Mount Vernon Squangle - PoPville

Capitol Crossing Getting a Restaurant from Group Behind Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Blue Smoke etc.

Published June 20, 2017 at 11:00AM

200 Massachusetts Avenue, NW

From a press release:

“Property Group Partners (PGP) today officially announced a new partnership with Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) to establish a leading presence in Capitol Crossing–one of the region’s most ambitious neighborhood revitalization projects.

“This is the first step in an exciting and innovative relationship between Capitol Crossing and Union Square Hospitality Group,” said Jeffrey Sussman, President of Property Group Partners (PGP). “Capitol Crossing is one of the most forward-thinking and eco-friendly mixed-use development projects underway in the DC metro area and this announcement demonstrates our commitment to delivering a one-of-a-kind destination for residents.”

USHG is the proprietor of the recently reopened Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Blue Smoke, Jazz Standard, The Modern, Cafe 2 and Terrace 5 (located at the Museum of Modern Art), Maialino, Untitled and Studio Cafe at the Whitney Museum of American Art, North End Grill, Marta, Porchlight, and Daily Provisions. USHG also includes Union Square Events, a catering and venue hospitality business, and Hospitality Quotient, an organizational consulting business. Shake Shack, a separate public company founded by Danny Meyer, now has nine locations in the Washington metro area. (more…)

The Capital Burger coming to 7th Street near the Future Apple Store

By Prince Of Petworth

Published May 14, 2017 at 10:22PM

1005 7th Street, NW

The liquor license applications says:

“New Restaurant specializing in burgers. Entertainment Endorsement with Dancing. Total Occupancy Load is 326. Sidewalk Café with 48 Seats.”

Washington Business Journal reported in March:

“Visitors to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center will soon have another dining option near the venue: The Capital Burger, a more casual spinoff of the high-end Capital Grille.”

STAY TUNED.

7th and New York Ave, NW

#burgers

“First look at new Apple flagship at Carnegie Library is up”

By Prince Of Petworth

Published May 8, 2017 at 2:45PM

apple dc
801 K Street, NW

Thanks to Mark for sending an update on the Flagship Apple Store, coming to the Carnegie Library, from the Washington Post:

“Apple officials say they plan to restore the building to its original grandeur and outfit Carnegie as a place to hold a slate of free, open-to-the-public concerts, art exhibitions, workshops for teachers and coding classes for children.

The ultimate goal, of course, is to sell more iPhones and iPads. Where the Carnegie Library once housed the city’s book collection, Apple plans a “Genius Grove,” a tree-lined sales floor where company reps will demonstrate how to maximize Apple products for music, photography or other passions. What long ago were reading rooms would become places to browse and sample Apple products.

The company is scheduled to present its plans to the neighborhood Advisory Neighborhood Commission on Monday evening.”

Read the full report here.

“the goals of the portal are to ‘achieve improved traffic flow and a much safer environment for pedestrians and bicyclists’ It fails on both scores.”

By Prince Of Petworth

Published April 24, 2017 at 2:45PM | Updated April 24, 2017 at 3:23PM

395 mess
“photo via Capital Crossing cam #2 7:36 AM today”

“Dear PoPville,

The new entrance portal to 395 from Massachusetts Ave which opened this weekend?

34090628322_abc4463b7e_k
“the perfectly clear new signage that was there to guide motorists this morning…”

Per the press release, the goals of the portal are to “achieve improved traffic flow and a much safer environment for pedestrians and bicyclists.” It fails on both scores.The new portal is ONLY for traffic entering 395 from Mass Ave heading east.

What is not mentioned in the DDOT press release, but is acknowledged here is that the existing entrance ramp on third street was used by THREE other sources of traffic: (more…)

Pie 360 closes at 655 K Street, NW

By Prince Of Petworth

Published April 20, 2017 at 3:30PM

pie3601
655 K Street, NW

Wow that was fast. Readers report:

“In restaurant closure news, it looks like the Pie 360 on K Street (btw 6th and 7th) might be gone for good. There is a handwritten “closed” sign on the door, and it’s a little hard to see in the photos but the pizza oven and all the equipment has been removed. The Pie 360 opened last September.”

Tropical Smoothie Cafe opening at 4th and I St, NW Friday

By Prince Of Petworth

Published April 19, 2017 at 10:02PM

MVTCID tropical cafe

“Does it seem odd?”

By Prince Of Petworth

Published April 6, 2017 at 12:30PM

odd

“Dear PoPville,

Across from the building I was having drink at, Sixth Engine, I noticed a situation going on. Seems like people were being evicted. Earlier a couple had been out front and upset to come home from work to find their belongings on the sidewalk. They both left and and everything remained. While it’s none of my business what happened, I was surprised to see some people roll up and start loading the stuff into an SUV. The items had been on the sidewalk for a while and the people who came out of the SUV seemed more interested in picking through the items for things of value than movers would have.

Attached is a picture of the SUV loading the evicted people’s items into it. Does it seem odd that they had to clear out a lot of unopened Amazon boxes to make room for other things as well?”

Fast Casual Japanese Hibachi, Quickway, Opens on H Street near North Cap.

By Prince Of Petworth

Published March 16, 2017 at 10:05PM | Updated March 17, 2017 at 9:11AM

81 H Street, NW looking west towards Walmart

Update from Alexander W. McCall: “It’s already open.”

Coming soon signs went up in June but the space now looks like it can open up any day:

Check out Quickway Hibachi’s menu here.

“We bring the Teppanyaki (teppan, Japanese for griddle; yaki, grill, broiled) cooking technique to a quick service restaurant setting. The proteins are prepared fresh on the open grill in your full view, a true cooked to order signature dish.

We offer choices of salads, sides, and sushi, all prepared from All Day Fresh™ ingredients and homemade sauces.

Plus, we really care if you have a cool place to eat. We build our space to be clean, convenient and modern.

Of course, our food is healthy, with reduced salt, no trans fat, and no MSG.
And yeah, all this in a value package.

So if you are looking for freakin’ good food, with quick, quality service, then welcome and enjoy!”

Mike Isabella’s Arroz “contemporary take on the cuisines of Southern Spain and Morocco” opens March 27th

By Prince Of Petworth

Published March 13, 2017 at 10:30AM

aroz
901 Massachusetts Avenue NW

From a press release:

“Washington, D.C. chef and restaurateur Mike Isabella will open Arroz in the Marriott Marquis Washington, D.C on March 27 for dinner; lunch and weekend brunch service will begin later this spring. Arroz, Spanish for rice, is Isabella’s contemporary take on the cuisines of Southern Spain and Morocco.

Isabella welcomes executive chef Michael Rafidi to helm the kitchen and collaborate on the menu. Originally from the area, Rafidi returns to Washington, D.C. from Mina Group in San Francisco, by way of Noma in Copehagen and Talula’s Garden in Philadelphia. Most recently Rafidi served as executive chef at Michael Mina’s RN74.

“Spain has always been one of my favorite countries to explore and dine around – the deep variety and strong regional identity of Spanish cuisine is unlike anything else,” Isabella said. “I’ve recently had the chance to travel around Morocco as well, and was fascinated by how much these areas influence each other’s art, architecture and food. I think Arroz captures that intersection, and Michael Rafidi is the right chef to collaborate on this concept. I’m excited to share our interpretation of these food cultures with D.C.”

On the Menu (more…)