Back in Oct. ’10 we learned that a St. Louis based Pi Pizzeria would be opening up a location at 910 F St, NW. They are also launching a pizza truck and their twitter feed announces yesterday:
“Making our first batch of dough in DC! Hoping to give away some free pizzas tomorrow [Thurs.] afternoon near our future 910 F Street NW restaurant.”
You can see their menu here. You can follow their twitter updates @PiTruckDC here.
This is always a fun celebration. The parade is always my favorite but you gotta get their early to get a good view (though not sure how the Super Bowl will affect the crowd size…)
Chinatown Coffee Co. is taking advantage of the holiday to create a crazy concoction:
From an email:
“Chinatown Coffee Co. will celebrate Chinese New Year on Sunday, February 6th, 2011 from 2pm to close. To ring in the Year of the Rabbit, Chinatown Coffee Co. will feature “The Crazy Rabbit” cocktail, composed of absinthe and champagne. Additionally, the shop will offer its customary bar, coffee, and tea menus.
Chinatown Coffee Co.’s Chinese New Year celebration will be held on the same day as DC’s annual Chinese New Year parade on H Street, NW in Chinatown. The parade is from 2pm to 5pm and will feature a traditional Chinese Dragon Dance, Kung Fu demonstrations, and live musical entertainment.
Chinatown Coffee Co. is located at 475 H Street, NW, on the corner of 5th and H.”
And from MPD:
“Year of the Hare Chinese New Year Parade Street Closures
On Sunday, February 6, 2011, the Year of the Hare Chinese New Year Parade and celebration will take place in the District of Columbia from approximately 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. In conjunction with this event, there will be several street closures and parking restrictions that motorists should take into consideration.”
Details after the jump. (more…)
At the end of this year the H St, NE shuttle stopped running from Chinatown to H St, NE (and a bit of Bladensburg Rd) and back. I noticed one of the shuttles (pictured above) by Mt. Vernon Square. Do you think the shuttles will be painted over and used for something else – or will they just get mothballed in case the service gets funded again?
On a related note, has the suspension/end of the service affected how often you got to H St, NE?
The old Le Paradou at 601 Penn. Ave, NW (entrance on Indiana Ave) will soon become Fiola. According to a recent liquor license application it will be ” Italian Cuisine, with Entertainment Endorsement, Summer Garden with 54Seats, Total Occupancy Load 195.”
They’re also hiring. (H/t nycnell).
When I stopped by last weekend it looked like a major renovation was underway:
And on a side note, for the history buffs, here’s a neat piece of info about 601 Penn. Ave, NW:
The Source is located in the Newseum building at 575 Pennsylvania Ave, NW. I figured since it’s Wed. house porn, I throw some restaurant porn up as well. Is this restaurant porn? I just assume so because the First Lady and President recently ate there. Their Web site says:
The Source is the first fine dining restaurant in the nation’s capital headlined by Chef Wolfgang Puck. Designed by EDG, the three-level restaurant is the signature dining experience at the Newseum, an interactive museum dedicated to the news. The Source offers two distinct dining experiences as well as a private room located on the lower level that seats up to 40 guests.
The ground floor bar and lounge where guests enter offers approachable dining in a casual setting with a traditional Japanese Izakaya menu featuring Asian-inspired delights. Upstairs, guests can enjoy a menu that features modern interpretations of Asian dishes. The modern aesthetic design boasts floor-to-ceiling windows that line the restaurant and a two-story, temperature-controlled glass wine wall linking the main floor with the upstairs that holds more than 2,000 bottles of the restaurant’s impressive collection.
You can see their menus here.
From a DCPL press release:
What: Kick off the DC Public Library’s week long celebration honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with jazz concert and exhibit reception.
When: Jan. 10, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library
901 G St. NWThe DC Public Library honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a week-long series of programs built on the theme, “See Him, Hear Him, Live His Dream.”
Critical Exposure, a photography nonprofit that teaches young people advocacy, will open an exhibit called “Picture Equality.” In addition there will be a showcase of King-inspired images submitted to the Library’s flickr.com page.
Opening remarks will be followed by a reception co-hosted by the DC Jazz Education Program. Herman Burney and his jazz ensemble will perform standards, original music and a set of Nina Simone songs featuring vocalist Akua Allrich.
I work right near Chinatown and pass through it every day. yet it was years before I really started to notice some of the restaurant names there.
Let me share a few of my favorites.
Eat First Restaurant
Seeing this restaurant name when walking down the street poses a fairly obvious question: “As opposed to what?” What is the restaurant owner suggesting happens “first” at other lesser dining establishments? And how is the “eat first” moniker a competitive advantage? All I can think of is “Eat first and ask questions later,” which isn’t terribly appetizing.
New Big Wong
So when naming this restaurant, the owner didn’t think calling it simply “Big Wong” would be good enough. They probably didn’t feel that packed enough punch. Hard to imagine, but that could be possible. So instead, they decide to call the place the New Big Wong. That’s kind of genius.
Okay, I will admit, when I first moved to DC, this was the first Chinese restaurant I ate at. Why? Because I couldn’t wait to go back to work and have someone ask me where I went for lunch.
Wok-N-Roll
Step back, pun-loving DC Thai restaurants! The proprietors of Wok-N-Roll know a thing about wordplay, too! But what makes this restaurant noteworthy isn’t the name, but the building itself. If you read the tiny marker attached the the remains of the facade, you’ll learn that Wok-N-Roll used to be–about 145 years ago–the home of Mary Surratt. Back then, Mary was one of the conspirators convicted and hung hanged for the assassination of President Lincoln. Today, Mary Surratt is one of the hardest working spooks in DC. I’m not talking the CIA variety, either. Her ghost is rumored to haunt no less than four locations in downtown DC, including this building. So if you see a rather pale woman roaming the tables at Wok-N-Roll, it might be Mary! Scary! If you told spectral Mary that her home was now a restaurant that serves Chinese food, she’d probably reply, “What is Chinese food?”
Mee Wah Lung
Perhaps I’m being too much of a stickler here. But I’m pretty sure having the word “lung” in a restaurant title is a pretty tough marketing challenge. That may explain why it is now out of business.
Asian Spice is not an unusual name in itself, its actually fairly clear and straight forward. The name would only be a problem if they served, say, Icelandic hot dogs or Hungarian baked goods. There are several dishes on the Asian Spice menu with unusual names. Case in point, the rack of Lamb, aka “Silence of the Lamb.” Plus, $29! They must have to pay some royalties or something.
I can only imagine that there is some Chinese language blog out there somewhere who loves to nail Chinatown’s other business for the translation of the characters they more-than-likely misuse. So I guess we are all even in the end.
Any other restaurant names–from Chinatown or elsewhere–that stick out in your mind as classics?
We first learned that Hill Country would be coming to 410 7th Street, NW back in March ’10.
You can see their menu here.
Damn those pictures look good! Can’t wait to see if it tastes as good as it looks. Stay tuned for updates when an exact opening date is announced.
Back in May we learned that a place called the Museum of Arts and Sciences was coming to 915 F St, NW. Didn’t know much more beyond that and the mystery continues. Thanks to a reader for sending the word:
“At noon on Tuesday, December 21, 2010, the ownership of Museum (Museum of Arts & Sciences, LLC) unexpectedly suspended all operations and shuttered the business.”
You can find a bit of background on the space from DC Mud here.
Anyone ever check it out?
Photo courtesy of @mpyzocha
“Dear PoP,
I went last night and thought it was great. There’s a pretty varied menu compared to my favorite Pho place (Pho 75 is Rosslyn, VA) but I stuck with your basic Pho. Definitely worth a stop. Reasonably priced and cute interior design as well.”
Pho DC is located at 608 H St, NW. We’ve first heard about their arrival back in June. Glad to hear they’ve opened. And super glad to hear the Pho is good. Anyone else check them out yet?