Change of Plans For Home Slice?

The buildings in question circa 2006

I have an unconfirmed report that a new contractor and architect are once again gutting the space formerly known as the Sun and Moon convenience, and located on the south west corner of 14th and H Street. The most recent plans called for a pizza place by the name of Home Slice (but several different names have been offered as past possibilities). Once again, this is completely unconfirmed. Here are a few photos of the gutting/renovation last July.

Groupon: 51% Off Dance Classes At Joy of Motion

We're rather arts centric here this week. From ARTventures, to Intersections, to a great deal on dance classes from Joy of Motion. What's not to like?

Remember When...The Atlas Looked Like This?

It was about five years ago.

PoP: Sneak Peek at the Queen Vic's Menu

The Prince of Petworth shares a quick look at a sample menu for the Queen Vic (coming soon to 1206 H Street).

The Bikestation at Union Station is Hiring

Description:
Bike and Roll seeks qualified (trained) mechanic to staff the repair bay at the Union Station Bikestation (managed by Bike and Roll). This individual will work alongside the manager and support and tend to the mechanics area and the bicycle commuter facility.

Tonight: Belfast Beltway Boxing Project Fundraiser

Here's the announcement:

hey folks,
just wanted to send out a quick reminder, about our fundraiser for the belfast beltway boxing project tonight at the pug from 8 'til 10. a twenty dollar donation gets you open jameson's and murphy's as a warm up for patty's day. as a quick refresher, the belfast beltway boxing project helps at risk youth in belfast and dc. we've been bringing lads over from belfast for a couple years now, and hope to eventually bring some kids over to belfast.also, we are gearing up for the 2011 dc united season. as always, we will be sitting in section 232. we'ld love to have you join us. check out the attached flyer or stop by for more info.

WTOP: Tragedy In Trinidad Revisited

Part two in this WTOP series looks at the MPD failures following the 2008 murder of Alonzo Robinson.

Car Crashes Into Starburst CVS.

Poor Starburst CVS! First it's mice, and suspended food licenses, and then that cat tackling incident. Now a car has crashed into the place.

Here's the Twitter report from HstreetDC:

HstreetDC
A car mistook main entrance to Starburst CVS for drive-thru pharmacy? Closed while @dcfireems handles minor damage. No injuries

East City Arts Weekend Round Up

Courtesy of Phil Hutinet:

Weekend East City Event Round Up:  Post-ArtVentures on H Glow Edition

Though many of us are all still reeling from the excitement of the second ArtVentures on H, the fun continues this weekend.  This Saturday, CHAW gives you the opportunity to make your own artwork while Art Enables celebrates their ninth birthday at their new Brookland location.  On Sunday, end the weekend with a photography exhibit at Park Café by local photographer Ann Thomson.

WTOP: Revisiting A Life Cut Short

In part one of a three part series WTOP looks back on the last night of Alonzo Robinson, a 13 year old boy who was shot in and killed in Trinidad during the summer of 2008. That summer Trinidad erupted in a bizarre spasm of violence. The result was pretty surreal for those of us living here. Now, close to three years later, Alonzo's alleged killers are headed to court.

GOG: What to See at Intersections

The Going Out Gurus have kindly laid out a few of their top picks you'll want to catch during the Intersections arts festival that starts tomorrow. Don't forget that the City Paper is sponsoring a kick off event tomorrow night. During the City Paper's Arts Fest Bar Quest you can take advantage of drink specials, catch a couple of special shows, earn discounts on Intersections tickets, and even win cool prizes.

Tonight: Don't Miss ARTventures

There is a lot happening at tonight's ARTventures. You can read all about it on the CHAMPS site. One new addition to the event: Smith Commons just signed on to the art walk portion of the event with street artist Gaia doing a live mural. Also, Intersections arts festival starts tomorrow.

Metro Mutts Is Hiring

DOG WALKERS NEEDED FOR GROWING CAPITOL HILL BUSINESS - GREAT P/T WORK!

The #1 pet retail store on Capitol Hill is expanding to offer dog walking and pet sitting services, and is seeking exceptional people to join our staff.

Are you a physically fit dog lover who enjoys the outdoors even in extreme weather? Are you looking for long term P/T work and can commit to work M-F between 10am-4pm for at least 3 consecutive hours (10am-1pm and 1pm-4pm shifts available) each day? Do you have either a car or bike that you can rely on for daily transportation?

Tomorrow: ARTventures on H Street

ARTventures On H Street Features 12 Art Walk Stops and 17 Restaurants, Cafes, and Bars – February 24, 2011 on the H Street, NE Corridor

WASHINGTON, DC, February 23, 2011 – On Feb 24, CHAMPS - Capitol Hill’s Chamber of Commerce and H Street Main Street present ARTventures on H. From 5:30-8pm 12 different galleries and art spaces along the H Street , NE Corridor will open their doors for a special art walk. Participants will be given an ARTventures “passport,” to be punched at each stop on the art walk. For every punch received, attendees receive an extra 2% discount that evening from 7-9:30pm at any of 17 participating restaurants, cafes, and bars on H Street, NE. Passports will be available at each of the art walk stops; attendees choose their own starting points.

BYT: Touch at H Street Playhouse

Brightest Young Things reviews Touch, which runs through the 27th at H Street Playhouse.

The Pug Open at 12 Tomorrow for The Holiday

The Pug, originally uploaded by AWard Tour.

The Pug opens at 12pm tomorrow to celebrate the holiday. $10 bottomless mimosas, and $2 lienies. Half smokes and grilled cheese sandwiches will be available. Stop by and join the fun. 1234 H Street.

WP: Brainfood

The Washington Post has a read worthy article on Brainfood, the non-profit that benefited from last week's H Street Cares fundraiser.

Toki Underground is Hiring

Interested in in working for a a cool dumpling and ramen bar? If so you'll be pleased to learn that Toki Underground is now hiring. Positions available front of house and back of house. Multiple language skills are a bonus (i.e japanese, chinese, etc.) please email resumes to info[at]tokiunderground.com. Toki Underground is located on the second floor of 1234 H Street (right above the Pug).

H Street Cares: $10 for $20 to Spend at the Pug

Today's Deals for Deeds offering is a half priced bargain from the Pug. Remember that 15% of all sales this week only will go to support Brainfood. From the website: Brainfood is a non-profit youth development organization in Washington, DC. Using food as a tool, Brainfood builds life skills and promotes healthy living in a fun and safe environment.

Loose Lips: H Street CDC Teaches Chinese

The latest Loose Lips column contains some surprising information about the H Street CDC (Community Development Corporation). Just as back ground I'll remind people that the H Street CDC often engages in activities that have little to nothing to do with H Street (perhaps H Street CDC is a bit of a misnomer?). But this newest one is a surprise to me. Apparently, the organization is now running a program that teaches kids Chinese. But don't get too upset because, as the article points out, though the H Street CDC has received public funding in the past, it isn't getting any right now. Still, odd eh? In the past the H Street CDC has played a role in various projects on H Street (unsurprisingly), and prior to the recent sale they were the landlord for AutoZone.

H Street Cares: $30 for $50 at Star & Shamrock

Continuing the charity extravaganza this week is a Deal for Deals coupon at Star and Shamrock. Why not save money where you already eat and drink?

Editorial Note on Comments

I think we've taken a deep enough breath (I hope) on the comments. So I'm now removing the registered users requirement. I personally hate having to register in order to comment on blogs because it's a pain  (in part because I constantly forget my passwords). I'm removing that requirement, but I will be more aggressive in removing mean or obscene comments for a time. Frozen Tropics is intended to be a a friendly community space, not a space for trolls, or those who seek to fight some private war. Let's keep it that way. Play nice guys.

$20 For $40 in Tickets to Intersections at the Atlas

With 100 shows to see you are bound to find something to tickle your fancy. Now you can do it for half price when you buy the Living Social coupon. Intersections is an annual interactive arts extravaganza running February 25th-March 13th at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.

H Street Cares: $30 For $50 at the Argonaut

Deals For Deeds  and the Argonaut offer you $50 in Argonaut food and drink for $30 when you buy the coupon. 15% of each purchase made during the week of H Street Cares goes to support the local charity Brainfood. And don't miss the profile of Argo owners Scott and Shaaren.

Deals For Deeds Profiles Teddy Folkman

Chef Teddy cooks during his triumphant throwdown against Chef Bobby Flay

Deals For Deeds profiles local Chef Teddy Folkman (Granville's). Folkman played a key role in organizing H Street Cares, the week long H Street oriented benefit for the non-profit Brainfood. Folkman is a regular guest Chef at Brainfood and he's excited to share his passion with other on H Street.

WP: Tacos Impala

The Post offers up a favorable review of Tacos Impala. Tacos Impala serves up three different types of tacos out of the Philadelphia Water Ice spot through March 31st. Though it sounds like the team behind Tacos Impala may have more plans for Mexican fare on H Street if all works out well.

Arts Fest Bar Quest 2/25

The City Paper has teamed up with the Atlas Performing Arts Center to sponsor a companion event to the Intersections Arts Festival. From 5pm-12am you can take advantage of different drink specials and get discounts on performances by visiting 2 or more participating bars/restaurants. Intersections runs from February 25th-March 13th and features 100 performances appealing to various age groups and interests. Many events are free.

H Street Cares: A Week to Benefit Brainfood

Enjoy saving money, and helping out a great cause? Then you'll love Deals for Deeds H Street focused week that benefits the charity Brainfood. From the Deals for Deeds website: "Brainfood is a nonprofit youth development organization that uses food and cooking as tools to teach life skills and healthy living to teenagers in a safe, healthy and positive environment." Here are the deals you can buy right now:
$30 for $50 to spend at Granville's.
$30 for $50 to spend at Liberty Tree.

PoP: Indian Food Succeeding Naby's?

Prince of Petworth is reporting a rumor that a high end Indian restaurant may have leased the space formerly occupied by Naby's Island (12th and H, right across from Horace and Dickie's). I can confirm that the space was recently leased, but I do not know who leased the space, or for what purpose.

Don't Miss ArtVentures on H

This is a really cool event that gives you the chance to check out a large number of art oriented space on H Street. Finish up your art tour of the Corridor with dinner at any of sixteen different local restaurants, or bars.

Happy 4th Anniversary to the Pug!

Come out and celebrate with Tony T. and the rest of the gang:

Weekend East City Event Round Up: Valentine’s Edition

The following post appears on Frozen Tropics courtesy of its author, Phil Hutinet.

Love the one your with and take him or her out to the galleries this weekend as a pre-Valentine’s Day treat or better yet, surprise him or her with a beautiful gift that will be remembered for a lifetime.

Regarding Comments...

I don't know if this comment change is permanent, or temporary, but it's necessary because right now we have a few folks who are misbehaving and ruining the whole friendly community feeling on Frozen Tropics. As a result, I'm forcing people to enter a user name when they leave comments. You don't have to use your real name, but you do have to use a handle of some sort. You can use a Google log-in, or anything that works for Open ID. In addition to hopefully cutting back on misbehavior, this will also cut back on confusion about which anonymous is which. Cheers!

Now at Church & State, Cocktail Classes

H Street's newest bar is having its first event, and it sounds like a winner:

Join us for an evening of expertly mixed Catoctin Creek cocktails, food, fun people and prizes at the sexy new Church and State bar, located above Fruit Bat DC from 6-10pm, Tuesday, March 1, 2011. Tickets are $20.00 until February 15, when they go up to $25.00.
Your ticket gets you in to Church and State, a guided tasting of Catoctin Creek spirits, one Catoctin Creek cocktail, hors d'œuvres and one raffle ticket.

From the Flickr Pool: Change Will Come

change will come, originally uploaded by philliefan99.

Share your photos through the Frozen Tropics Flickr pool.

Capital Spice Muses on Tacos Impala

Local food blog Capital Spice enjoys the deliciousness that is Tacos Impala.

Boundary Road Comes to H Street

News recently came (via Sidamo) of a new restaurant/tavern opening in the 400 block of H Street. H Street Great Street has further details on what has been described to me as a restaurant serving "regional cuisine" (Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware). The restaurant, which recently applied for a tavern liquor license, plans to hold a accomodate of 80 customers, with seating for 65 patrons (occasional dj possible).  This is at 414 H Street.

Broken Hearts at Sticky Rice

Check out what's Sticky Rice has on offer for Valentine's:

We are having free PBR's for 1-tops, sad music mixes all day, dead flower decor, etc.... For the lovers we will have 3 course dinners for $20.11 per person.

WTF Wednesdays at R&R Hotel

Atlas Young Professionals Happy Hour

Time Thursday, February 10th 6-8pm
Location The Argonaut, 1433 H Street

Just what goes on behind that historic marquee? Come down to the newly reopened Argonaut and meet up with neighbors and friends of the Atlas and get to know what's happening here and how you can be a part of the Atlas and the change on H Street.

Enjoy drink specials and catch a mini- performance by an artist from the upcoming INTERSECTIONS festival.

Tonight at Sova: DC Loves Mountains

DC Style is Real: Church & State

Sazerac, originally uploaded by thebittenword.com.

Local blog DC Style is Real reviews Church and State. The Hill is Home also has a nice write-up. Great cocktails in a cool setting. I recommend the Sazerac.

Temporary Change to Comment Policy Regarding Toyland

Way back in 2006, but I still want to be friends. Don't you?

Hi guys, as many of you have told me via comments, emails, and personal conversations, the situation with comments regarding Toyland has gotten out of hand. A handful of people, on both sides of the debate, have made inappropriate and hostile comments. Some comments have even targeted this blog, and me personally (one of which appeared on Yelp). My personal dating life is never an appropriate topic for conversation here, and it certainly does not belong on Yelp!. I will say that I'm probably the only person I know who has been falsely accused of dating someone and had it show up on Yelp!  So I can now cross that off my list thanks to the help of someone I've never met.

But more directly to my point, there were originally three partners involved in the Toyland venture. None of those three people are involved in the conversation that has taken place here. From everything I've heard, all three wish to settle their differences as amicably as possible and move on with their lives. When we squabble here (or troll, as some of us have done) it not only muddies the waters (they are still settling their affairs) it also prolongs what has been a painful process for them all. So I am once more asking people to please be respectful of those three people who were directly involved in this venture and let them have some peace. Please refrain, for the time being, from leaving any comments about Toyland. I don't want a hostile atmosphere on Frozen Tropics, and some of the comments have made it feel that was to many readers. So, for the time being, I am calling for quiet time. I don't want to see any comments pro, or anti, Toyland. I just don't want to talk about it here because I want to give those three time for the dust to settle. If I do see any comments in that vein, I'll delete them. We are not talking about this here because we are only causing pain right now.

To those who have (intentionally, or unintentionally) stirred things up, trolled, or escalated, the tension:
please step back and take a breath. If that doesn't work, please go back to your respective corners, sit there, think about what you've done, and don't come out until you can behave like nice civilized adults again. I think we'll all be the better for it. Why twist the knife? I personally feel that to do so is profoundly disrespectful to all three original partners. Let's let their wounds heal instead.

Bottom line: If you like the "new" Toyland, go there. If you don't like the "fake" Toyland (I'm trying to echo the language of the commenters here), don't go there. If enough people don't go to Toyland it will fail. If enough people do go to Toyland it will succeed. But don't abuse my blog for selfish and petty reasons.  When you do that, it not only creates a hostile environment, but it is also annoying, and profoundly BORING for other readers.

Be nice guys. You only get one life. Why waste it fighting on some blog? Can't we just be friends?

ARTventures on H Returns

Time: Thursday, February 24 · 5-8pm
Location: H Street
From 5:30-8pm several galleries and art spaces along the H Street Corridor will open their doors to the Capitol Hill community for a special neighborhood art walk. Participants will each be given an ARTventures “passport,” to be punched at each stop on the art walk.

For every punch received, attendees receive an extra 2% discount that evening from 7-9:30pm at participating restaurants and bars on H Street.

City Stream: Church & State

City Stream checks out Church and State, the new bar that just opened above Fruit Bat.

Valentine's at Ethiopic

Photo provided by Ethiopic

We are very excited to have our very first live piano performance (by Dan Burbine of TurboPianist) for valentine's day. It will be fixed menu for $30 pp with 2 hours limit per reservation.

Granville's Launches Sunday Brunch 2/6

Starting this weekend Dr. Granville Moore's will serve brunch on Saturdays AND Sundays. Granville's first experimented with brunch a while back, with once a month service. Late last year it became a weekly event. Things have gone swimmingly so far, so the expansion just makes sense.

Win a Dangerously Delicious Pie From the City Paper

delicious SandM, originally uploaded by philliefan99 and added to the Frozen Tropics Flickr pool.

It's free to enter. Dangerously Delicious Pies is located at 1339 H Street.

Found Cat

A reader writes in that this little gray cat has been hanging out in his back yard (in the 1800 block of L Street) over the past few weeks. He recently noticed that it wear a collar, and wonders if anyone has missed it.