end of an era

After 10 Years, Toro Mata closing in Adams Morgan January 24th

By Prince Of Petworth

toro mata
2410 18th Street, NW via Toro Mata

From Toro Mata:

“Dear Friends:

After more than ten years, Toro Mata will be closing our 18th Street shop on January 24th, 2016.

We will forever be grateful for the many memorable experiences and treasured friendships that have come our way. We are especially thankful for the consistent support we received from our Adams Morgan neighbors over the years.

After we take a short break this winter, you will still be able to find us in DC at various markets and “pop up” events in the near term. We are also exploring new permanent locations for the future. Please continue to follow us on Facebook for the latest details.

We encourage anyone with a gift certificate or store credit to redeem in the next three weeks, but we will also honor these credits at any location in the future.

We are extending our Year End Clearance Sale until Sunday the 24th of January. Please stop in and enjoy the savings!

Warmest Regards,

Hector Zarate and Jim Nixon
TORO MATA”

Last Day for Dupont’s YMCA

By Prince Of Petworth

ymca
1711 Rhode Island Avenue, NW

We confirmed the scuttlebutt in October but it’s still hard to believe today is the last day for Dupont’s YMCA.

“The facility will close as a YMCA as of December 31, 2015.

The Y plans to utilize the proceeds from the sale of the YMCA National Capital facility to serve more region-wide residents and provide more volunteer and employment opportunities, thus increasing its impact in the region. In addition, proceeds from the sale will allow the Y to contribute to the revitalization of existing region-wide community/ neighborhood-based Ys, reinvest in programs and services that serve families (such as Youth Advocacy, Achievement Gap, Early Child Development and STEM), alleviate existing debt, and contribute to determining the feasibility of establishing another YMCA facility in Washington, DC.”

“The Art Deco landmark was formerly a McDonald’s that bore the scars of its past: bullet holes in the walls and crime lurking outside”

By Prince Of Petworth

dc coast
14th and K Street, NW

From a press release:

“When DC Coast sets sail on December 31, 2015, it will leave many waving a grateful farewell. Opened in Washington, DC in 1998, the iconic restaurant in an Art Deco landmark building was the daring first venture of Passion Food Hospitality partners chef Jeff Tunks, Gus DiMillo and David Wizenberg. They had a radical vision to open within the soaring first floor of the historic building at Franklin Square that essentially led the breakthrough for the 14th Street revival. It honored the tri-coastal regions where Tunks found his culinary passion and became an incubator for talented, award-winning chefs who got their start working under Tunks’ wing.

The Art Deco landmark was formerly a McDonald’s that bore the scars of its past: bullet holes in the walls and crime lurking outside, but the partners saw only opportunity. Tunks’ visionary approach paved the way for the area’s renewal and ushered in a new wave of contemporary American cuisine that led to critical acclaim from The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Esquire, Bon Appétit and Food & Wine as well as praise from Travel + Leisure as one of the “Top 50 Restaurants in America.” Tunks was a pioneer for DC, among that first generation bringing a contemporary spin to the American table along with Larry Forgione, Jeremiah Tower and Wolfgang Puck. Tunks’ method for recruiting culinary talent followed a similar pattern: look for the potential. The toques who cut their teeth in his kitchen before launching their own ventures have a different perspective about the closing of DC Coast—a gateway that catapulted them to where they are today… (more…)

After 13 Years, CakeLove closing on U Street “to Focus on New Line of Business”

By Prince Of Petworth

cakelove
1506 U Street, NW

Ed. Note: I know some people joke about CakeLove today – but for those who weren’t around – when CakeLove first opened on U Street back in the day they were the absolute shit – they were the bomb – they were the bees knees. If you got someone CakeLove for their birthday – you were a hero. They were also the ones who started the cupcake revolution in DC. Like I said, we joke about it now (hell I joke about it often) but CakeLove did an awful lot to turn around this section of U Street back when there weren’t tons of reasons to visit U Street unlike today. So props to the CakeLove team – we kid – but I have nothing but respect for what you’ve accomplished and what you’ve done for the resurgence of U Street and the District.

In January 2012 Love Cafe closed across the street and is now Mediterranean Spot.

From a press release:

“CakeLove, a DC-based cake bakery founded in 2002, is launching a new online store this month in response to significantly increased demand for its premium grab-and-go dessert, CakeLove in a Jar. To facilitate CakeLove’s growth and expansion, the company is shuttering its long-time U Street location.

To mark the start of this great new chapter, CakeLove is hosting a party on Saturday, Dec. 19, from noon to 3 p.m. to celebrate its 13+ years at 1506 U Street NW with neighbors, friends, fans and supporters.

The launch party will include a cake-cutting ceremony to mark the official launch of a new CakeLove, free giveaways of CakeLove’s new product, CakeLove in a Jar, and a raffle of several autographed cookbooks by CakeLove’s founder, Warren Brown. (more…)

Changes Coming to the Zoo Bar

By Prince Of Petworth

IMG_1804
3000 Connecticut Ave, NW right across the street from the Zoo

A reader reports:

“I’m a long-time regular of Zoo Bar in Woodley Park in DC. I heard from someone who works there that it’s closing (at least for now as Zoo Bar). Apparently, someone (don’t know who) bought it. Of course, as you know, Steve McKinney passed away in August. His daughter Lindsay was running the bar.”

On the Cleveland Park listserv another resident wrote:

“The Zoo Bar, a longtime local cafe, and music venue, at 3000 Connecticut, has shut its doors for good last Saturday. According to the information I have been given, the place has been sold and the new owners have not decided when, or if, they will re-open. This is a real loss for the neighborhood and for the Blues community.”

Updates when more info is known.

Millennium Decorative Arts closing on U Street at the End of the Year – An Interview with the Owner by ATTIC DC

By Prince Of Petworth

millenium

We appreciate PoPville giving us the opportunity to post the following excerpts from an interview with Millennium Decorative Arts’ owner Glynn Romero. The interview was in final production for publication when we learned the news that Millennium will be closing its doors for good at the end of the year – after more than 20 years of operation on U St. This news comes on the heels of the closure of two other similar stores in the area – Mara Home of 14th and U, and Simon Vintage of Shaw. We believe these events demonstrate the impact our rapidly changing and developing city is having on the retail landscape and neighborhoods of DC. Please keep local, independent businesses in mind the next time you shop for furniture, clothing and more. While national retailers and big box stores also contribute greatly to our city, it is the stores that you don’t find anywhere else that we believe give our neighborhoods their true and most valuable character.

glynn

How long has Millennium Decorative Arts been in business? 

Millennium opened in September of 1992. It was a multi-dealer store when it first opened (like an antique mall) where people rented spaces to sell only mid-century furniture and accessories. The original owners were Tom Mallan and his wife Trish. I bought it from a second pair of owners in 1998. It was originally two floors with a spiral staircase connecting the floors. I reduced the size to one floor in 2005, which it has remained, since then. (more…)

DC Coast Closing on K Street at the end of the year

By Prince Of Petworth

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14th and K Street, NW

EaterDC reports the “restaurant’s last day of business will be New Year’s Eve”:

“It’s been a long road for D.C. Coast, which opened back in June of 1998. At the time, K Street was a very different place. “At nine o’clock, it would be prostitutes everywhere; they just came out of the woodwork,” he said. He remembers a time when partner Gus DeMillo chased a group of working ladies down the street, brandishing a giant pepper mill.”

They also note the return of TenPenh (the old space is now the recently opened Tadich Grill) to the hinterland:

“The company will bring back its pan-Asian restaurant, which closed in 2011, in a new format, this time in Tysons Corner.”

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