3125 M Street, NW

Last week Georgetown Patch reported that a Ri Ra Irish Pub would be coming to the former Mie N Yu space in Georgetown. From Ri Ra’s Arlington website:

Capturing the unique atmosphere of traditional Victorian era Irish pubs, Rí Rá was built entirely from authentic Irish salvage material. The main bar, the back bar and many of the features came from an old pharmacy in Dublin and are over 100 years old. The pub was meticulously restored in Ireland before being shipped to Clarendon.

The interior is rich and warm, constructed by notable craftsmen from the finest available materials of the day. The pub is an ideal use for the historic Virginia Hardware Store that previously occupied the site since 1924.

No doubt the many hard working carpenters that shopped at the Hardware Store over the years would appreciate the craftsmanship of the beautiful Irish pub.

Alongside the old and historic artifacts that the pub contains are pre-Raphaelite paintings that were replicated by hand during the months of construction to create a truly amazing and unique setting.

You can see their menus here. Anyone ever been to a Ri Ra before?

P & C Fine Art is located in Georgetown at 3108 M St, NW. I’ll miss the paintings of President’s playing poker and hanging out:

Another great longtime spot is closing – Kid’s Closet at 1226 Connecticut Avenue, NW – after 30 years.

1737 Wisconsin Avenue, NW

SweetFrog frozen yogurt is coming to the former Miller & Arney antique shop at the corner of Wisconsin and S St, NW. You can see SweetFrog’s flavors here.

3277 M Street, NW

Capitol Prague restaurant is coming to the former Morso restaurant spaces in Georgetown. Their website says:

“Contemporary Czech and Slovak Restaurant & Bar in Georgetown!”

The Georgetowner reports:

Capitol Prague will operate a restaurant and a coffee shop two doors away, said manager Petra Foist, who added, “We hope to open in mid-April.” With Czech and Slovak cuisine—schnitzel, goulash, braised pork and dumplings—as well as various beers

It’ll be interesting to compare to Shaw’s Bistro Bohem.

This edition of Eating Around Town was written by Abbey Becker. Abbey previously wrote about Menomale in Brookland and she lives near Eastern Market.

Let me tell you about the best sandwich I’ve had in DC. It’s in Georgetown, but I’m not talking about the Nobadeer at Jetties. Stachowski’s Market (1425 28th St NW) makes the tastiest (and largest) Italian cold cut sub I’ve ever had.

When I visited for the first time and saw that the 4 Meat Grinder cost $11.99, I thought, this sandwich better be the most incredible creation on the planet. A few minutes later, I was handed a hefting, butcher paper-wrapped sandwich that must have weighed at least three pounds. This thing was bigger than both of my hands. I opted to eat at home, though there’s a table at the front of the shop that seats about five people.

Sometimes when you get an Italian sub, it’s either dripping with grease, is messily assembled, has limp and underripe veggies, or is made with bland supermarket deli meats. Not this one. The grinder is layered with flavorful salami, coppa, mortadella, and sopressata, provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, hot peppers, and a good dousing of house vinaigrette on an entire ciabatta loaf. Each vegetable is crisp and fresh, the hot peppers still have a bit of crunch, and the vinaigrette is well balanced and isn’t too heavily applied. In short, everything on this sandwich has great flavor on its own, and every ingredient is necessary. I ate this sandwich for four meals.

On my second trip, I took two friends. I had the meatball sub ($9.99), which isn’t overly complicated. Good bread, solid homemade meatballs, tangy tomato sauce, and plenty of melted provolone. One friend got the Butcher Shop Dip ($11.99), with warm roast beef, provolone, and hot peppers on a baguette with a side of jus. It’s smaller than the other sandwiches, but it’s still piled with juicy roast beef. You can finish this is one sitting, but plan on that being your meal for the day. My other friend got the 4 Meat Grinder, and I kind of wish I had too.

The Pastrami ($11.99) is a favorite of many regulars. It’s on the fatty side for some, and the meat isn’t always sliced to the same thickness. But I’ve been told by many pastrami aficionados that this is one of the best pastrami sandwiches in DC.

Continues after the jump. (more…)

This rental is located at 3042 P Street, NW:

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The listing says:

“Stunning Victorian in the heart of Georgetown. Features 3 fireplaces, custom built-ins, large eat-in kitchen, and private garden. Second floor study with floor to ceiling windows and master suite. Third floor master suite with private balcony overlooking the garden. Appointment Only.”

This 2 bed/2.5 bath is going for $7,200/Mo.

1728 Columbia Rd, NW

The long vacant space next to and featuring ads for Metro Wine and Spirits is set to become a Forever Yogurt frozen yogurt spot. Washington Business Journal notes:

“The chain makes more than 85 flavors of yogurt, including Jolly Rancher pomegranate raspberry, Greek froyo, and blueberry burst. The company has rolled out an espresso bar in some locations to provide more business year round, and that concept could appear in D.C., according to the spokesman.”

The only specific address announced is in Adams Morgan on Columbia Road. Forever Yogurt’s website lists other coming soon locations without specific addresses for Georgetown, Connecticut Ave (Dupont Circle), Verizon Center, and U Street (seeking space.)

Any Chicago expats fans of Forever Yogurt?

From a press release:

Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) accepted the top bid of $19.5 million for the Georgetown Heating Plant in Washington, D.C., which moves this excess federal property one step closer to a sale and moving it off of the government’s books. Georgetown 29K, LLC submitted the winning bid, and GSA is now working with them to close the sale.

“The Georgetown Heating Plant sale is the latest action in our efforts to get excess federal properties off our books while creating savings for taxpayers,” said Dan Tangherlini, GSA Acting Administrator. “GSA remains committed to using innovative ways to put excess properties to new uses. We are hosting auctions, requesting industry input, and offering proposed exchanges, which helps us to deliver on our mission to provide better value to the American people.”

The online auction concluded on March 6, and now that GSA has officially accepted the offer today, and the successful bidder, Georgetown 29K, LLC , will now have ten days to provide an additional deposit to move the sale process forward. After the deposit is received, the transfer of title to the new owner should happen within approximately 100 days.

The Georgetown Heating Plant sits on a historic two-acre site near the Georgetown Waterfront in Washington, D.C., and once served as a heating source for government facilities in the area. It no longer serves the government’s needs, and GSA proceeded with an auction to dispose of the facility. The auction opened on January 18 with a closing soft closing date was set for of February 19, but because of the enthusiastic daily bidding activity, the online auction continued for an additional two weeks.

The Obama Administration has set aggressive goals for using federal real estate assets more efficiently, and GSA has increased its efforts to help federal agencies identify unneeded properties and move them into the disposal process. Last year, GSA disposed of more than 100 excess properties. There is still more that needs to be done, and GSA is actively working with all federal landholding agencies to identify unneeded assets and move them into the disposal process.

3050 K Street, NW

A couple weeks ago we learned that Fiola Mare had signed a 15 year lease for a space in Georgetown’s Washington Harbour. Lots more details now available from a press release:

James Beard Award Winning Chef Fabio Trabocchi announces his plans to open a seafood restaurant, Fiola Mare, in the Washington Harbour complex at 3050 K Street. Chef Trabocchi has longed to open a restaurant that would speak to the seafood memories of his youth near the Adriatic coast in Italy’s Le Marche region. Fiola Mare will be a 9,000 square-foot destination restaurant featuring impeccable ingredients sourced locally and abroad.

Trabocchi has been strengthening his relationships with fishmongers around the U.S. and Europe in anticipation of Fiola Mare’s opening by the end of this year. Trabocchi, who has been lauded for his affinity for fish, is creating a menu around three main areas of focus:

A raw bar providing small plates of Italian-style “susci”, including the finest selection of fish and shellfish antipasti, such as insalata frutti di mare, oysters, sea urchins and Maine lobster.

Light, yet luxurious seafood pastas and risottos, such as the Le Marche risotto with red Mediterranean imperial king prawns, Potato agnolotti with baby octopus and Linguini with local Rappahannock clams and basil.

A seafood counter that will serve as a centerpiece for the day’s fresh catch and a nexus to the open kitchen. Guests may order from the menu, or select their own fish directly from this seafood “market.”

The menu will also feature staples of Italian coastal cooking, including Trabocchi’s rendition of Adriatic seafood Brodetto and roasted branzino with artichokes and olives. Some of the whole fish preparations will be carved and served tableside.

Adjacent to the Georgetown Waterfront Park, Fiola Mare will offer valet parking, and feature a large outdoor patio overlooking the Potomac River, with views of the Kennedy Center and the Key Bridge from the 2,000 square-foot patio and windows. The vibrant and chic 20-seat bar will feature craft cocktails designed by Fiola Bar Manager and mixologist Jeff Faile. The wine program, headed by John Toigo who also oversees the wine list at Fiola, will spotlight seafood-friendly offerings, with selections from Italy, France, Spain and the United States.

Chef Trabocchi has tapped Georgetown-based HapstakDemetriou to transform what was previously an office space into a restaurant that could be at home along the Adriatic coast as well as on the Potomac.

Chef Fabio Trabocchi is the chef/owner of Fiola, a modern trattoria located in the heart of DC’s Penn Quarter neighborhood.

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Dear PoPville,

This past Monday, 2/25/2013 I was running along the Rock Creek Park trail right under the P street bridge in the Georgetown Area and I spotted a man, 40′s or 50′s, smiling at me while masturbating. I screamed, ran the other way and alerted another female. We called the both the Metro Police and the Park Police. Both of which who seemed less than interested. I also stopped a cop on the way home who first asked me “if he was minding his own business or, you know, looking at me…” before telling me that that is not his jurisdiction and I should “go home, go online and call park police”.

I called Tuesday, Wednesday and just now to check to see if any reports were filed or officers dispatched. No one could tell me if they were and no one seemed very interested.

I am EXTREMELY disturbed by this. The description in the post from last week is the exact same description as what I saw and CLEARLY the Police are not concerned.

I would like to post about this to let people know since I am severely disturbed at the lack of help and concern I was given by the police.

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From MPD:

On Thursday, February 28, 2013, at approximately 7:45 pm, a female victim reported to the Metropolitan Police Department that while she was walking north in the 1200 block of 27th Street, NW, an unknown male subject was standing in the darkness in between the houses. As she passed, the subject called to her and upon turning she observed the male fully exposed masturbating.

The suspect in this offense is described as a white male of medium build and height, approximately 50 years old, with gray hair. The suspect was wearing a blue or black winter type hat, red hooded sweatshirt, black or dark blue spandex pants, and white tennis shoes.

In the past thirty days, this is the second incident of this nature with a similar suspect description in the area of Rose Park. (See posting from 2/10/2013 below) The Metropolitan Police Department, along with the United States Park Police, will be paying particular attention to this area. We once again ask for your assistance by reporting any suspicious behavior in the area by dialing 911.

See second incident after the jump. (more…)

Photo via Sprinkles’ Facebook page

For those who really really like the idea of Red Velvet Ice Cream, or just like the occassional morning ice cream – from a press release:

Sprinkles Cupcakes, the world’s first cupcakes-only bakery, announced today that the first 200 patrons at its Georgetown location (3015 M Street, NW) on Sunday, March 3 beginning at 10 a.m. will receive one free serving of its red velvet ice cream.

The iconic cupcake bakery opened its first Sprinkles Ice Cream in Beverly Hills in 2012 and is sharing the specialty ice cream with its Georgetown customers to celebrate Sprinkles Georgetown’s 2nd anniversary.

“Georgetown and the entire DC area have been so good to us in our first two years in the community, and we wanted to offer a unique treat to our loyal fans in the area,” said Sprinkles co-founder and executive pastry chef Candace Nelson. “Having started the cupcake craze in 2005, we are thrilled to be providing another beloved American classic out of our flagship Beverly Hills location and hope to bring it to DC full time in the future.”

3050 K Street, NW

From a press release:

MRP Realty, a real estate operating company, today announced that Fiola Mare signed a 15 year lease for 9,000 square feet at 3050 K St., NW (Washington Harbour) in Washington, D.C.

The Class-A space will be will be an Italian seafood concept owned by restaurateur Fabio Trabocchi. Fiola Mare is expected to open by end of 2013.

A recent liquor license application for Fiola Mare says:

“New restaurant serving gourmet Italian seafood. Live entertainment and dancing for brunch and special events only. Occupancy load is 315. Sidewalk Café with 76 seats. Summer Garden with 150 seats.”

Photo by PoPville flickr user mosley.brian

The following was written by Ben Ball. Ben is a transportation nerd in his spare time and lives in LeDroit Park.

Crossing the northern part of downtown is a hassle.  Jammed buses, increasing traffic, and maxed out Metro stations are already part of daily life for those who live or work in the area.  The District’s transportation planners realize this, and are already working on new transit options for the long corridor between Union Station and Georgetown.

DDOT held the first in a series of public meetings to lay out options, ask for feedback, and ultimately make a decision on how to proceed.  To a certain extent, DDOT has already tipped its hand – the choice is really between an expansion of the forthcoming H St streetcar line and the creation of a “bus rapid transit” system.  Given the investment the District has already made in streetcars, this is likely the pre-ordained choice.  In order to satisfy Federal funding guidelines, however, DDOT has to officially consider other options, including the possibility of not building anything.

Where would this new transit option go?  Between Mt Vernon Square and Washington Circle, there is really only one viable route.  K St is not only a straight shot through the area, but it also has the small frontage roads which can easily be repurposed into a streetcar line or a dedicated space for buses.  M St is theoretically another option, but there’s the whole problem of Thomas Circle to deal with, and the street width doesn’t allow for much creativity.

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3211 M Street, NW

In Dec. 2012 we shared some scuttlebutt about a Billy Reid clothing store moving into the former Pizzeria Uno space at 3211 M Street, NW. It’s official: