Cleveland Park

Yanni’s located at 3500 Connecticut Ave, NW closed its doors Sunday night. I am still in mourning. Yanni’s was not the fanciest of restaurants, it wouldn’t make Washingtonian’s ‘Best of’ list but for me it was one of the most reliable spots for a reasonably priced meal. I’m devastated. I chatted with a waiter to confirm and as he did he noted that they were given barely any notice only being told themselves of the closing last Tuesday.

Since the restaurant was always busy I gotta think it was the relatively new bar (that was rarely filled) that Yanni’s opened a few years ago that was their downfall. Yanni’s Gyro Platter, I’m gonna pour some tzatsiki sauce out for you tonight. Well, we had some good times Yanni’s! I wish the staff the best of luck.

Thanks to a reader for sending in the early word this weekend. He noted that Yanni’s has been in DC for over 20 years. Yanni’s you’ll be missed.

Sushi Sushi is located at 3714 Macomb St. NW just off Wisconsin Avenue. Their tag line is Best Sushi in town. Back in July ’08 we looked at some other best sushi nominees. How does Sushi Sushi rank?

In what could be good news they also deliver in a 2 mile radius.

Wow, thanks to a reader for sending in the following Editorial from the Cleveland Park Listserv:

Editorial: Yes to Tackle Box in the Former McDonald’s Space
by Bill Adler and Peggy Robin
Publishers, Cleveland Park Listserv
www.cleveland-park.com

Is the former McDonald’s space at 3407 Connecticut Avenue, which has been vacant
for over seven years, finally going to become a useful, productive member of
society?

According to today’s Washington Post (http://bit.ly/cVibFy ), Tackle Box, a
seafood restaurant, will be opening in that location. Here’s a brief
description from the Post of what we’re likely to see: “Tackle Box will be
dressed down with picnic tables, weathered buoys and lobster traps and will
require customers to place their orders at a counter.” The Georgetown Tackle
Box on M Street has a menu of “lobster rolls, fried clams and wood-grilled
trout,” but because the Cleveland Park space is three times the size of Tackle
Box in Georgetown, it may also have additional amenities such as bars, both raw
seafood and alcoholic.

The Tackle Box is expected to open no sooner than the end of 2010. If you want
to read more about what Tackle Box serves, visit their website at
http://tackleboxrestaurant.com .

Reports and rumors of restaurants coming into the space once occupied by the
McDonald’s have surfaced over the years. In November 2009 the ANC approved an
alcohol and liquor license for DC Diner, which was to have been a
family-oriented diner with an Asian-infused menu. DC Diner never materialized.
In 2007, Divino, an Argentine restaurant and lounge, tried to fill that space,
but was shooed away because of neighborhood opposition.

Hopefully, the space that was once a McDonald’s is not haunted by ghosts of
failed restaurants and neighborhood opposition past. Let’s all unite behind
bringing a new seafood restaurant to a space that’s been empty for far too long.