3614 Georgia Ave, NW two blocks south of the Petworth metro just north of Otis

A few weeks ago I said this liquor store was gonna be ridiculously awesome. Well, there is no doubt about it, this liquor store is ridiculously awesome. It soft opened on Saturday and this coming Friday will be its grand opening. The owner, Mr. Lee, did not spare any detail. Take for example, the lion sculpture outside, it was specifically imported from Tibet:

But the real excitement is, of course, with the store itself. People who remember the old store will be dumbfounded. This transformation is nothing less than spectacular:

It’s easy to overlook all the awesome – but check out the ceilings when you stop by:

And of course they also have an awesome selection of wine, beer and liquor. The back of the store is ringed with beer:

And while the store was less than half stocked for the soft opening, you can tell the wine selection is gonna be equally awesome taking up the bulk of the store:

And this is just the beginning for Mr. Lee’s plans. While the store itself is huge you’re actually only seeing a fraction of the building. Mr. Lee was kind enough to give me a tour of the rest of the building and explain his vision for part two. Part two will have a wine bar, sushi bar, Korean style grill and much much more. You have to trust me on the space, consisting of two floors – it is gigantic. Planning for part two will take place this summer and it’ll probably be another year before it’s completed so we’ll def. revisit as plans progress.

In the meantime – be sure to check out one of the best new wine, beer, and liquor stores in the town.

More photos after the jump. (more…)


Dear PoPville,

I was at the Ace Hardware on Upshur and 12th last night, and they told me this Saturday, Ace Hardwares nationwide would be giving away free quarts of paint as a promotion for their new line of paints. Looks like this NYT article from today confirms it.

Great way to support local small business, and get some paint at the same time.

Awesome. Annie tells me:

“We will be giving away free quarts of Clark & Kensington flat paint every Saturday in March. Clark & Kensington is Ace’s new brand of paint that has been totally reformulated as a primer + paint. We will be able to mix most of the Ace colors. Each customer who receives a free quart of paint will also receive a “bounce-back” coupon which will allow them to receive 20% off of paint brushes, rollers, drop clothes when they purchase 2 gallons of Clark & Kensington paint.”


1240 Upshur St, NW


Looks like we got a beauty salon battle coming to Barracks Row. A new salon is coming to 737 8th St, SE in the former Capitol Asset Realty space. This is right next door to A List Nails and Spa which recently opened in the old Attitude gallery. Could mean some good discounts. Unless, of course, A List is simply expanding next door? Stay tuned.


Macaron Bee is coming to a cool old house in Georgetown at 1669 Wisconsin Ave, NW. While their Website is still mostly under construction – it does have a definition of a Macaron:

A macaron is a sweet confectionery made with egg whites, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond powder or ground almond, and food coloring. The macaron is commonly filled with buttercream or jam filling sandwiched between two cookies. Its name is derived from an Italian word “maccarone” or “maccherone”. This word is itself derived from ammaccare, meaning crush or beat, used here in reference to the almond paste which is the principal ingredient. It is meringue-based: made from a mixture of egg whites, almond flour.

The confectionery is characterised by its smooth, domed top, ruffled circumference (referred to as the “foot”), and flat base. It is mildly moist and easily melts in the mouth.

Macarons can be found in a wide variety of flavors that range from the traditional (raspberry, chocolate) to the new (truffle, green matcha tea). The fillings can range from jams, ganache, or buttercream. Since the English word macaroon can also refer to the coconut macaroon, many have adopted the French spelling of macaron to distinguish the two items in the English language. However, this has caused confusion over the correct spelling of the cookie/biscuit. Some recipes exclude the use of macaroon to refer to this French confection while others think that they are synonymous.

Stay tuned for spring:


A new consignment store has just signed a lease at 3903 Georgia Ave, NW above Petworth Cleaners. The owner of Petworth Cleaners (also the landlord of the building) tells me the lease starts on March 1st and they will likely open up shortly thereafter. More info when it becomes available.


Edible Arrangements is coming to the corner of Wisconsin and Q St, NW in Georgetown.

Reminding me of the genius Onion article “Continued Existence Of Edible Arrangements Disproves Central Tenets Of Capitalism”

Upending more than two centuries of free-market theory, leading economists across the globe announced Thursday that the fundamental principles of capitalism had been “irrefutably disproved” by the continued existence of the designer fruit-basket company Edible Arrangements.

According to experts, the Connecticut-based franchise, which arranges skewered pieces of fruit into displays vaguely resembling floral bouquets, has defied all modern economic models, expanding continuously for the past decade despite its complete lack of any discernible consumer appeal.


Back in Sept. 2011 a press release was issued saying:

Casual French eatery Le Pain Quotidien and exclusive retailer of photographic equipment Leica Camera, Inc. will soon fill the last available retail bays at 975 F Street, NW, in DC’s East End.

The Leica Camera space is also expected to open before the end of this year, and will include a product showroom, image gallery, and a studio where customers will have the opportunity to try out the company’s finest cameras. The 1,837 square foot boutique will be Leica’s first stand-alone store in the country, although the product line has been preferred by White House photographers and other prominent photojournalists for decades.

In Nov. 2011 the Le Pain Quotidien opened at the corner of 10th and F St, NW. But walking past 975 F St, NW this weekend, while Le Pain bustled, there was still only papered windows next store teasing me with “Leica Store Washington DC”.

I know the trend, lately, has been for camera stores to close or downsize but I still have hope for the Leica store.


Sapore Oil & Vinegar is coming to 660 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE in the former Quinzos space in March 2012. Their Facebook page says:

Welcome to Sapore Oil & Vinegar, Washington DC’s first gourmet Oil & Vinegar shop to offer over 24 premium Extra Virgin Olive oils and Balsamic Vinegars, single sourced and flavor infused, plus Sea & Mineral Salts, hand crafted Spice Blends and Pastas. We are located in Historic Capitol Hill, around the corner from Eastern Market. Sapore means “taste, or flavor” in Italian, and we encourage you to taste any of our products before you buy. From the most passionate foodie to the reluctant cook, we have something to make your next dish delicious!

Our mission is to offer the public the freshest, most high quality oils and vinegars at a reasonable price, while providing education and cooking ideas to make their purchase most enjoyable.

Sounds like this could be very cool.


Last week I found out that Frozen Yogurt was coming to 1017 U St, NW but I didn’t know if it was going to be FroZenYo or someone else. A coming soon sign for Lovely Yogurt just went up. Couldn’t find anything on them online so this is likely their first store.


View More Stories