Taylor Rolls Out 7 New Hoagies

Local sandwich shop Taylor Gourmet (which will soon boast a third location) is rolling out seven new sandwiches. You can read about three of the new pork sandwiches at Young and Hungry.

Capital City Diner to Serve Up Slushies

Matt and Patrick (who I ran into last night at Home Depot) of Capital City Diner have purchased a Slush Puppie, and are seeking flavor suggestions. Hit them up on Facebook or Twitter with requests. Oh, and the Diner now carries Jarritos.

Ready, Set, DC: Liberty Tree

Ready, Set, DC has tons of food photos from Liberty Tree (1016 H Street).

Washingtonian: Sidamo &Spoiled and Rotten Kids Spa

Sidamo and Spoiled and Rotten Kids Boutique and Spa both make appearances in this month's Washingtonian feature on 62 of Washington's Hidden Gems.

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UPDATE
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I modified this post a bit because I think I kinda misread the note I was sent (I wasn't able to pick up a copy of the Washingtonian). Sorry about that. It is correct now.

Metro Mutts Soft Opening Saturday

Metro Mutts, the new pet store opening at 508 H Street is having a soft opening Saturday. Bring your Metro Mutts receipt to Toyland (421 H Street) and get a $1 0ff your first drink. The bar will also serve the Metro Muttini for $5 all night.

Water Main Break @6th & H

The 600 block of H Street. NE, due to a broken water line in the street and the restoration time is 4 to 5 hours. No street closures reported. Sent by DC HSEMA to e-mail....powered by Cooper Notification RSAN

Trivia & Grilling Out @Little Miss Whiskey's

Ryan from the Queen Vic will be grilling out back at Little Miss Whiskey's tonight and on Friday. He also does the brunch grub at the Pug. Stop by and sample his wares. Here's tonight's menu:

CHEF RYAN GORDON PRESENTS

TUESDAY’S SPECIAL FOOD AND BEER PAIRING MENU:

Espresso and Brown Sugar Rubbed Pork Belly Slider topped w/ a Cabbage, Carrot, and Raisin Coleslaw

paired w/ North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

a viscous black gravity-bender dominated by espresso grind flavors and undisguised alcohol sweetness

Spicy Beer Boiled Bratwurst topped w/ Apple and Caraway Sauerkraut

paired w/ Founders Red’s Rye

this hoppy, refreshing ale gets its tight and distinctive bite from spicy rye and effervescent carbonation

Almond Crusted Halibut Taco w/ Spicy Pineapple-Mango Salsa

paired w/ Schneider Aventinus

this world class doppelbock wheat beer delivers gentle caramel, rum and clove flavors w/ a soft, frothy mouthfeel

Vanilla, Chocolate and Raisin, Bread Pudding w/ Bourbon Custard Sauce

paired w/ New Holland Dragon’s Milk

aged in whiskey barrels, this silky smooth black ale imparts toffee, vanilla, and oak flavors w/ high-alcohol sweetness

ALL PORTIONS SERVED AS SLIDERS W/ A 4 OZ. SERVING OF BEER FOR $8

SAMPLE ALL FOUR FOR $25

Service begins at 6 PM on the back patio at Little Miss Whiskey's Golden Dollar

OUR WEEKLY TRIVIA NIGHT BEGINS UPSTAIRS AT 8 PM

AND INCLUDES A ROUND ON THE SUBJECT OF BEER

Report Out on Month 1 of Bag Tax

Reading over a press release from Tommy Wells' office yesterday I was really struck by some of the numbers. Here's the release:

First Report of Anacostia River Cleanup & Protection Act Shows Dramatic Progress


(Washington, DC) – Earlier today, DC’s Office of Tax and Revenue announced the first month’s revenue from DC’s Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act – a measure that places a 5-cent fee on disposable bags from retail establishments and supports a new dedicated Anacostia River Cleanup Fund.

In the month of January 2010, the Fund received $149,432.27.

“While it’s difficult to project the annual results based on just the first month’s experience, the report shows that residents are making great strides in reducing disposable bag use,” stated Wells. Wells also noted that the numbers suggest residents are beating projections in how quickly the reduction will take place.

The District’s Chief Financial Officer noted last year that District residents use approximately 270 million disposable bags per year, or 22.5 million bags per month. The January 2010 report accounts for a little less than 3 million disposable bags – suggesting a marked decrease.

Large retailers have reported disposable bag use has dropped more than 50 percent, with some businesses reporting decreases greater than 80 percent.

“I’m thrilled with these initial results,” added Wells. “Not only are we reducing the number of disposable bags entering our environment, but we also have new resources flowing to help with the cleanup and restoration of the Anacostia River.”

The Washington Post has further information.

H Street Corridor Cleans Up in City Paper Best of

H Street Great Street has the full breakdown, so I'm just going to direct people over there. Most notable is that the H Street Corridor won Best Up and Coming Neighborhood.

WP Highlights Litteri's

There is a read-worthy article in today's Washington Post Magazine on A. Litteri (an Italian store in the Florida Market).

Tom Siesema: Toyland May Be My Fave New Bar

Tom Sietsema, food critic for the Washington Post, recently Tweeted the following:

"Dropped by the fledgling Toyland on H St. NE last night. It may be my fave new bar. I dig the 60s vibe, mixed crowd, GREAT drinks ($35/4!)." about 3 hours ago via web

Brentwood Giant Grand Opening Today

The Giant store at the Brentwood Shopping Center apparently got a facelift.

Checking in With Toyland

I made an unanticipated stop in at Toyland last night, and found all three of the owners on site. It turned out they were starting the roll out of some dishes from the new menu (I'll post it here once it's ready). I tried the veggie sandwich. It was good bar food and comes in a basket with fries. My friends had the burgers, which they enjoyed. We split an appetizer of fried pickles (they don't show up on many menus around here, so we kind of HAD to order them). For those trying to eat right Toyland offers two salads. I was drinking the Loose Cannon draft. It was hoppy, but very drinkable. They had three other taps (something from Brooklyn, possibly a Magic Hat, and another that escapes me for the moment).

If you haven't been in a while, you should stop by again. They've got art on the walls, everything lights up that should, and the place generally has a feel that is neither too stark, nor too busy. Sitting at the table in the left corner, the conversation turned briefly to Frozen Tropics, leading me to remark that Toyland is actually done up in Frozen Tropics colors. That orange, the blue, and the light green on some of the tables. David, one of the owners of Toyland, has never actually seen the site, so he had no idea about the colors. It was a funny moment. I'll have to take my camera next time.

From the Maine Ave Fish Market to H Street?

A reader writes in and directs us to the Yelp page for a Maine Avenue Fish Market restaurant called Jimmy's Seafood Grill. One of the comments suggests that the owner seeks to open up a restaurant on H Street. There isn't really any indication of NE, NW, SE, ect., but it sounds like it merits further investigation. Plus, I haven't been to the Fish Market in forever. Thanks to Charles, who writes:
"If true, this would be sweet. Jimmy's has amazing homemade stuff, from coleslaw to pies, and their seafood rocks," for the tip.

WP: Remy & Veenhuizen @Industry Gallery

The post reviews a recently opened show at Industry Gallery. The Gallery focuses on what it calls "21st century international design by artists whose works are redefining the relationship between art and design." Industry allery is located at 1358 Florida Avenue (second floor, above Conner Contemporary).

CP: Taylor Gourmet to Open 3rd Location

The City Paper reports that Taylor will open a third location...in Bethesda. Damn! Congrats to Casey and David.

Post Reviews A.B. Miner Show @G Fine Art

The Post covers the show at the area's newest gallery. G Fine Art is located at 1350 Florida Avenue. The solo show, Naked, runs through May 1st. I'll see about posting the press release, because I think I have it around here somewhere.

DCmud: H Street Goes Big

DCmud covers the redevelopment of the H Street Connection.

Tomorrow: Silent Sound @Sova

On the evening of Friday, March 26, SOVA Espresso and Wine is pleased to host Silent Sound: An Integration of Deaf Art and Music. Artwork by Deaf artist Jiayi Zhou will be on display and for sale, while Deaf-friendly music incorporating bass and reverberations will be performed by DJ Chris Nitti and classically trained musician Matthew Hemerlein.


Silent Sound: An Integration of Deaf Art and Music
Artwork by Deaf artist Jiayi Zhou on display and for sale
Deaf-friendly music by DJ Chris Nitti and Matthew Hemerlein
Friday, March 26, 7 pm to 1 am
No cover

Jiayi Zhou is an award-winning Deaf artist and a first-year graduate student in the International Development program at Gallaudet University in DC. Learn more about Jiayi at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=358438520565&ref=ts.

House Party Fundraiser @the Atlas Saturday

No kidding! Watch late '80s/early 90's rapper Kid N' Play in the 1990 movie that lead to two sequels (still not kidding), and feels good because the money helps out a worthy cost.

The basic plot is that Play plans a party, but Kid's strict Dad won't let him attend. So obviously, Kid has to sneak out and go to the party. But they guys run into a problem when some bad characters show up uninvited and looking for trouble. 

Tickets are $8, and the proceeds go to the non-profit Words, Beats, Life.

More info:

Giani Clarkson as part of his Tour D3 Geezy/Journey to 30 will present on the big screen one of his favorite movies of all time . . . HOUSE PARTY.

18 and older

Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 8:00 PM
ATLAS - Lang Theatre
1333 H Street NE

CP: Queen Vic to Hit H Street

The City Paper reports on the British style pub setting up shop in the 1200 block.

AutoZone Part 2

Ok, as you could no doubt tell, I was feeling pretty strongly about the AutoZone thing last night. I think that's justified given their track record. I hope everyone read the comments because they provide a little context on the ANC 6A /AutoZone conflict that has been going on for the past several years.

I'm just going to add a few things right now because I'm tired:


1. Someone just sent me a post from the MPD-1 listserv. Here it is, with minor redactions:

From: ***************
To: MPD-1D@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wed, March 24, 2010 9:57:56 PM
Subject: RE: [MPD-1D] AutoZone Parking Tickets

Police officers from other than 1D are, on occasion, at the request of AutoZone, writing tickets at this location and facilitating towing.

From: MPD-1D@yahoogroups. com [mailto:MPD- 1D@yahoogroups. com] On Behalf Of Kamperin, David (MPD)
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 4:44 PM
To: MPD-1D@yahoogroups. com
Subject: RE: [MPD-1D] AutoZone Parking Tickets

Regarding private property- yes we can write parking tickets on private property if the owner complains. Although we can do this I am not familiar that we are doing so at this location.

Commander David K. Kamperin

First District
101 M St SW
Washington, DC 20024
Office: (202) 729-2037
Fax: (202) 442-8005

From: MPD-1D@yahoogroups. com [mailto:MPD- 1D@yahoogroups. com] On Behalf Of ******
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 3:08 PM
To: MPD-1D@yahoogroups. com
Subject: [MPD-1D] AutoZone Parking Tickets

There's a fair bit of complaining on Frozen Tropics (website) about $250 parking tickets being issued by MPD for vehicles parked after hours in the AutoZone lot at 1207 H Street NE. Can MPD confirm or deny this? Can MPD legally write parking tickets for vehicles on private property?

I don't really know where the guy writing the last response got that info. Maybe it's from what he's physically seen? If officers from other police districts are hanging out over there and issuing parking tickets, well...that would seem a bit odd to me.

2. I don't think AutoZone has any obligation to allow people (for free, or otherwise) to park on their lot. It is private property, but I find it annoying that they can be so aggressive about targeting people parking there after hours, but somehow can't do anything to stop the illegal work and dumping going on while they are open.

3. Here is a post from Drew Ronneberg (ANC for 6A02) that he left in the comments:
For years, Autozone hasn't taken substantial measures to prevent the illegal mechanics from operating in their parking lot despite several community efforts to compel DCRA to enforce DC law.

To get DCRA to fine Autozone or revoke their C of O revoked will require the community to document illegal car repairs over a number of weeks and months. DCRA won't take significant action unless we can demonstrate that the illegal work is a pattern rather than a few isolated instances.

Establishing this pattern will require:

1) Photographic evidence of car repairs being performed in the Autozone lot. I understand that the "mechanics" will often purchase parts from the Autozone and then perform repairs in the lot. If the same "mechanic" shows up over and over, it will help establish that the people are operating an illegal business with the implicit approval of the Autozone management.

2) People calling in complaints to 311 with descriptions of the illegal work being performed and a description of the person. If you call in a complaint, please get a trouble ticket number.

If you are interested in helping to document the illegal mechanics at Autonzone, please email me at ronneberg6a02@gmail.com. I would greatly appreciate if neighbors could send me photos and trouble ticket numbers so I can keep following up with DCRA on this issue.

Best Regards,

Drew Ronneberg
Commissioner 6A02
202 431-4305

4. A Comment left by Joe Fengler, who was the ANC for 6A02 until he had to retire because he moved out of his Single Member District:

Joe Fengler said... Auto Zone has been a problem for many years. When I was a commissioner, I tried to get MDP and DCRA to enforce the regulations that prohibit illegal motor vehicle repair businesses to operate in the Auto Zone parking lot. DCRA actually requires business permits for vehicle repair businesses so that the environmental requirements can be enforced. Why I was not successful to implement a long term solution can be narrowed down to three issues. First, MPD does not like to write 61D violations (a general term for minor infractions). From their perspective, the larger issue of deterring violent crime is more important. Second, when pressed, Auto Zone refuses to implement any long term solution to this problem. They "believe" that once a customer leaves the store - the parking lot is not their concern (which is wrong, but they haven’t suffered any consequences). Third, in the past, H Street CDC says they aren't responsible for the behavior of their tenant (which like above, is not exactly enlightened from a organization that is devoted to the development of H Street).

To the second point, in November 2005, the ANC successfully got the DCRA to engage the Office of the Attorney General to send a letter to the Corporate Headquarters of Auto Zone informing them that they are not in compliance with their Certificate of Occupancy. As a result, there were a few meetings with the DCRA Zoning Department and Auto Zone. In the end, Auto Zone promised to comply and DCRA didn't take any action.

It is my opinion that to solve this problem, DCRA needs to get actively involved at making sure Auto Zone complies with their business license and certificate of occupancy - which does not allow repairs at their location with the current license and CofO. Candidly speaking, this is an election year and this seems to be an issue the Mayor’s office would love to solve. If there was enough momentum to get the Mayor’s office to demand that DCRA act, DCRA could fine or suspend the Auto Zone CofO. That would directly impact the bottom line. So, here is what I would do:

1. Mayor’s Service Call Center. Every time someone sees an illegal repair, call 311 and file a compliant. Make sure they give you a trouble ticket number. Make sure you specify that Auto Zone is allowing illegal repairs in their parking lot that is not in compliance with their Certificate of Occupancy issued by DCRA. That way the Call Center will know where to route the trouble ticket.

2. Meeting at the Auto Zone Parking Lot. Email Alex Rotan, Ward 6 Outreach and Services Specialist liaison for the Mayor's Office (alex.rotan@gmail.com) and ask him to meet with the community at the parking lot to discuss the issue. Also reach out to your new Commissioner Drew Ronneberg to have him attend (I like this retired stuff…)

3. Notify DCRA. Send an email to Linda Argo (linda.argo@dc.gov), Director of DCRA, and notify her that once again illegal repairs are taking place at Auto Zone and that you are requesting monitoring and enforcement. Remind her that in November 2005, the OAG (Nicholas Majett, nicholas.majett@dc.gov) sent Auto Zone a letter requesting that their business comply with the zoning laws of the District of Columbia.

Bottom line, if a dozen or so trouble ticket numbers are generated and presented to Mr. Alex Rotan that will help the Mayor’s office to demand that DCRA enforce the zoning regulations.

Here are few letters sent back in the day:

http://www.anc6a.org/SMD02/AutoZoneInvest.pdf
http://www.anc6a.org/SMD02/HStAlley6Alet.pdf

Regards, Joe Fengler

Municipal Composting, It Makes Sense

I read an opinion piece in the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine that I think people should read. I'm a huge fan of municipal composting, and this is one bandwagon I'd love to DC jump on. Lot's of cities do curbside pick-up of compostable waste, and few, like Seattle and San Francisco, require residents to compost (either in the yard, or by using bins for pickup).

Another interesting development in this vein is Atlanta's Zero Waste Zone downtown. They've got restaurants turning over food waste for composting.  One of the companies involved is EnviRelations, LLC. You know where EnviRelations is based? Right here in DC.

GOG: Love to Reopen Saturday

The Going Out Gurus report that Love (link plays music), the nightclub that was shut down indefinitely after a non-fatal New Year's Eve stabbing in one of the club's stairwells. Love is in the Ivy City neighborhood.

AutoZone Sucks on H Street!

The AutoZone parking lot in a rare moment when it isn't packed with unlicensed "mechanics" dumping oil into the adjacent soil.

Because they are a super bad neighbor on H Street, and generally display zero interest in working with the community I feel the need to complain about this issue.

I don't usually advocate calling out a parent company around here (it doesn't often come up), but the AutoZone on H Street NE is a serious menace to the community. They openly allow, and even openly enable, and kind of encourage, people to work on cars in their lot (despite signs to the contrary). The same people often dump oil and other (illegal) pollutants into the surrounding soil.

Recently AutoZone has garnered attention because huge tickets are being handed out ($250 for a first offense, and reportedly way more thereafter) for parking in the lot prior to 9pm. Neighborhood groups have tried to engage AutoZone in talks about renting the spaces after hours. AutoZone expresses zero interest. Apparently they prefer to just SERIOUSLY SUCK and give a big middle finger to our community. So I suggest that we return the favor. Here's their phone number:
1-800-288-6966. The number for the regional office is 301-203-1596. If you call it now you'll only reach the voice mailbox of Pamela Pauly. But you can't actually, like, leave a message. Instead, the system puts you into an endless loop that leads you back to her full voice mailbox again and again! It's because Auto Zone "cares" so much! Auto Zone, when you care enough to really say "FU" to the one you love.

I encourage everyone to call and tell AutoZone how much we "appreciate" the corporation imposing their crap on our community. And hey, please add your photos of AutoZone on H engaged in bad behavior to the Frozen Tropics flickr pool. We don't need people (or really crappy corporations) like this around here.

...and here we have the H Street Shuttle

Considered by some to be an elusive creature, the Shuttle can actually be located with minimal effort by those who consult the schedule ahead of time. The Shuttle is generally friendly, but can be frightened by loud noises. It is generally far less tolerant of outbursts than its cousins the X2 and the 90/92. When you encounter an H Street Shuttle, you should not attempt to employ your Smart Trip card, or otherwise pay for the ride. Instead, you should simply take your seat, and allow the Shuttle to go about its business. It will periodically stop to graze, or drink when it comes across watering holes.

Shown below is a rare photo of a female H Street Shuttle outside of her normal habitat. She has strayed onto Bladensburg Road, possibly in search of a shrimp po-boy, or serving of seafood salad from Sullivan's.


Where is the shuttle, and when does it stop, are two questions heard not infrequently along the H Street Corridor. For those who haven't ridden the shuttle:
1. it's free
2. it's clean
3. it will take you to Chinatown
4. the schedule is online (if the link is down it's because the Atlas is having a temporary problem with its website)
5. it runs until the Metro closes

HSGS: Metro Mutts to Open Soon

H Street G Street reports that Metro Mutts will open April 3rd. The store will open at 508 H Street. Here's a comment previously left by one of the team behind Metro Mutts:

Hey everyone! My name is Lee and I’m one of the founders of Metro Mutts. First off, thanks so much for your interest in our store! I would have replied sooner but as you can imagine, we've been pretty busy getting ready for the big day. I'll do my best to answer some of your questions and take lots of notes on all of your comments and feedback. We’re working on a press release but I’ll provide a sneak preview here… First off, all three of the owners live within a block of the store. We wanted to bring something new to H street, but had a hard time deciding what was the best fit. I was actually leaning towards a CrossFit gym at first, but my wife Kelly and the third partner Anna didn’t support that one. It didn’t take many trips to the suburbs for dog food for the winning idea to sink in. H Street needed a pet supply store and we were determined to make it happen. I won’t get into the details here, but let’s just say it’s been a long road (I guess that’s probably true for any business). We’ve learned a lot and continue to learn everyday – your continued feedback and advice is our greatest resource. Metro Mutts is your pet store, and we will make every attempt to fulfill your needs. Now for your questions...

Grooming: Our original plans called for 3 self washing bays, but the city had other plans. The zoning process for any grooming services takes a minimum of 6 months and isn’t guaranteed. If anyone has a good zoning lawyer they recommend, please let us know. We’ve been sidetracked with renovations but I’d like to get the ball rolling as soon as possible. Full grooming services are in our mid-range plan, but your feedback could make that a bigger priority.

Pricing: We are pet owners too. We have the same feelings as you about stores that only offer high end items. We plan to have a diverse range of products and we promise to price them reasonably. If you’re looking for something in particular, let us know.

Resources: We are working around the clock to learn as much as possible, but we also recognize that good professional resources are critical. We have some fantastic pet nutritionists that are helping us along and they will be ‘in our back pocket’ to answer any questions we can’t. We’ll also be sure to have a comprehensive list of local services, but we’ll need your help to determine who’s best.

Foods: We have received a lot of feedback on what foods to carry. We really appreciate all the input. As of today, here’s our lineup: Verus (preferred by our pups), Innova, California Natural, Evo, and Before Grain. We will also have frozen raw diet from Primal, Bravo, and Aunt Jeni’s. We’re looking into a few different freeze dried and dehydrated options as well. We will have a wide range of treats, but the coolest ones are the homemade styles from Anna’s kitchen! She posted some pictures on Facebook if you want to check them out. I am making notes of all the other requests and will look into them this week. Customer service is our first priority. If we don’t carry the food you prefer, we will order it especially for you.

Hours: We’re working on those. I could use your feedback. Would 8PM give you enough time after work? We are planning for 6 days a week, including weekends.

Cats: We placed a big order yesterday and plan to have plenty of cat food options. We’ll also have the various litter types. If you need something special, just let us know.

Fish: Sorry jmarcus, we don’t plan to extend beyond dogs and cats at this point and we won’t have any live animals for sale.

Please keep your questions and comments coming. We’ll do our best to provide quick responses here and on Facebook. And if you see us out walking the girls, please say hello! I’m terrible with people names, but I’ll probably remember your dog’s name! Thanks again, Lee.

Ethiopic to Officially Open the 23rd

No more reservations only starting Tuesday. I encourage everyone to check out Ethiopic and try the food. They are planning to tweak the menu slightly, and they already have a couple of Ethiopian beers that don't appear on the current menu. One of these was a promising looking stout. Ask your waitress for details. 401 H Street.

Oh, and check out more on Ethiopic in my upcoming H Street Life column in the April issue of the Hill Rag.

A Programming Note

My internet continues to be out of service, so that is putting a slight damper on posting abilities. Hopefully Verizon will get it back up in the next day or so.

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UPDATE

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Verizon came and repaired the issue during the day. So I have internet access again.

Biergarten Haus

WAMU reports on the exciting upcoming opening of this biergarten that has a massive outdoor space.  Biergarten Haus is located at 1355 H Street (right next to Sova). Polka enthusiasts will be excited to know that the owners plan to feature live music. They'll also offer a wide variety of traditional German food.

Going Out Gurus also has more info and some nice photos.

Fire on Owen

There was a fire last night around 10pm. No injuries reported. This was in the 1200 block of Owen Place (Trinidad).


Photos and info provided by Ed G.

Art Openings This Weekend

We have three exciting openings on one block Saturday. Stop by and check them out as a start to your evening.

G Fine Art
A.B Miner: Naked
March 20 - May 1, 2010
Opening Reception: March 20, 6:30 - 8:30pm
G Fine Art
1350 Florida Ave NE


Conner Contempory
Maria Friberg: Transmission
Dean Kessmann: Art as Paper as Potential
March 20 - May 8, 2010
Opening Reception: March 20, 6:30 - 8:30pm
Conner Contempory
1358 Florida Ave NE


Industry
Hands On
Industry showcases the concrete furniture of two Dutch designers, Tejo Remy and René Veenhuizen.
March 20 - May 8, 2010
Opening Reception: March 20th, 6 to 8 p.m
Industry
1358 Florida Ave NE (upstairs)

National Marathon Tomorrow

I meant to catch up on back postings last night, but was thwarted by the fact that someone cut the phone lines in the alley yesterday (so no landline, or internet).

Anyone traveling around the District tomorrow will want to take a look at the marathon route because it snakes right through our area. Here are the details:

SunTrust National Marathon Street Closings on Saturday, March 20, 2010



WASHINGTON, D.C. –The 5th Annual SunTrust National Marathon, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield National Half Marathon and Relay Races will be run on Saturday, March 20, 2010, with a 7 a.m. start time and 1 p.m. finish time. This half-day event includes a 26.2-mile marathon, a 13.1 mile half marathon, and relay races. The race route starts and ends at RFK Stadium and runs through six of the city’s eight wards. Race officials advise the public that temporary, intermittent street closings will be in effect on Saturday, March 20, 2010; starting at 6:45 a.m. Vehicles may be parked along the route; however they will not be allowed to be moved once runners enter the area to ensure that no moving vehicles will collide with participants. Affected streets have been posted with temporary “Official Course Route” signage. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) will handle the alteration of traffic patterns and enforce moving violations.
Each posted MPD officer on the course route will be supplied with a Race Day Operations Guide with detailed information on open access routes, detour plans and bump cross routes in Capitol Hill. Note that between the marathon and half-marathon races, the event course encompasses six wards of the city in two large loops. East Capitol Street from 13th Street, NE to 2nd Street NE will be closed to all vehicular traffic starting at 6:45 a.m. It will reopen at approximately 10:45 a.m. Residents of Capitol Hill, who normally use East Capitol to get to or from their homes, will be allowed intermittent north bound/southbound travel across East Capitol Street at the following bump cross route locations: 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 15th and 17th Streets. Vehicular traffic at each bump cross route is monitored by MPD and flows at their discretion.
Metrorail will be opening early at 5:00 a.m. and running on a normal Saturday schedule.
Some bus lines will be affected; WMATA will advise as to these bus route detours and delays.
Drivers along Connecticut Avenue between Florida Avenue and M Street NW should be advised that they are likely to experience delays between 7 a.m. and 8:35 a.m. Minnesota Avenue in SE Washington will be closed to traffic from approximately 8:55 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Other delays are expected.
Persons with unessential travel should avoid driving in all areas affected by the event. Massachusetts Avenue, Rhode Island Avenue and New York Avenue provide the best options for crossing the route.

Metrorail is another useful alternative. It is imperative that District residents review the route map and times of closures to confirm whether desired routes will be available, and to identify streets, which may be used to get around the race route and to other parts of the city.
Public safety officials are committed to reopening streets along the route as quickly as it is safe to do so. For more information, please visit http://www.nationalmarathon.com/.

News Round-Up

1. Prince of Petworth reports that the Red and the Black will merge with Palace of Wonders. This is based on an announcement at the ANC 6A ABC Committee. Both are small spaces, so this isn't a total shock. Previously I've reported on plans for the Red and the Black to possibly create their own choucrouterie and pickles for gourmet burgers. The upstairs space will be joined, and the combined bar will host both the bands common at the Red and the Black, and the burlesque show fare typical of Palace of Wonders.

2. Ethiopic is now open, but only by reservation (this week and next week). I went on Monday and the food was top notch. Email info@ethiopicrestaurant.com for a reservation.

3. Dangerously Delicious Pies opens on the 19th.

4. Prince of Petworth glances at Liberty Tree.

I thought this had posted last night, but apparently it saved as a draft.

New Retail: The C.A.T. Walk Boutique

A reader sent in this photo of a new boutique that takes over the space formerly occupied by Rags 2 Riches. If you've been by send in a report. This is on the north side of the 1400 block of H Street.

The Queen Vic

Something caught my eye when I glanced over the latest agenda for the ANC 6A ABL Committee agenda. The following was in the new business section:

The Queen Vic 1206 H St. NE Ryan Gordon

Anyone have info on this place?

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UPDATE

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Can/Dave left this link to the business' Facebook page. It looks like a British style pub serving food and drink. 1206 is currently under construction, and they have a May 2010 anticipated opening date on the Facebook page (we all know anticipated opening dates can get pushed back). It sounds cool. I'll post more info as it comes along.

Ethiopic Soft Opening By Reservation Tomorrow

Great News! Ethiopic will have a (reservation only) soft opening on Monday March 15th from 5 pm to 10 pm. If you are interested in being our first few guests please email us back to make a reservation. Please include number of parties and time. Looking forward in providing you a great service and food!


Thanks
Meseret

For now they are only doing this tomorrow, and not yet announcing an opening date (but it will be soon). I'll post more info as it becomes available.

Send reservation requests to: info@ethiopicrestaurant.com. The place looks nice, as does the menu. This soft opening is PUBLIC, but you must still make a reservation.

Opera in Cinema @the Atlas

This past week marked the start of the Opera in Cinema series at the Atlas. Here's a schedule of the showings and a little more info on the program:

The Atlas Performing Arts Center and Emerging Pictures partner to bring the

OPERA AND BALLET IN CINEMA series to Washington, DC!

Exceptional European opera presented in HD!

The Atlas Performing Arts Center is proud to present Opera in Cinema, a series of stunning HD presentations of operas from the world over, including the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy, the world’s most renowned opera house. Opera in Cinema features productions of operatic masterpieces such as Carmen and La Traviata, starring internationally celebrated singers such as Plácido Domingo, Anna
Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Angela Gheorghiu, Juan Diego Flórez, René Pape, and Ben Heppner.
Also, a performance of Swan Lake from Russia’s legendary Kirov Ballet will screen during the series!

Tickets are $20

Discounts are available for season and block ticket purchases online!

Buy five performances, get one free. Use the code "OperaHalfSeason" when checking out.

Puchase a Series Subscription, get 20%.


La Traviata, Verdi

Wednesday, March 10, 7 pm; Saturday, March 13, 2 pm
Performed at Teatro alla Scala


Carmen, Bizet

Wednesday, March 17, 7 pm; Saturday, March 20, 2 pm
Performed at Teatro alla Scala


Roméo et Juliette, Gounod

Wednesday, March 24, 7 pm; Sunday, March 28, 2 pm
Performed at the Salzburg Festival



Swan Lake, Tchaikovsky

Wednesday, March 31, 7 pm; Saturday, April 3, 2 pm
Performed at Mariinsky Theatre


Rigoletto, Verdi

Wednesday, April 7, 7 pm; Saturday, April 10, 2 pm
Performed at Teatro Regio di Parma



Don Giovanni, Mozart

Wednesday, April 14, 7 pm; Saturday, April 17, 2 pm
Performed at the Salzburg Festival



Otello, Verdi

Wednesday, April 21, 7 pm; Sunday, April 25 at 2
Performed at the Salzburg Festival


Falstaff, Verdi
Wednesday, April 28, 7 pm; Saturday, May 1 at 2
Performed at Opera Royal de Wallonie


Don Carlo, Verdi

Wednesday, May 5, 7 pm; Sunday, May 9, 2 pm
Performed at Teatro alla Scala


Norma, Bellini

Wednesday, May 12, 7 pm; Saturday, May 15, 2 pm
Performed at Teatro Comunale, Bologna

Community Gardens @the Rec

Here's a snippet from an email sent out by DPR:

The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) will be providing a community garden at every recreation center in the District of Columbia this year. In addition to the gardens, a set of bee hives will be added in every ward.



The purpose of the program is to promote health, nutrition, environmental stewardship and community beautification. The gardens are open to all community members with a focus on youth participation. They will provide the community with year round environmental educational opportunities and the chance to discover the joy and wonders of gardening. The gardens will be constructed by volunteer groups and maintained by the recreation center community.

This is pretty exciting to me.  One great thing we have going for us over here is that Joe Cole is right next to Wheatley Education Campus (and when they build the new Joe Cole the buildings will actually be connected. Hopefully the school could be involved somehow with the garden.

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UPDATE

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Here is a recent New York Times article on how they might change the law so residents can keep bees in NYC, and here's an earlier piece from the same paper.

WP: Merchants Look Towards the Future on H

The Post has a short piece on hopes for a post-construction H Street.

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UPDATE

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ABC 7 and the Examiner picked up portions of the story on the construction woes.

Late Night Power Outage

I was awakened at 3am by a roommate (I am the landlord) telling me we had no power (this renter is a bartender, so he had just gotten home from work). Pepco is having a brownout. We have partial power to the house. This was new to me when I moved over here, but it does happen.

Dangerously Delicious Pies Party Tonight

Dangerously Delicious Pies, located at 1339 H Street, will not open today as previously reported. The opening has been delayed just a bit (it will probably happen next week). It appears that they will still be having the opening party that kicks off a musical tour. Stop for the festivities between 8pm and 3am.

Tommy Wells: Aldi @Hechinger Mall by Nov 2010

Check it out. I'm assuming they will take over the empty National Wholesale Liquidators space. There was earlier talk of an Aldi moving in up there before National Wholesale Liquidators shut its doors.  Once that closed they may have jumped on the space. I have never beer to an Aldi.

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UPDATE

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Just to clarify a few things:

1. Hechinger Mall is in Ward 5, not Ward 6.
2. Tommy Wells is the Ward 6 Councilmember.
3. Harry Thomas is the Ward 5 Councilmember.
4. For those who didn't follow the link, it leads to a Tweet from Tommy Wells' Twitter feed. I linked to it because that was the first time I heard anything concrete about an Aldi moving to Hechinger Mall.

I heard from someone I know in Tommy Wells' office today who, reading over some of the comments here, wanted to make a few points. A portion of that email appears below.

A few details that might be helpful:

Tommy ran into a regional VP for ALDI at a hearing yesterday. The VP mentioned to Tommy that they will be locating at the Hechinger Mall location. Tommy then Tweeted it to share the news. That’s about all that happened.

Just to note, it’s located in Ward 5, not Ward 6.

This isn’t removing or replacing the Safeway, it’s just adding another grocery store option/competition.

This has zero, zilch, nada impact on what grocer goes in at 3rd & H Street NE. In fact, the developer is deep into negotiation already on the lease details for the full service grocer that is going in at 3rd and H Street NE. We don’t know which grocer it’ll be; they won’t tell us because of the on-going lease negotiation.

And the Washington Business Journal picks up the story.

BBC Filming Matthew Hemerlein @Sova

Here's something interesting happening at Sova:

The BBC will be filming classically trained musician and indie wunderkind Matthew Hemerlein at SOVA on Friday, March 12 for a television piece called "First Person" which will air on BBC World News America. The event is also a sendoff for Hemerlein who will be heading to the SXSW festival in Austin, TX next week to showcase his skills.

March 12

9 pm - 12 am

No cover

SOVA

1359 H St NE

facebook

Trinidad Neighborhood Association Garden Party

It's a social event, and a meeting. Talk green with your neighbors over tea! Party favors and Prizes, too.
When: Tuesday, March 9 at 7:00-8:30pm
Where: Trinidad Rec. 1310 Childress St. NE

Fire in the 1100 Block of Morse

No reported injuries, except that I busted the hell out of my knee on the way down the stairs. I, being lame (and kinda sick), was in bed).  I took a couple of photos, that I will upload, but you can't seen much. Being that I was awakened, I will probably wait until tomorrow to upload photos because it requires locating a cable (and right now I plan on just locating an ice pack).

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Clarification: Some people apparently reads this as me saying I had a house fire. That's NOT the case. I was awakened by a phone call  about the fire. I also don't live on Morse.

DCmud: Razing 1381

DCmud reports. As we discussed earlier, this is the building next to King Nails (just down from the Salvation Army.

Dangerously Delicious Pies Opens March 12th

It's official.

City Gallery Grand Opening Tomorrow

City Gallery's grand opening is this Saturday March 6 from 6 -9 PM. They are located at 804 H ST NE, second floor above the TMobile. If you can't make the show they are open Fridays and Saturdays from 1-5PM.

Some Girls @H Street Playhouse

"Some Girl(s)"

No Rules Theatre Company, opens its inaugural season with Neil LaBute's dark and dramatic comedy about the ugly and truthful sides of relationships.

8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday or 2 p.m. Sunday; through March 21

Tickets: $25

Box office at H street Playhouse opens 1 hour before show

H Street Playhouse

1365 H St. NE

866-811-4111;

http://norulestheatre.org/about.html

Tax Help For Small Businesses on H

After reading yesterday's post on the tax incentive helping out at 3rd and H someone asked about tax help for small businesses on H Street. Here are the details on such help from a recent press release:

Wells Helps H Street NE Small Businesses Defer Real Estate Property Taxes During Ongoing Streetscape Construction

(Washington, DC) – On Tuesday, March 2nd, Councilmember Tommy Wells moved emergency legislation through the Council to defer real estate property taxes, without penalty, for small businesses on H Street NE, between 3rd and 15th Streets, until September 15, 2010.

With active streetscape construction on H Street NE, small businesses are suffering severe disruption to their regular business. While the enhancements will ultimately provide greater supports to small businesses once complete, the disruption created during the construction phase of the projects is sharply affecting sales and in some cases is placing severe pressures on affected businesses.

Wells stated, “It is vitally important to the survival of our small businesses that they maintain access to as much working capital as possible during the active streetscape construction.”

This short-term tax deferral will create needed flexibility for small businesses to maintain viable operations during the streetscape construction.

Councilmember Wells has also worked in recent weeks to invite CHAMPS, the local chamber of commerce, to work with area businesses and H Street Main Street and host a technical assistance meeting where owners can have questions about the tax deferral answered and learn more about how best to use the additional capital dollars and flexibility.

Councilmember Kwame Brown joined Councilmember Wells in moving the emergency measure and the bill was passed unanimously.

News for 3rd and H

Steuart Development, which owns a lot at 3rd and H just got $5 million tax break to help it build a mixed use (retail/restaurants and apartments/condos) development. The lot's been vacant for a long time. At one point it was slated to house a large gas station. In recent memory there has been talk of various grocery stores. At one point Harris Teeter signed a letter or intent, but then pulled out in favor of a site in NoMA.  Most recently things have been moving slowly as the market downturn has taken its toll. This tax incentive is big news, and was pushed forward by Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells.  The Examiner reports. So does the Business Journal.

Office of Planning

Loving v. Virginia Link to Trinidad

Lot's of interesting news today (some I'll post later in the day). First up is an email from a movie producer working on a documentary film about Richard and Mildred Loving, the couple involved in the Supreme Court case that struck down interracial marriage bans. As you can see below, the producer says that the couple spent some time residing in Trinidad (about a block and a half from my house, actually). I haven't heard this before, and I haven't had time to explore it further, but it's cool news, and something I will pursue. The timing seems appropriate too following on the heels of the legalization of gay marriage.

Dear Trinidad and Ivy residents,


I am currently producing a film about Richard and Mildred Loving, the iconic couple whose struggle to be married across racial lines went all the way to the Supreme Court in 1967. You may know that during their court-imposed exile from Virginia, Richard and Mildred lived at 1151 Neal Street, NE, Washington DC, with one of Mildred's sisters, between 1959-1967.


As a part of our film we are searching for archival materials (photographs, old home movies, film footage, documents) that will help us visually establish what life was like in your neighborhood in the late 1950s and early 1960s. We are also looking for people who knew Richard and/or Mildred when they were living in DC, and would be willing to talk to us about their experiences with them.


If you have any old photographs or home movies of the area (or you know of somebody who does), please get in touch with me as soon as possible. I can be reached via e-mail at biz@thornapplefilms.com, or my mobile phone, 917-432-8684. I am coming to Washington DC early next week, and would be delighted to meet with you to see your materials, or to discuss our project with you. We have the full cooperation and support of the Loving family and their attorneys, and want to bring their amazing story to the screen with as much accuracy as possible.


You can read more about the film on our website:


http://www.lovingfilm.com/


Many Thanks,



Elisabeth Haviland James
Producer
THE LOVING STORY: A LONG WALK HOME


Elisabeth Haviland James
Thornapple Films
www.thornapplefilms.com
biz@thornapplefilms.com
(917) 432-8684
Skype: thornapplefilms

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UPDATE

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Feeling not so great today I left work early, so I have a little time to look at this further. A quick Google search pulls up a bit of info:

The Lovings did indeed live at that location during the time period mentioned. At least one essay states that they were staying with one of Richard Loving's cousins (Trinidad used to be a much more mixed neighborhood than it has been in recent decades). It appears that they were not full time residents there, but it seems to have been listed as their legal address, and they did live there portions of those years. At any rate, this is pretty interesting to me. I think it is also interesting to anyone who has ever taken a course in Constitutional Law, Family Law, or any sort of course on race and the law. The case has also been talked about a great deal in recent years during the gay marriage debates. The nexus there is not only the civil rights issue, and the marriage connection, but the fact that prior to her death less than two years ago Mildred Loving made a statement in support of gay marriage that was reported in the media.

The Loving case is probably as well known to even the casual scholar (I don't think that's a contradiction) of civil rights law as Brown (which iteration?) v. Board of Education or Heart of Atlanta Motel. It was hugely important, truly a landmark case. If you read the obituary above, you maybe struck by the similarity between the circumstances of the original arrest in Loving, and that in Lawrence v. Texas. In Loving, police, acting on an anonymous tip, burst in on the couple in bed (five weeks after they had been married in DC) and arrested both Lovings. In Lawrence, police, acting on an anonymous tip, burst in on two men in bed together and arrested them both. Thankfully, in DC at least, we've now not only recognized that what consenting adults do in their bedroom is their own business, but that two consenting adults have the right to marry as well. Kind of cool to think that a major stepping stone on the way took place right here in Trinidad.

After their arrests, the Lovings were given suspended one year sentences, and told not to return to Virginia at the same time for 25 years. They moved to Trinidad, and lived with relatives. In 1963, with the Civil Rights Movement in full swing, Mildred Loving wrote a letter to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy about her plight. He referred her to the ACLU, and from there it became history with a ruling issued by the Supreme Court in 1967 that struck down the last of the miscegenation laws in the United States (I believe 16 states had such laws at the time of the final decision).

Liberty Tree Open?

I'm receiving various reports that Liberty Tree (1016 H Street) is now open.

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UPDATE

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Ok, they are NOT yet open to the public. Those people you see inside? Friends and family soft opening. So give them the week to get into the rhythm of it. Go check it out next week...when they actually open.

APA Evacuated Due to Anthrax Threat

A friend texted me to let me know about today's west end excitement:

A piece of mail was sent to an American Psychological Association office (they own the building) including a note that it contained Anthrax.
There are some staffers who are being medically evaluated. This is right over by Union Station.

DCist reports further.

Metro Mutts Shoots For Late Spring Opening

Metro Mutts,  a pet supply store opening at 508 H Street moves ever closer to opening day. In the meantime you can become a fan on Facebook.