pool upstairs. They are shooting for a spring opening.

Local Link Round Up

Photo by Frozen Tropics Flickr pool user Philliefan99

Local blog Irbyisthename enjoyed brunch at Granville's (1238 H Street)American Eagle's inflight magazine Latitudes has visitors to H Street covered with plenty of recommendations for dining and the arts.      Dust Jacket Dispatch gives a basic overview of the strip, and Washingtonian lists its top 14 picks on H Street in the piece Cool Comeback. We Love DC takes a closer look at the Popularise crowdsourcing  approach to choosing a tenant for 1351 H Street. We Love DC is besotted with Toki Underground (2nd floor 1234 H Street), and Forking DC's a fan too. When you visit make sure to check out all your sake options, which The Huffington Post explored fully. Eater looks at Smith Commons (1245 H Street) as the restaurant turns one.Even if you aren't looking to devour the Burporken you should still try to catch a show over at Red Palace (1212 H Street). CBS just chose them as one of the best rock bars in DC.

A little off the main strip the Washington Post considers the future of the Uline Arena. Could it really become a music museum?

Last Night's Ward 5 Candidate Forum

I did not make it to the Ward 5 candidates forum at Lace Lounge in Brookland last night from 6:30-9pm, Attendees saw 13 candidates strutted their stuff. One notable exception was Delano Hunter, who confirmed his attendance, but then pulled a no-show. Hunter's Twitter account says he attended at SOTU watch party at Lima Lounge instead.  On its Twitter account Lace describes itself as a lounge/club for LGBT women (though I saw a note online indicating it's not strictly a lesbian bar anymore), so I've heard some speculation that that fact may have kept Hunter away. For the record, Lace Lounge has hosted local ANC meetings in the past. Whatever Mr. Hunter's motivation in snubbing the event, it was a weird (and kinda rude) thing to do. Hopefully he can be bothered to actually show up for the next one since he's considered one of the more serious candidates (the rest of whom all attended).

In more general news we're up to 18 candidates so far for the Ward 5 Council seat. It's unclear how many will actually appear on the ballot. Want to know more about the forum? Check out this DCist post, and make plans to hit the next forum (this coming Tuesday).

Who's Running for Ward 5 Councilmember?

Apparently, everybody.

The following info comes from the Board of Elections and Ethics. It shows all the people who have picked up nominating petitions. In order for their names to appear on the ballot they must get 500 signatures before the deadline of February 15. February 18-27th is the challenge period for those signatures. March 19th is the last day for a candidate to have his/her name removed from the ballot. So far we have 18 candidates, and I've heard of candidates who are not on this list, but who I think intend to run. Full list after the jump.
Read more »

Amazon: Half Off Tickets to Intersections Festival

The Intersections Festival is only a month away. The Festival, which takes place at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, is in its third year. the first year the Festival drew over 6,000 patrons. Last year that number was 9,000. They have over 100 events scheduled over a three week period. It's everything from circus performers to live jazz, to tap dance, to theater, to spoken word, to classical music, to kid-centric events. Now you have a chance to score $50 worth of tickets for only $25. That's a great deal. Check out the full schedule online. I guarantee you'll find something that appeals to you.