Photos taken by Heather Goss
Home renovator, Heather Goss has completed her kitchen. And it looks awesome. She wrote about it on her blog at Washingtonian. I really dig the cabinets. Take a look at some more finished photos and a before photo after the jump. (more…)
I’ve never actually been to Cue Bar on U Street. Has anyone been there? What’s the scene like? Does anyone know why it may have closed? Certainly is an ominous warning. What the hell’s a “cue bar associate” anyway is that just another way of saying a patron?
I’m a relative newbie to the world of Laundromats, save for one visit sometime in 2004 to a terrible place in Silver Spring that was so gross I felt like my clothes were actually more dirty when I left. Fortunately, I’ve always lived in a place that had laundry facilities. I still do, but after discovering that my duvet cover was too much for the machines in my apartment building to handle, I was on my way to Mount Pleasant Street for a laundry adventure!
I’ve been curious about the Laundromats for a while. Is it cheaper or faster than doing laundry in my building? Are they as awful as that place in Silver Spring? Who uses them? So many questions! So I took a trip to Laundroland, at 3215 Mount Pleasant Street, to find out.
The only other option was Pan American (3127 Mount Pleasant St) since it seems that Speed Wash, over by Hobart St., has closed. I’m not sure when that happened. Laundroland doesn’t have video games like Pan American does, but it’s bigger, has more seating, has AC, and seemed to be doing a bit more business. It’s also open 24 hours, which might be a nice perk for some.
I spent a few minutes wandering around since there are so many different sized machines and I wasn’t sure which one I wanted. There are toploaders that cost $2, and commercial washers at various sizes, costing $6, $4, $3, and $2 per load. In total I’d say there are about 50 machines, and only 6 were out of service – not bad! I finally settled on a $3 “Speed Queen” washer, though I probably could have used the smaller one. Sixteen minutes later (Speed Queen, indeed!) I was ready for the dryer. I only had one item, but even the small machines are HUGE. You could probably fit two loads into one easily. The dryers get super hot too, so at 7 minutes/$.25 I was able to dry my laundry for one dollar.
Overall, it was a pretty pleasant experience. It was clean, there were two employees inside, I was in and out in 45 minutes and it only cost me $4. I brought my own supplies, but they sell detergent, bleach and softener and there’s a change machine. It wasn’t too crowded either, but that could be because I went on a weeknight right after work. The convenience of doing laundry at home wins out for me, but if you don’t have a laundry room, I’d recommend Laundroland.
It’s hard to believe it but Red Rocks is about to turn one year old this weekend. To celebrate the milestone Julian sits down with owner James O’Brien and discusses the changes to the restaurant, 11th Street and the neighborhood in general. Congrats Red Rocks!
Red Rocks is kind of like a friend’s house – its around the corner, its warm and inviting, and no matter who is at the door when you step in, they’re always glad to see you. Red Rocks was designed for the people by the people, and you can confirm that warm feeling with anyone, from the patron sipping a glass of wine in one of the brick-framed windows to James O’Brien, the owner who, like his business, is very warm and inviting. The neighborhood pizzeria celebrates its year anniversary this coming weekend, and with a happy hour from open to close and specials that’ll turn your salivary glands on like a Pavlovian dog, you’ll be ready to move in.
I sat down with Mr. O’Brien today to talk about his one-year anniversary – the things he’s learned, the things he regrets (or doesn’t!), and about what makes Red Rocks such a hit. I had fourteen questions to ask, but cut it down to the twelve best. So without further ado:
Julian: For those readers who aren’t familiar with your restaurant, can you tell us a bit about Red Rocks (concept/conception)?
James O’Brien: Well, it is a neighborhood restaurant, definitely based on providing the best possible pizza experience. Many people don’t know about the pizza process, or they like what they like, and that’s it. Here at Red Rocks, we’re all about traditional Neapolitan pizzas. We use the best flour, which is caputo flour, and the best tomatoes – we use only fresh mozzarella, and for our margarita pizzas fresh buffalo mozzarella. Lots of people get it mixed up and put fresh mozzarella on margarita pizzas. The oven is also fired between eight-hundred and nine-hundred degrees. I get people in here from Italy who say they can only have our pizza. On pizza.com, we have people who say that we’re the second best pizza they’ve ever had! Unfortunately, we have people who grew up eating a certain kind of pizza. They equate pizza with lots of toppings or overflowing with sauce or cheese, but that’s not the best quality pizza. Neapolitan pizza is a balance between the taste of the dough, the sauce, and the cheese. The point is not to overwhelm people. Every good pizza maker needs to know that its quality over quantity.
Julian: What makes you stand apart from other restaurants or pizzerias?
James: To reiterate it, what we do differently is we use the top top ingredients – top flour, top tomatoes, top mozzarella. Before I was really doing this full time and really tasting pizzas all the time, I would eat pizza and not really taste the differences. I don’t think you can taste the difference, but now that I’m in this business, I can really taste the quality of the tomatoes, the temperature of the oven – the quality of the flour. The taste of a brick-oven pizza can’t be recreated in a deck oven. You cannot recreate that pizza experience. The brick oven is a key element to the whole thing. The difference is immense. As far as atmosphere goes, its all very subjective, because people feel comfortable in different places. We’re trying to make this as comfortable spot as possible, with friendly service, and good food. Interview continues after the jump. (more…)
I had seen that they applied for a permit a couple of weeks ago and was happy to see it went through so quickly. I’d say it improves the feel of this section of 14th Street 100%. I’m really glad this trend is catching on.
Or is that a rooster? Regardless, this is the greatest window decoration I’ve seen in dozens of miles traversed in this fair city. When I first saw it I thought it was a live one it looked so real. I did a quadruple take. Simply super, super cool.
What does “soma” mean?
This was taken in Park View from Warder Street looking down onto the Old Soldier’s Home. See post below for meeting today on Old Soldier’s Home Development Meeting. I fear this view may change drastically…
I wanted to make sure that this comment didn’t get buried from yesterday’s post.
“I understand that this discussion comes out of a conversation the PoP had with a local merchant last night, and it’s fair to raise the discussion, one we have been having in ANC 4C for the past couple of months.
The issue is fairly cut and dry. Current law prohibits new supermarkets in Ward 4 from obtaining new beer-and-wine, Class B, licenses. The issue has nothing to do with restaurant, alcoholic beverage licenses, still available, and it’s a seperate issue from the “single sales” law in place.
The only current option available for Gary Cha, the owner of Yes! Organic Market, is for Mr. Cha to purchase a possibly available license from a convenience store owner elsewhere in Ward 4. The owner of that convenience store told Mr. Cha that he would have to buy the convenience store in order to get the accompanying license. Mr. Cha said at June’s ANC 4C meeting that he can’t afford to do so.
Safeway, meanwhile, has plans to build at new, “lifestyle” Safeway at its current location near the Georgia/Petworth Metro, and Safeway officials have made it clear that they want a beer-and-wine license for that location.
As a large, international corporation, Safely can easily choose the possible option currently available — buy and sell a convenience store elsewhere in the Ward in order to obtain a beer-and-wine license. Ditto Giant, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter or other large regional, national or international chains.
The current law, in effect, penalizes the little guy, Gary Cha and his Yes! Organic Market. One argument is that the law shouldn’t be changed to favor one business. The other side of that is that current law effectively only harms small, supermarket businesses, like Yes!, not the big ones. The big, corporate folks have more resources , therefore more options.
Sara Green, an ANC commissioner in Takoma, told me that she was one of the Takoma residents who favored the current law a few years back as a way of forcing the Piney Branch Safeway to become more responsive to the neighborhood. The tactic apparently didn’t work. The Piney Branch Safeway wasn’t affected by the new law and has a beer-and-wine license. Comment continues after the jump. (more…)
Who can identify?