1. They have erected some strange metal structure on top of Jimmy's Tire (1220 block of Florida Ave, or 1215 K Street if you prefer). Does anyone know what this thing is? I can only imagine that it relates to the condos they plan to build next door.
2. Work continues in what used to be Da Place (400 block of H Street). I noticed that they have removed the metal cage off one of the windows & (when the curtain isn't closed) you can see inside. I was a little puzzled to see a bunch of chairs lined up waiting room style because I thought this was going to be a sort of health foodish place. Maybe I'm not getting the full picture, or the chairs were temporaray.
3. Change of plans for Cooley's building (1300 block of H). It was rumored that a couple of people were renovating this place to put in a tavern type spot. Aparaently they do longer intend to do this because a sign recently (a couple of weeks back) went up outside advertising the building (I forget if it was for rent, or for sale).
4. Progress continues upstairs at R&B Coffee (1359 H Street). They are putting in a small kitchen upstairs so that you will soon be able to enjoy a breakfast of eggs & pancakes with your coffee. I sneaked a peak upstairs recently, & they have done a lot of work.
5. No plans yet for 1240 H Street. You may have seen the new yellow paint (or the unfortunate new roll-down) & wondered what was happening. The answer is...nothing yet. The owner said he wanted to spruce up his building a bit, but that he did not yet have any business slated to fill the space.
6. More listserv focus on fast-food places mascarading as restaurants on H Street (in order to get matter of right certificates of occupancy from DCRA). I am disapointed by what I see through the window of the H Street Cafe. When I originally spoke to the owners they told me they were opening a "gourmet deli." What they've created looks like neither a cafe, nor a "gourmet deli." Don't cafes have seating? Aren't they the kind of place you might want to linger over coffee (served, of course, in actual glassware). When I think deli, I think more of the front cases at Cafe Mozart (offering a variety of meats, cheeses, breads, ect.). I have to wonder if "Cafe" is the newest buzz word on H Street because business owners want to throw DCRA off track. One listserv email worried that the Rib Tip (corther of 12th & H Street) would be a carry-out. The window calls the Rib Tip a "Restaurant & Cafe." Hopefully this representation is accurate. It can can be hard to know until it's too late.
2 comments:
One of my riffs from the very beginning about "Platinum Cafe and Catering" is that there is no cafe there. A cafe is a restaurant. A restaurant has seats...
When I talked to the owner at the H street festival, he said he very much intended to have a cafe there.
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