Andrew Jackson on a Horse

Uno Express, Baja Fresh Express, Canyons Burger to Judiciary Square

Baja Fresh Express, Uno Express and Canyons Burger Company are taking up residence in the District's One Judiciary Square building; address 441 4th St NW. The cafeteria-like space, which will house the three restaurants, is on the northwest corner of the building and looks as if it will remain open to the general public after reopening. There is currently a Firehook bakery at the other end of One Judiciary Square.

These are not stand alone stores. In this location, they're adopting the "quick serve" format. Quick serve locations typically have an abbreviated menu and smaller, franchised stores in settings such as food courts, malls and airports.

Baja Fresh Express and Canyons are part of the same company. The former specializes in a Cali-Mex, with pretty good burritos and tacos (including a salsa bar); and the latter in burgers, naturally. Canyons does have a veggie black bean burger on the menu. I hope the salsa bar and veggie burger stay on in this quick serve format. Uno Express is a modified version of the Chicago pizzeria.

I'm guessing if you work in Judiciary Square, you lunch on 7th St, Indiana Ave or at Union Station. In the end, more choices for a part of town with many federal and District workers, but limited lunch options.

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One Judiciary Square

Corner Bakery Coming to Chinatown

Corner spot for Corner Bakery

Corner Bakery Cafe is well into the build out of a new restarant in DC's Chinatown neighborhood. It is at the corner of 6th and H Sts NW, one block from Metro's Gallery Pl-Chinatown station. The office building at 777 6th Street NW has retail spaces wrapped the first floor; over 10,000 square of it. Corner Bakery inhabits a corner of the building kitty-corner to Wah Luck House.

Corner Bakery serves breakfast and lunch foods including salads, sandwiches, soups, chili, pastas as well as coffee drinks and --naturally-- baked goods and sweets. The Chinatown location will be DC's 6th and the 14th in the Washington metro area. 

Count me as always excited for affordable additions to the lunch scene in Penn Quarter-Chinatown. Although I was never that big on Corner Bakery (never really convenient to where I've lived or worked), I'm certainly willing to give this place a try. Looks like they'll have at least a couple of serviceable options for the vegans, nothing spectacular. Any recommendations? Are you exited about this addition to the PQ-Chinatown lunch scene? Let me know @The42BusDC.

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Friday Fun Post: Welcome to DC

Happy Friday! To all the college kids (and anyone else new to the District), WELCOME. You'll love this town. Try not to act like an idiot and we'll make sure you see why we're one of the hottest cities in the U.S. right now: in music, art, fashion (maybe a stretch), food, fake natural disasters and of course partying. Now, time for a Friday tradition: Dancing on your desk. Just trust me and just do it. No, get up there now! For serial. This is "Welcome to DC" from DC's go-go giant Mambo Sauce. Have a great weekend. And stay dry!

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Alberto's Out, Smoothie King In

Lots of Adams Morgan moves recently.

Alberto's was on of those half-reputable pizza places that was probably lumped in with the jumbo slice purveyors by passers-by, or at least by me. I don't know when exactly Alberto's closed, but they are indeed closed as of this week. 

The storefront, at 2438 18th St NW, will be filled by  Smoothie King, now in its fourth NW neighborhood. Gallery Place and Dupont each has a store, as does the food court of the Reagan Building (1300 Pennsylvania Ave). Smoothie King was founded in the 1960s and now relies on a franchising model to expand to new markets. They're actively looking to expand in DC as well as the states of Maryland and Virginia.

Good to have add variety on the strip. With pizza, falafel, schawarma, empanadas and more, there are plenty of choices for hand held, cheap foods in a neighborhood mostly known for bars and restaurants. Add smoothies to that list. I imagine they'll do just fine.

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Martin Luther King Jr Memorial: Photos

Yesterday, the National Park Service opened the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial one day ahead of schedule. The memorial is quite unique; it is the first major memorial on the National Mall to honor an African-American, one of the few that feature a non-President and at 30 feet, it's the tallest statuette on the Mall.

The layout is simple; two long, curving inscription walls, an "entrance way" made of two large mountain-like stones and the carved stone statue of King. Outside the footprint and landscaping of the memorial is the rangers' station and bookstore. From what I understand the memorial will be open to the public until 10pm each day until Thursday. It will close all day Friday and Saturday and reopen for the ticketed dedication on Sunday morning. After the festivities it will be open 24 hours/day like other monuments on the mall.

As far as DC residents getting a first look, well, that opportunity seems to have passed. The only mention I've heard since the announcement is that Mayor Gray is inviting DC residents down to the memorial today, August 23 from 8am-10pm. So, pretty much the same opportunity afforded everyone else, at this point. According to the city, the Mayor and other city leaders will be at the memorial to welcome visitors. At what time, I don't know. Sorry about that. Also, the MLK Jr DC Public Library is actively programming around the unveiling and a schedule can be found here.

FYI, getting there: I took the Metro to Smithsonian station and walked along Independence Ave to the memorial. I've seen all sorts of recommendations, from Farragut to Foggy Bottom to Arlington Cemetery stations. The Independence Ave walk is not suited for people in wheelchairs or large groups, but otherwise seems to be the fastest walking route from a Metro station.

Here are a few photos from yesterday:

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Chipotle's ShopHouse Hiring, Soon to Open in Dupont?

Still under wraps, but now hiring.

The Chipotle owned, Asian themed restaurant ShopHouse is now hiring for its first-in-the-nation DC location. To me, that says the opening date can't be too, too far off in the future. Chipotle already operates over 1,000 fast casual Mexican food restaurants, including locations all over the DC area. Their ShopHouse brand will be inspired by the cuisine of Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. I'm intrigued.

The Dupont location is the first floor of what used to be the Riggs Bank building, adjacent to the Dupont Metro station. PNC Bank inhabited the building after buying Riggs and went about re-leasing the Connecticut Avenue storefronts to other retail businesses. ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen will be located at 1516 Connecticut Ave NW, joining AT&T, Sweetgreen, and BGR. By the way, ShopHouse is hiring for line cooks, prep cooks, and of course, servers. 

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Instant Noodles Opens in Adams Morgan

This news is more than a month old, but I was reminded on my walk last night that Adams Morgan may have lost a pizza place, but gained a new noodles restaurant. Instant Noodles had its grand opening on July 4 at 2408 18th Street NW. Remember, this used the be Spy Lounge. It's adjacent to Sutra/Savour; formerly Felix.

Instant Noodles has a mix of Thai and Vietnamese dishes including banh mi sandwiches, pho and pad thai style noodles. Haven't been there, but look forward to trying this place out. They have several vegetarian selections that look as if they can be made vegan; we'll see.

Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

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Pizza Hut Closes in Adams Morgan

Closed?

Adams Morgan is down one pizza joint. The Pizza Hut at 1769 Columbia Rd appears shuttered, at least for the time being. A quick check of the Pizza Hut website reveals that the location is no longer available in the store locator search.  Sorry Adams Morgan, no more Hut pizza or hot wings for the time being. Le sigh... Just kidding. I imagine it won't be missed. I rarely witnessed customers patronizing this place. However, if you do yearn for the Hut 'za, fliers over the covered windows direct customers to a nearby location on Georgia Avenue NW. 

Rest assured you'll be able to get much better pies without traveling too far from 1769 Columbia. Of course in Mount Pleasant we have Radius Pizza and Angelico. In Columbia Heights, Pete's Apizza and Red Rocks. In Adams Morgan multiple jumbo slice locations (too many to list here), Astor Mediterranean, Pi Pizzeria and a few others barely clinging to the ladder rung just above jumbo slice operators. Basically, you're still covered for pizza in the neighborhood. If I get an update on this space, you'll be the first to know!

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Julius Caesar is This Year's Shakespeare Free for All

Harman Hall in DC's Penn Quarter

Shakespeare Theatre Company continues a tradition this week with its Free for All series. Each summer the company offers a production free of charge. That's right, no cost to you. Of course demand has always outstripped supply, so there are various ways to get in on the free theater, including a lottery.

Julius Caesar is, yes, about the conspiracy to assassinate the Roman leader and the trappings of power at the highest levels, among other themes. We weren't tasked to read it in high school, but this probably would have trumped the others, if only because it's based in the truth of a rather sensational and sordid story. 

The free shows are at various times, starting this Thursday August 18 until September 4. You can get free tickets by standing on line before the show, entering an online lottery, or through give-aways from STC. Visit this page on STC's website for all the details. Shows will take place at Sidney Harman Hall at 610 F Street NW. Good luck and enjoy!

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August in the City

7th and H unusually slow at lunch hour

Is it just me or did half of DC pack it in for the rest of August? I know that Congress and the bevy of interns are done at this point; to return in September and next summer, respectively. But what about everyone else? My favorite watering holes were conspicuously empty last weekend, the Metro has been a breeze (for me anyway) the last few mornings and there just doesn't seem to be a lot going on. I guess I should enjoy it. Soon enough, new college students will decend upon DC (the Target in Columbia Heights, specifically), high school students will be back on the morning bus routes and Congress will be back, doing, well, I'm sure not much more than they've done the rest of this epic failure of a Congressional term. Until then, I'm enjoying the spot of good weather whenever it comes our way, rooftop lounging at my friends' places and thinking about DC street festival season, which is right around the corner.

Friday Fun Post: Red and Hot

At 15, I dreamt about getting caught with a copy of the Mother's Milk cd, tossing it up in a teacher's face --proclaiming my First Amendment rights-- and promptly being assigned detention for having indecent materials on my person. Alas, I went to a pretty liberal high school and no one really cared that Anthony Kiedis and a well placed rose were preventing what would later be known as a wardrobe malfunction, from appearing on this cd artwork.

And that was that. A middle school friend of mine (shout out to Dave W) turned me on the the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the 1-2 punch of Mother's Milk and Blood Sugar Sex Magik made me a fan for life. There are so many good songs on BSSM. Power of Equality, Breaking the Girl, Naked in the Rain; the whole damned album. But, I'm feeling this one today. It's Suck My Kiss by the Red Hot Chili Peppers from 1991's Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Enjoy and have a great weekend.

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District Residents May Get First Look at King Memorial

Site map from: mlkmemorial.org

News broke yesterday that District residents will get a chance to tour the new Martin Luther King Jr memorial before most of the rest of the country does. The opening festivities and dedication are on August 28. But, the anticipated public opening of the grounds is August 22. Details are yet to be released, but some D.C. residents will supposedly get (through lottery?) a guided tour of the newest major memorial on the National Mall on the 23rd. That is fantastic news.

The King Memorial is located in quite the spot; directly in the line of sight between John Russell Pope's Thomas Jefferson Memorial and Henry Bacon's iconic Lincoln Memorial. (Also adjacent to F.D.R.'s expansive memorial) King's will be the first major memorial on the Mall to honor an African-American as well as a non-President. I'll update this post when and if I am made aware of the procedures for obtaining a D.C. resident tour.

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Intercity Buses Moving to Union Station

Union Station

The old Greyhound bus station site was just sold to a developer who plans to build offices and continue the steady reconstruction of the "NoMa" neighborhood in NE DC.

Good timing. Greyhound buses, along with several other carriers, will soon be based at Union Station --a big win for commuters. Megabus, Bolt Bus and Washington Deluxe will join Greyhound at DC's beaux-arts transit center. Finally! To me this was a no-brainer and I'm glad to see the idea come to fruition. Union Station, opened in 1907, is also hub for Amtrak, MARC, VRE, Metrorail, Metrobus and Circulator. Onsite and nearby are bikeshare, bike rental and car rental facilities. Just missing a port and an airstrip...

The move to base intercity buses at Union Station means that travelers will no longer have to make a connecting trip (often by foot) from the aging Greyhound station at 1005 1st St NE to Union Station. And the popular Megabus and Bolt Bus discount carriers will be able to host riders under the cover and relative safety of the Union Station garage. No more exposure the weather and other elements on the streets of DC. Great move by everyone involved. A win for NoMa, a win for Union Station, a win for the bus companies, and a win for commuters. 

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Friday Fun Post: 90s Redux

Before the terrible rap-metal trend of the early 2000s, there were a few true collaborations between real deal rap groups and real deal metal bands. This is one of the best political rap bands of the 80s and 90s --Public Enemy-- and Anthrax, a really good metal band also from the 80s and 90s. This collabo produced an extremely popular song that made the rounds on MTV and elsewhere for years. So, TURN IT UP. This is "Bring the Noise," from 1991.

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Third Dry Cleaner for Mount Pleasant Street

So says the vinyl banner hanging at 3247 Mount Pleasant Street NW. This building was most recently the office for DC city officials overseeing the 2009-2011 streetscape improvements on Park Road and 14th Street in Columbia Heights. At opening, dry cleaning establishments on Mount Pleasant Street will number three. Mount Pleasant Cleaners (3125) and Lamont St Cleaners (3173) have offered drop off dry cleaning and tailoring services for years.

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National Building Museum Exhibit Features Mount Pleasant

Mt P investigators congratulated at exhibition opening

Last Friday I attended the opening reception for Investigating Where We Live, an exhibition at the National Building Museum. Investigating Where We Live is a yearly summer program at the museum for middle and high school students. The students pick three DC neighborhoods and investigate with digital cameras and microphones in tow. Then they curate an exhibition in order to showcase their work. Much of the exhibit is photography, but it really is multi-media with written work, videos of interviews, QR codes, and audio players throughout the exhibit.

The team investigating Mount Pleasant pretty much nailed it. The photos are great! They have a flickr page with photos from all the neighborhoods, too (including Bloomingdale and H Street NE). I was interviewed by the group on a site visit and gave a brief history of Mount Pleasant and talked about why I love living here (including having access to the 42 bus!). The students subtitled the Mount Pleasant part of the exhibit "Mount Pleasant: D.C.'s Small Diverse Town." Sounds about right to me. The H Street NE and Bloomingdale teams did a tremendous job as well.

The Investigating Where We Live exhibition is open through May 28, 2012. The National Building Museum is located in Judiciary Square at 401 F Street NW. $8 admission.

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