1318 9th St, NW
Dear PoPville,
Mood Lounge at 1318 9th St. NW is changing to Vita Lounge – with a grand opening tonight. I hope they’re trying to be a better neighbor. It’s still the same owners.
You can take a virtual tour of the space here and see their menu here.
644 H Street, NE
We first heard Hikari Sushi was coming to 644 H St, NE back in Sept. 2011. Glad to see they’ve finally opened.
1728 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Back in Feb. 2012 ArtJamz opened at 1742 Connecticut Ave, NW. In Nov. 2012 we learned that Kultura was closing at 1728 Connecticut Avenue, NW. Now ArtJamz is going to take over that space. I stopped in last night and they said they hoped to open in the new space around March 1st and were moving because the Kultura space was larger and had the additional benefit of two floors.
For those not familiar with ArtJamz:
Founded in 2010 in Washington DC, ArtJamz is the National Capital Region’s original source of participatory paint parties. We were the first to combine socializing, drinks and creative expression and let people unleash their inner artists. Our unique brand of guided freestyle paint parties are great for social and professional events, office outings, private paint parties, kids parties, and date nights as well as for singles looking for something fun to do in Washington DC.
HOW IT WORKS
ArtJamz is an open art studio and lounge where anyone can come-in to paint and drink. You are not confined by a specific class time or schedule. We operate like a restaurant – walk-in anytime we are open and feed your creative side.
It’s $12 an hour for studio time, which includes unlimited acrylic paints, paintbrushes and lots of cool “weapons of mass creativity” like paint knives, graffiti markers, pencils, oil pastels, glitter, drafting tape, construction paper, glue, stencils, and random crafty knicknacks. You’ll get a standing easel, a smock, a paint palette and personalized guidance from our art-trained Creative Enablers. Meanwhile, great music and a selection of wines, champagne and beers in the Artist Lounge will keep the creative juices flowing even in the most uncreative of souls.
1900 I Street, NW
19th Bar has closed at the corner of 19th and I St, NW. On Friday a reader wrote in saying the saw furniture being carried out and when I stopped by on Saturday the space was completely empty:
We judged 19th Bar back in Nov. 2010.
It’s a pretty prime location so I’ll be sure to update when a new tenant is known.
1930 9th Street, NW
Last week I noted the new Lounge opening in the former El Sol space would opening soon at 1930 9th St, NW. They’ve sent a press release with a bit more info:
Maraki Ethiopian Restaurant, Lounge and Sport Bar is furnished with a modern state of art facilities. Maraki means impressive in Amharic, the Ethiopian national language.
Maraki is nested at the corner of a modern building with features of historical architecture. It has two up-scale Vegas style bars with an amazing and pretty lighting system. The entertainment is conducted with professional DJs and high standard up-scale club sound system and music with video. Likewise, large screen Tvs and projectors are ready for sport events.
The menu of its cozy restaurant includes Ethiopian, American, European dishes and sea foods. The owners are with an extensive experience in restaurant businesses.
1930 9th St, NW
Back in June 2012 we learned that a new tavern would be coming to the former El Sol space at 1930 9th St, NW just south of U Street. It looks nearly ready to open and a small scrolling sign out front says it will be Desta Hookah Bar and Lounge.
1127 Connecticut Ave, NW
Back in October we learned that Edgar Bar and Kitchen would be moving into the old Thomas Pink clothing store space. [Thomas Pink moved into the old Town & Country bar space.] Edgar has now opened. Their website says:
Located in The Mayflower Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel, EDGAR brings back the power lunch destination in celebration of Washington, DC as not only the center of American politics but a continually evolving city culture of entrepreneurship, energy and excitement. The restaurant’s name is inspired by its most famous power lunch regular for over 20 years.
Bringing the spirit of the grand bar back to Connecticut Avenue, EDGAR is poised to become an iconic yet modern fixture within DC’s social and cultural scene. An upscale and modern eatery, EDGAR features bold traditional American brassiere cuisine and authentically crafted cocktails.
You can see their menus here.
You can see their new year’s eve special below:
Click image to enlarge
1346 T Street, NW
Back in Sept. ’12 we learned that Cafe Collage had closed at 1346 T St, NW just east of Cafe Saint-Ex. Now we know who’s coming to the space – a new tavern to be called Street. A liquor license application posted out front says:
“New Tavern, serving international street cuisine. Occasional live entertainment and DJ. Occupancy load is 99. Sidewalk Café with 15 seats. Summer Garden with 14 seats.”
Sounds very very promising!
Photo by flickr user Kevin H.
A couple days ago I got word of new happy hour at Saint-Ex [1847 14th Street, NW.] From a press release:
The restaurant is offering $2.00 off all draft beers and $1.00 off all rail cocktails, as well as rotating food specials, including half-price house-cut French fries and Old Bay-puffed pork rinds, as well as $15.00 moules frites.
Café Saint-Ex’s new Happy Hour runs from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM on Tuesday through Friday downstairs in Gate 54, where the city’s hippest DJs are spinning a variety of music – such as house, new age, old-school hip hop and rock – each and every weekday night.
The Happy Hour also occurs from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday, at the upstairs bar.
It occurred to me that we’ve never done a proper judging of Saint-Ex. Back in the day this used to be THE spot among many of my friends. What’s the word nowadays? What do you think of the bar downstairs, Gate 54? The food upstairs? You can see their menus here. Any must order items?
1017 7th Street, NW
Back in September we learned about Temporary Works coming to the former Ruppert’s Restaurant space next door to Bicycle Space and near the Passenger. The first project is called HOGO. Details from an email:
Hogo is a word used in the Caribbean to designate “high taste”–shortened from the French word hâut-gout–but it really describes the funky, inexplicable taste that you find in traditional aged-rums. This defines the quality that Tom Brown, co-owner of The Passenger, wants to bring to his bar of the same name. Inspired by his Caribbean adventures and The Passenger’s beloved Tiki Tuesday, Tom (with help from his team at The Passenger) has created a funky, laid-back den dedicated to all things rum and a few other great, unheralded spirits like Tequila, Mezcal and Pisco. Hogo opens December 18th and will be open starting five days-a-week from 5 P.M. to 1:30 A.M. (Tuesday through Thursday) and 5 P.M. to 2:30 A.M. (Friday and Saturday), serving tropical drinks, rums and everything else in the style of one of the District’s top bartenders.
In addition, Hogo is part of a project called Temporary Works that hopes to bring new late-night dining options to Washington, D.C. by giving talented chefs a platform to cook bar food with their own twists. Located inside Hogo, Temporary Works has a dine-in kitchen that will be helmed by a cast of rotating chefs from Washington, D.C., and other nearby cities, serving late-night food such as American diner food re-imagined by 2012 RAMMY “chef of the year” Ed Witt and Izikaya food from ramen-darling of Brooklyn Yuji Harguchi.
For the first month, The Passenger’s chef, Javier Duran, will cook the Hawaiian diner food that he fell in love with while growing up in California with plates like Loco Moco, a burger patty and fried egg served with two scoops of rice and pork sausage or beef gravy, and Mixed Plates such as Kalua pork, kalbi, cabbage and macaroni salad. The kitchen will be open from 5 P.M. to a half hour before the bar closes.
I stopped in for a preview last night, check out some photos including the menu after the jump. (more…)