It never ceases to amaze me how nice PoP readers can be. I have been invited to so many dinners, bbqs, happy hours and parties. I’m not always able to attend all of the invites but I super appreciate them. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the nice folks who have invited me to get togethers. This is all a lead in to some super nice folks who invited me to check out a “greatest spot to drink a morning cup of coffee.” Pictured above is the precocious Olivia and her Mom and Dad(‘s leg). Indeed their coffee spot was delightful. I’ve been pining to check out one of these upper decks for ages. The owners of this house, both architects, have an incredible set up. There is a spiral staircase that leads up to a deck with a view of a beautiful tree and Rock Creek Church Road. It is really cool because there is no alley. The front of their home faces New Hampshire Ave. and the back faces Rock Creek Church, very cool indeed. So we had some killer coffee and pastries. It just boggles my mind how nice complete strangers can be. It made me realize just how lucky we are to live in the community in which we do. I don’t know what it is about Petworth, Park View, Columbia Heights, Mt. Pleasant etc but folks are beyond kind. So I just wanted to publicly thank all who have been so kind to me and surely many others as well. More photos of this incredible home after the jump. (more…)


“In a quandary about take-home food last Friday, I stopped to try out the new Korean menu upstairs at Mayorga. I ordered a Mandu Kuk soup, a Bul Go Ki Donb rice, and Joe Yock Bock entrée. The soup dish had dumplings, the rice dish was with beef, and the entrée was with barbequed pork (normally served on a sizzling platter). The food came with a good array of side dishes, including very good and spicy kimchee. We had to spice up the flavor in the soup a bit, but the dumplings were terrific. The beef dish was the best. The total cost, including the happy hour beer I had while waiting, was $47 without the tip. I was very happy, and intend to go back for a sit-down meal.”

Sounds good but is $47 reasonable for all that?


This might just be an ornamental balcony I don’t see any chairs. Are there such things as non functional decorative balconies?


If you walked by 14th and U Street this weekend you may have seen some activity going on in the 14U cafe. I had reported back on May 1st that 14U had temporarily closed so I was surprised to see some activity. I was also a bit confused when I saw some bags in the front of the store. So as I’m peeking into the store one of the owners pops out and invites me in. The owners, Marlene and Kyle Shaw were super nice and explained to me what was going on. It turns out there are some pretty significant changes going on. In order to make the spot profitable they’re going to turn the spot into a cafe and boutique. And as you can see from the window the boutique will be very heavily focussed on hand bags as well as custom made jewelry. But there will also be coffee, smoothies and other drinks. Unfortunately, the layout of the store will change as there will be less seating to accommodate more display space. I have to admit I find the change to be a bit disappointing but I understand the need to be profitable. And given the fact that the owners were so nice I certainly do wish them luck. Also, the fact that they were considering turning the spot into a dentist office makes me appreciate the Cafe and Boutique choice much more. (Interestingly, Marlene is a also a dentist but she has a “passion for fashion”.) And on another potentially good note they may apply for outdoor seating which would make up for the limited seating inside.
If you have questions you can email the owners at [email protected]

So, what do you think of the new plans?

A photo of owners Marlene and Kyle Shaw and some of their bags after the jump. (more…)


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