From a press release:
“April is National Poetry Month and in celebration, Busboys and Poets will be promoting the art of reading poetry out loud. Throughout the month of April, guests are encouraged to read a poem via a microphone for the full store to enjoy. Guests may choose to read a poem of their own or from a selection of poems the restaurant will have available. In return, we will give that guest one free coffee drink of their choice, including espresso, drip, lattes, etc.”
731 15th Street, NW via google maps
From an email:
“Pleasant Pops is thrilled to announce that we will be opening our second cafe this spring in Downtown DC. Located a quick block and a half from The White House, the new cafe will reflect the inviting and friendly nature we’ve developed at our current Adams’ Morgan location. Pleasant Pops Downtown will serve a full coffee menu (including our house-made chai, refreshing cold-brew iced coffee, and a range of drinks using beans from Ceremony Coffee Roasters), freshly baked morning pastries as well as our homemade ice pops! We’re excited to be situated on the ground floor of The Woodward Building at 731 15th St. NW. While we’re serving the tenants living above us, our neighboring office buildings and tourists checking out Obama’s digs, we look forward to becoming part of a new DC community! Set to open in June, Pleasant Pops Downtown will start your morning with a perfectly poured cappuccino and end your afternoon with a refreshing, healthy and delicious pop!”
2477 18th Street, NW
First heard about Songbyrd’s plans back in September. For those not familiar:
“This has been a long journey, but we’ve lived in this neighborhood for a long time and are truly excited to create a space that will add to the character and draw of Adams Morgan. There are a few things that we are supper excited to share with everyone once the record café is open; Matthew Richardson’s amazing food, great coffee, our Voice-O-Graph for people to record directly onto a vinyl record and a really chill space to enjoy. As for what we are calling our Music House where food, music and libations come together, that will be opening in the near future as well!!!”
Glad to see things are moving forward. This is high up on my list of most anticipated openings for 2015. Stay tuned.
3118 Georgia Ave, NW
I apologize in advance but this is one of the transformations that makes ramble because I’m so happy. First of all I had no idea it was gonna turn out so nice. I just thought Colony Club was gonna be a very bare bones ping pong hall. I was very very wrong. Their website says:
“Colony Club is a neighborhood coffee shop, bar, and ping pong club. We serve quality products in a friendly and approachable setting.
Located on historic Georgia Avenue in Park View, Washington, DC, Colony Club tries to capture an old-school vibe, and pay homage to the history of the street (including the family flower shop, pictured below).”
Photo via Colony Club
Check out their beer/wine/spirits menu here and breakfast and bar snacks here.
So a bit more info – which I totally didn’t realize. They’ll be a proper coffee shop during the day. They’ll open Monday-Friday from 7am-11pmish (hours likely to change a bit based on what folks want) and 8am-midnight(ish) on the weekends. Coffee is ceremony. Pastries will come from Bakehouse (14th and T St, NW.)
As for the evenings – while they have a small wine and cocktail list – the focus will be on good beer. Four draft lines, four cans, four bottles and a small cellar list. and Porkslap will only be $3!
As for the ping pong – it’s upstairs. One table. The space wasn’t photo ready when I stopped by but they are very very close. And you could definitely get a feel for it. It reminds me of when Temperance Hall (now Looking Glass) first opened on Georgia. It doesn’t remind me of the same style but in that what a huge deal it is. There is nothing like this around the 3100 block of Georgia (all due respect to Bravo Bar which is great for different reasons.) This place is a game changer for this section of Georgia Ave. You will see very, very soon.
I take this as a very good sign:
This is so much nicer than I was expecting, just a taste, but wait till you see proper photos:
There will be bike parking out front:
To properly gauge the amazing transformation – here’s how it looked in 2009 as Hadiya Cafe before it became Ma Ma’s Southern Cuisine:
1535 7th Street, NW
From an email:
“Compass Coffee
1535 7th St NW
On April 1 and April 2, Compass Coffee customers will receive free coffee, courtesy of Cambria hotels & suites (starting at 7:00am, while supplies last).”
9th Street between H and I Street, NW
Thanks to a reader for sending the update on Dolcezza.
Another reader sends a link to The Great Republic:
“The Great Republic is proud to announce the opening of its newest shop at CityCenterDC, scheduled for Spring 2015.
The Great Republic celebrates the United States in antique, one-of-a-kind offerings as well as Made in America handcrafted goods. Our products are designed for the individual that puts a premium on unquestioned authenticity and quality of craftsmanship when investing in an exceptional piece of history or handcrafted item – either for themselves or as a gift.
Exploring our offerings is an opportunity to see and own something you won’t easily find elsewhere. Leveraging nearly 30-plus years of experience in understanding and sourcing the world’s finest antiques and “off the chart” goods and gifts, we are absolutely confident in our ability to deliver the “wow” during this visit and future visits to our site.
We embrace the ethos that less is more, and seek out items that command your attention but never at the expense of our guiding principle, which is integrity – integrity in the way we do business and the products that we sell. In a room where an item from The Great Republic is on display, your guests will be drawn to the item and the story behind it.
Some of our “wow” includes everything from a beautifully framed 38-Star American flag to a first edition engraving of Washington’s famous Crossing of the Delaware, to an 1845 wall map of the United States, to a fully restored 1946 Indian Chief Motorcycle, and to a first edition of Mark Twain’s classic novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
In addition to the aforementioned offerings, we also sell what we refer to as “modern day collectibles.” In our mind the retail world is divided into two camps: those who know how to use tools to handcraft exceptional products and those who do not. The Great Republic is a company that completely embraces the first ethos, a company based on impeccable craftsmanship that combines the past, present and future, creating and showcasing exquisite Made in America items that will stand the test of time.
Visiting the Great Republic’s website affords each visitor the opportunity to the wonderment and uniqueness of our magnificent one-of-a-kind offerings presented alongside an array of handcrafted must-have modern day goods. So please stop by often and stay as long as you’d like…we look forward to getting to know you!”
621 Pennsylvania Ave, SE
@angelakkmiller tweets us:
“@PoPville sad to see pound the hill is closed! Any idea what happened?!”
Ed. Note: Suspension notices like the one in the photo are issued due to tax problems. Back in 2012 Pound the Hill issued a plea saying they were in danger of closing. Pound the Hill opened up at 621 Pennsylvania Ave, SE in March 2011.
5015 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Politics and Prose website says:
“Located on the lower level of the bookstore, our coffeehouse’s intimate space and distinctive atmosphere always features a diverse clientele of neighbors, writers, book lovers, and families. The coffeehouse features rotating art exhibits and live performances with our weekly Open Mic. We offer limited wireless internet access to customers, and the perfect environment for reading, studying, and especially conversation and discussion.
Quality foods and beverages draw locals as well as regular customers from the entire D.C. metropolitan area. The coffeehouse serves simple, delicious fare that’s perfect for breakfast, a healthy, tasty lunch or light supper, nearly all prepared fresh from scratch on site and from high quality ingredients. We have frequent menu changes to follow the seasons, supplementing our established core menu.
The coffeehouse opens at 8 a.m. seven days a week (one hour earlier than the bookstore) to help get your morning started right. Stop by Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.”
Ed. Note: The liquor license placard lists only beer and wine.
1827 Adams Mill Road, NW
Thanks to word from the Adams Morgan BID – Philz Coffee is coming to join the new Mediterranean restaurant in the new Adamo building. Their website says:
“Philz Coffee is not your average coffee shop. We do things differently. We specialize in customized blends of the highest quality coffee from around the world. As you walk in you will see a baffling menu of different blends. While there is a description board of the blend descriptions, we recommend you go straight up to the counter and let the barista know it’s your first time, the barista will find out what you like and hopefully give you the best coffee you ever had!
All of our coffees are special customized blends crafted by Phil himself with many years in the making. Phil has spent over 25 years combining beans and creating blends to make the most unique smoothest tasting coffee anyone has never had. No place in the world has our blends. We work extremely hard to ensure everyone gets the absolute freshest coffee possible, no matter how inconvenient or time consuming it is for us. Each blend ranges from 2 to as many as 7 different beans from around the world and they each have there own unique distinct flavor. All of our blends are low in acidity which will help avoid any of those stomach aches you might normally have with another cup of coffee. For the folks that like single origin coffees, no worries, we have a variety of single origin beans available ranging from Colombian, African, Yemen, Kenyan, Sumatra, and more…
At Philz, we don’t make your ordinary latte, cappuccino, au lait, espresso, etc. Every cup we prepare is hand crafted to your liking. We can make it less strong for you, just ask. If you’re used to Latte’s, Cappuccino’s, Macchiato’s etc. we can make you something extremely similar and guarantee that you will like it better, and if you don’t, we will keep making you something until you are satisfied. Let the barista know if you like light, dark, or medium roast and if you like cream, milk, soymilk, sugar, etc. We do recommend your first cup here with cream and sugar. But anyway you have it, it will be great!
We wouldn’t even call this a cup of coffee; rather “A Cup of Love.”
Come by and enjoy the experience, One Cup at a Time.”
More shared coffee plans for Skynear Designs in Adams Morgan. Previously, Cafe Diem had popped up here but I’m told that Sweet Science Coffee will be a permanent set up. Stay tuned for more details and an opening date.
2nd floor of 18th and Wyoming Ave, NW