Bars

Tonic in Mt. Pleasant turns Upstairs into a Sports bar

By Prince Of Petworth

Always happy to hear about more sports bar options. Stay tuned for more announcements in the Petworth/Park View/ Columbia Heights/Mt. Pleasant areas in the coming weeks and months. Tonic is located at 3155 Mt. Pleasant St, NW. From a press release:

“Tonic, situated on historic Mt. Pleasant Street, just a stone’s throw away from bustling Columbia Heights, has reinvented it’s upstairs dining room with a fun sports bar twist. From the comfy signature high-top wooden booths to the seven flat-screen televisions, watching the game has never been so easy.”

A few more photos after the jump. (more…)

Starbucks to Offer Beer and Wine?

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user fromcaliw/love

Do you think this is a good idea?

USA Today reports:

“A very different kind of Starbucks is on tap. It will serve regional wine and beer. It offers an expansive plate of locally made cheeses — served on china. The barista bar is rebuilt to seat customers up close to the coffee.

Most conspicuously, the place looks less like a Starbucks and more like a cafe that’s been part of the neighborhood for years — yet that’s “green” in design and decor.”

You can read the full article here.

PoP Preview – P.J. Clarke’s

By Prince Of Petworth

PJ Clarke’s opens up in the old Solives space at 1600 K St, NW tonight. I was able to take a sneak peek yesterday and snap some photos of the first floor. It looks great. Their press release says:

“The first floor of the 125-seat restaurant in the nation’s capital boasts high ceilings and an open kitchen headed by Executive Chef Jason Brumm. Brumm moved to DC from Nashville, where he most recently served as the Executive Chef/Owner of modern American restaurant Radius10. At P.J. Clarke’s in Washington DC, Brumm will work with mid-Atlantic ingredients and flavors. In addition to the restaurant’s sizeable raw bar, hearty soups and generous entrees, he offers daily rotisserie specials showcasing local chicken, free-range turkey, Duroc pork and leg of lamb.”

Lots more photos and full press release after the jump. (more…)

I Hope You’re Sitting Down – Hitching Post For Sale

By Prince Of Petworth

When I first heard about this late last night I felt like I got punched in the stomach. It’s not that it was a huge surprise as they’ve been open for over 40 years but it’s one of those places that you feel like will be around for ever. It’s the type of place that needs to be open for ever. Given all the discussions of race and crime and hate this is one place that you never have to worry about. Patrons are black and white and the owners are equally kind to all who enter. I feel like I overuse the term gem in the city sometimes but if any place warranted such a description it is this one.

The Hitching Post is located at 200 Upshur St, NW (across the street from the Old Soldiers Home) at the corner of Rock Creek Church Rd, and Upshur. They serve the most gigantic portions you’ve ever seen. (This was the title of the first People’s District interview here with the Hitching Post’s owner Mr. Carter.)

And this probably means that one of the last classic juke boxes in the city is nearing its final days. I’m sure it’s possible that whoever buys the new place will keep it a restaurant/bar, and I certainly wish whoever buys this space the best, but it is safe to say we are nearing the end of an era.

The property is currently on the market for $850,000.

Wedding at Wonderland

By Prince Of Petworth

Walking past Wonderland Sunday afternoon I couldn’t help but notice the already awesome patio was kicked up a notch with some good looking flowers. It turns out, Wonderland (corner of 11th and Kenyon St, NW) was hosting its first wedding. Two employees, Nick and Roxanna, who met at Wonderland, were celebrating their nuptials on 10/10/10. Even cooler is that the bar was still open to the public for what I imagine was a super fun evening. Unfortunately I couldn’t stay for the actual wedding but let me just say – Congrats to Nick & Roxanna!

Pearl Dive Oyster Palace & Black Jack Coming to Logan Circle

By Prince Of Petworth

Exciting news about the restaurant coming to 1612 14th St, NW. We’ve been monitoring this property very closely. But now there are lots more details to share. Firstly the bar upstairs will be called Black Jack and the restaurant downstairs will be called Pearl Dive:

Secondly, as I was waking by the store I also noticed, in addition the poster above, a rendering of what the outside will look like:

Thirdly, Tom Sietsema of the Washington Post shares some great details:

“Logan Circle is netting another restaurant, this time from chef Jeff Black, who announced today that he’s buying the building at 1612 14th St. NW on October 20 and calling it The Pearl Dive Oyster Palace. The two-story venue, which he hopes to open in time for Valentine’s Day, will feature an oyster bar and 75-seat dining room on the street level and an upstairs bar — with a bocce ball court — called BlackJack.”

This sounds amazing, can’t wait for Valentine’s Day!

And finally, I’m not sure if it is big enough but after the jump you can see the architectural designs including what both floors will look like. (more…)

U Street Scuttlebutt: Cafe Nema and Momo’s Sports Bar Could be Closing Next Tuesday?

By Prince Of Petworth

Cafe Nema and Momo’s Sports bar (located upstairs from Nema) are located at 1334 U St, NW. And let me say in advance that ever since they opened in late ’07 (and Cafe Nema opened many years before that) Momo’s Sports bar has been one of my favorites in the city. So I certainly hope that they are around for many more years.

Now some may, rather some morally and ethically superior beings will call me irresponsible for posting this scuttlebutt before getting triple confirmation and a glossy press release from a reputable PR firm (especially after nearby Creme Cafe fired its management team and their Web site was hacked and announced they were closing which turned out to be false), nevertheless I will go forward with my alleged irresponsible behavior because, because I’m a fracking blogger not Edward R. Murrow.

I actually did go down to Cafe Nema on Tues. afternoon and while I couldn’t get anyone to confirm, let’s just say there were curious meetings going on at the time of my visit. But the real reason I am willing to share this scuttlebutt is because I got this tip from multiple different readers. They all had a basic time frame but most recently one has said they will close next Tuesday. It is not clear if the restaurant and/or sports bar will close completely or will simply change ownership/management. All this seems to be up in the air. But something is definitely going on here.

A year ago, we learned that there were some tax problems with Cafe Nema but they quickly reopened.

More details if/when they become available.

The 5pm Post – Firefly “Beat the Clock” Happy Hour

By Prince Of Petworth

From a press release:

On October 1st, Kimpton’s Firefly Restaurant will launch “Beat the Clock,” a happy hour with progressively timed and priced food and drink specials available Monday to Friday from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. Drink specials include house wines, draft beer and rail cocktails only. Chef Danny Bortnick has selected “Seven Salty Snacks” that are available for $5 throughout happy hour.

Pricing changes by the hour and here’s how it works:

* From 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. all drink specials are $1;
* From 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. drink specials increase to $2;
* From 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. drinks specials increase to $3
* From 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. drink specials increase to $4 before reverting back to regular pricing after 7:00 p.m.
* On Monday nights, the clock stops at 7:00 p.m. and $4 drink specials will be available until last call at 11:30 p.m.
* The “Seven Salty Snacks” menu features:
o Deviled Eggs with smoked paprika, caper powder, and garlic chips
o Salt Roasted Baby beets with Cherry Glen goat cheese, Sicilian pistachio, fig vinegar, and micro arugula
o Chicken Fried Oysters with po’boy sauce
o Grilled Red Wine Poached Octopus with avocado, olive aioli and roasted olive gremolata
o Smoked Whitefish Brandade on garlic toast sliders, scallion-caper persillade
o Mac ‘n Three Cheese
o Truffle Fries or Parmesan Truffle Fries

Firefly has recently become one of a select few restaurants in the D.C. area to serve Batch 19, a special brew made from a pre-prohibition era recipe. The beer will be available on tap in the bar and lounge area, where guests can order 64 oz. growlers of Batch 19 for $15 during happy hour and $20 afterwards.

Also, guests can now check-in to Firefly on foursquare, where the restaurant offers a complimentary glass of sparkling wine for first time check-ins. Guests should check-in often as the special offer will change.

When: Beginning October 1st, happy hour specials will be available Monday through Friday between 3:00 and 7:00 p.m. On Monday nights, $4 drinks will last from 7:00 p.m. until closing.

Where: Firefly Restaurant, 1310 New Hampshire Avenue, NW

Martin’s Restaurant & Lounge Coming to 1919 9th St, NW

By Prince Of Petworth

Thanks to a reader for sending the heads up on this one. The liquor application license says:

“New restaurant & lounge with a variety of food types. Live jazz, rhythm & blues bands along with light music for entertainment. Occupancy load is 50.”

Sounds promising. I’ll be sure to update when they open up.

GQ lists the Columbia Room as one of the Top Cocktail Bars in America

By Prince Of Petworth

The Columbia Room is located in the back of the Passenger located at 1021 7th St. NW. Thanks to a reader for sending. GQ lists them as number 18:

“Derek Brown honed his craft in Japan, home of the world’s most precise bartenders. Using a cleaver, he breaks down large chunks of ice and stores the cubes in a basket, where they melt as slowly as glaciers. Ask him nicely and he might carve one into a diamond. The private, narrow space is open just three nights a week. Your reward for getting in: the best martini in America. The process entails gin stored in a medical freezer, a crystal glass, and a thermometer (thirty-one degrees is optimal). It’s an expensive privilege to drink here. But just like in Tokyo, the receipt is prettier than a college diploma.”

The best martini in America? Nice. Congrats.

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