One Tree Hill

Looks Like Bikini-Clad Bar Won't Open in Adams Morgan

Remember Splash? The daiquiri bar promising hot, scantily clad wait staff? It was supposed to open in Adams Morgan in the fall of 2007. The space used to be the home of Santa Rosa restaurant which had closed earlier in that year. The address is 2224 18th Street NW, next to Awash Restaurant.

Splash still has a website up, and you can pretty much determine the direction they'd have gone if all went as planned. The Washington Business Journal article notes that Splash owners sought "to lure the 'sexiest' female bartenders. Women must submit a head shot, two full-body photos and a resume to the company." Quality service was obviously the first priority. Along with food. Funnel cakes and chicken wings encompassed the extreme of culinary experimentation for this place.

Anyway, it certainly appears that a restaurant will be opening in that space, but it won't be Splash. The moniker says Sawah Diner. I really have no idea of the cuisine, motif or price points. Feel free to enlighten me as to what Sawah Diner might entail. My best guess is Indonesian, other Southeast Asian or Middle Eastern. Can't say I regret not having the likes of Splash around. If he owners are determined, they will find a suitable location. More info on Sawah when it become available.

Caps Fans Should Stay Classy

In a really odd turn of events, the New York Rangers have requested that Capitals fans be nicer when the Rangers are playing at the Verizon Center. Actually, the general manager of the team asked the National Hockey League to discipline the team. The last game played at "the Phonebooth" in Penn Quarter resulted in some nasty words exchanged between Capitals fans in the lower rows and the coach of the Rangers, John Tortorella . Tortella claimed that the Cap fans were lobbing homophobic remarks at his players. He retaliated by throwing a water bottle over the plexiglass separating the fans from the bench.

Come on now Caps fans. Being an arena doesn't give you the right to let loose with whatever "insults" you can think of. And homophobia is hardly the best way to show support your team. I love sports, but sometimes I hate sports fan. Football fan is typically the most perverse, but after hearing about the Capitals fan, I'm a little bummed about our behavior. Grow up a little, remember that there are always kids around, and if you can't think of anything but a hateful slur to put out there, stuff your face with another pretzel and enjoy the action on the ice.

Columbia Road Loses String of Businesses

"Human Hair 30% Off." So says a door front sign of Beauty Island at 1753 Columbia Road NW. It's the only one of six storefronts remaining immediately west of Safeway in Adams Morgan. And Beauty Island promises to close soon, too.

Body Basics was the first to disappear, followed by Mattress Discounters, which moved to DCUSA. Foot Locker closed late last year and Popeye's and CitiBank shut their doors just weeks ago.

Washington City Paper is reporting that a CVS will occupy the space of the closed stores. Not sure if it will replace the CVS almost directly across the street at 1702 Columbia Rd NW. That location isn't exactly spectacular, but I can't really think of a spectacular CVS anywhere. Well, that one at Union Square Condos on 14th Street is pretty nice. But alas, it will probably be a money maker and I do find myself in one of them on at least a biweekly basis.

The CVS locations in Ward One seem to be lacking in customer service though. The worst seems to be the location at 14th and Irving Sts in Columbia Heights. I don't really have any complaints about the current location in Adams Morgan. So be it if it happens. I'd rather look at the motley collection of six interesting shops than the guaranteed boring faux architecture of a CVS facade. Sometimes I want to steal Austin's "Keep Austin Weird" motto for Adams Morgan, but that might have to wait until after our mini recession I guess. Corporations still rule. Sad.

Mount Pleasant Front Porch

Bread & Brew Goes Vegan for Earth Day

Now this was a great little place. Well, its not so little. Bread & Brew is a newish green minded restaurant near Dupont Circle. They agreed to serve a totally vegan menu for Earth Day. I was not disappointed. Neither were the dozens (maybe hundreds?) of others who flooded the place from happy hour until closing at 11:00pm.

B&B is located at 1247 20th St NW. The 42 bus stop at N and Connecticut is closest. The space used to house a sports bar, but now is inhabited by this company which stresses fresh ingredients, creative cooking by the chef and local products. The menu pre-Earth Day was fairly vegan friendly, but I gather they will begin to add more items to the established fare based on last night's turnout alone. We briefly talked to and congratulated the chef, who was making the rounds during a short break in the action. I'd love to get at least one main vegan dish on the menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are already plans to include vegan options for Saturday and Sunday Brunch.

The layout is cool; upstairs has a fast casual style of walk up ordering, while downstairs features a bar and table service seating. Not that we could move around much. The was the second event I've been to recently that was partially set up by Compassion Over Killing. The other was a visit to Astor Place for vegan pizza. And yes, B&B has vegan pizza too! Good work all around. Will definitely be paying a follow up visit.

Bus Stop

Mt Pleasant in the Movies

Two people just told me to go see the movie State of Play within the last few days. Uhhh.... I am not that big of a Russell Gladiator Crowe fan. But, I was told Mt Pleasant has a few bit parts in the film. The film crew was in the neighborhood in March of 2008.

I'm told Russell Crowe's character lives in a flat above Heller's Bakery. And apparently some other choice, non-Fed, DC spots get screen time as well, including Ben's Chili Bowl and some of its employees. I like that! Remember Enemy of the State (lots of states, eh....)? Will Smith's friend gets run over by a fire truck in Dupont Circle in that movie. And he shops for lingerie in a rather un-Georgetown like lingerie shop, in Georgetown. But no Mount Pleasant.

Anyone seen this flick? I may go just to see the Mt Pleasant Street cameos. Also, I'm looking for other films that feature or filmed in Mt Pleasant. If you know of any, please send them along.

Dupont's Green Credibility

So this is pretty cool. Dupont Circle has been listed as a Great Green Place by National Building Museum. They produced a video explaining the criteria of a great green space/place and why Dupont Circle fits the bill. One of the reasons? Yep, transit options like the 42 bus! Looks like they'll make videos for other neighborhoods, including Columbia Heights. I think Mount Pleasant qualifies, in some respects. Maybe we'll get a shout out down the road.

MTV's Real World House in Mount Pleasant?

Haha, no. But the show looks (again) like it may come to DC. Seems like every few years there is a rumor that the "reality" show--which had been around for 21(!) seasons-- will make it's way to the nation's capital. Who knows if we'll get the gig. Maybe we'll lose out to Real World Louisville, or Real World Boise this time around.

Who wouldn't want to have a chance to live with the likes of Tami "it wasn't not funny" Roman, Eric "the Grind" Nies, or Mike "yes, The Miz is his wrestling name" Mizanin. If the show does make it to DC I've got my money on Adams Morgan as the location. But what would the show look like? Hmmmm...

Real World Mount Pleasant: Shenanigans ensue when the seven strangers realize that because of the economy they're living in the basement of a group house already occupied by seven other strangers, all interns.

Real World Columbia Heights: Savvy housemate vows to get involved with the community by starting online petition against gentrification; from the roof deck of the Kenyon Square Condos, where the Real World DC loft is located.

Real World Georgetown: Only on the final episode is it revealed to the roommates that Georgetown is actually part of DC and not its own, supremely dignified, sovereign city.

Real World Petworth: The southern belle from Atlanta goes bananas on the first episode to voice her displeasure at having to live only a block away from Sherman Circle.

Real World Van Ness: Nothing happens. Nothing. Really.

Real World Dupont: Latent racist and homophobic cast member from the Midwest slowly learns to treat others with dignity and respect after an incident in which ...yada yada yada... repeat any episode from any of the previous 21 seasons of the Real World.

Real World Brookland: Cast members settle down to start that family, never leave DC, buy an SUV and a lawnmower.

Real World Capitol Hill: Angry Hill neighbors TP the Real World house in protest of MTV's garish paint job of the circa 1890 building.

Real World Adams Morgan: House meeting called on the first episode after innocent newcomer's mind blown that Wednesday night = start of the weekend and that pizza slices can be bigger than your head.

Real World Foggy Bottom: Entire cast, all 21 and under, mixes in with GWU students, never to be seen again.

Oh we could go on and on. Feel free to get creative and add some more in the comments.

After Midnight on Mt Pleasant Street

To Be or Not to Be: Ups and Downs of a DC Sports Fan

Snark can be a terrible thing. It makes scoffing at a bumbling, bad news bears of a baseball team easy. It makes laughing off a fool of a football team owner seem natural. And it makes one skeptical of an $111 million dollar bench warming star of a basketball player. But in the end, a true fan supports her/his team. Fly or fail. So, I will be supporting both the Nationals and the Capitals this year, as I do every year. One is at the top of the game. (For those of you living under a rock, that's the Capitals) The other is, well, in a bad place.

But I support the team all the same. Today the Nationals are playing the first game of the season in Nationals Park. They have yet to win a game, the last team in the MLB with that dubious distinction. But look, the bad years make the good years to come worth it. Ask the Capitals fans and ownership. They are on Cloud 9 now after some shaky years. Hopefully the Nationals are on that path. The current plan doesn't appear to be reaping any benefits that are analogous with the word "win." But neither did the Phillies' plan for much of the 90s and 2000s, and they are World Champions now.

So, win/loose/draw I will support the Nationals. And the Wizards, and the Capitals. Just like a good home team fan should. 6-0 or 0-6. See you at the Nats' game. The home opener begins at 3:05pm today. Sad to say, tickets are still available of this writing. (re: NFL; I'm a closet Miami Dolphins fan)

While we're at it, some more sports news from the District.

College Hockey. College Hockey?

What a treat the Frozen Four was. The amazing drama of the championship game, the surprising visit by the upstart Beavers, thousands of visitors to downtown and a great face put on by the city in general. DC has now logged it's first NCAA championship contest and hopefully there will be more to come. Now, if we can work on hosting a World Series or Stanley Cup Final...

World Cup!

This could be more than a decade away, but I'm bobbing up and down in my seat just thinking about it: DC may host a World Cup soccer match. We're talking way off; in 2018 or 2022. And that's if the U.S. is even selected by FIFA to host the games. The potential sites are, of course, Fed Ex Field and RFK Stadium, if its even around at that point. If the U.S. hosts the Cup in either of those years, count on the DC region getting a game somewhere. The best attended World Cup ever was hosted in the U.S. in 1994.

DC's "Arena" Football Team
Who knew? We have an "arena" football team. The DC Armor play at the DC Armory, naturally. The team is part of the American Indoor Football Association. The AIFA was formed in 2006 and is modeled after the Arena Football League and other indoor football leagues. The AFL is taking a year off to restructure, but the AFL2 season is in progress. It looks as if the AIFA is just a step below AFL2 in league structure, marketing and promotion.

The AIFA is made up of 10 teams, broken up into two divisions. DC Armor play in a division with the Baltimore Mariners (guess where they play their games) and three Pennsylvania teams; Harrisburg, Erie and Reading. The Armor played their first home game last week and have another tonight starting at 7:00 pm. Here's to minor league sports!

Double Take: Angelico Pizzeria

Open at 3205 Mt Pleasant Street NW

Hockeytown

The streets of PQ are hopping this weekend with hockey fans from all over the east coast and midwest. Sweetheart underdog favorite Bemidji Sate was defeated, but powerhouse hockey school Boston University won. They move on to face Miami (Ohio) in the NCAA championship. The game will be held Saturday at 7:00pm at the Verizon Center.

Unbelievably, this is the first NCAA championship game EVER held in the District. Of any sport! With a second seeded NHL playoff team and the D-I NCAA Championship, were are, for a while at least, Hockeytown USA.

Keeping Tabs: High-End Everything + Marriage Rights Edition

***Here's a rather amusing look at a guy on crutches who sometimes found it difficult to snag a "persons with disabilities" seat on the New York Subway. Yes, a serious topic, but this slightly rant-ish site provides a few laughs. Although I'm split on the posting of unknowing people's photos. Kind of weird! People Who Sit In The Disability Seats When I’m Standing On My Crutches

***When regular high-end isn't enough, there is ULTRA high end. Or so says a group of developers who want to outdo even Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons. They are bringing a unique boutique hotelier to Georgetown. Bliss in a bottle. Or in a hotel room. Names (hotel brand) haven't been named yet. But here's what the current location looks like. It's at 1050 31st Street NW.

View Larger Map

***Want more high end news? What about high end bikes! This City Room post let's us in on a secret: sales of $20,000 bikes in Manhattan are down slightly because of the economy. 20K? For a bicycle? Throwing money around like that is sooooooo 4th quarter of 2006.

***My design pick for the National Museum of African American History and Culture gets slammed by the Washington Post. The author notes that "...it is sad to see I.M. Pei's name and his firm's prestige associated with something so lackluster as the project submitted by Devrouax & Purnell and Pei Cobb Freed & Partners." Ouch! But he reveals sound reasons behind his own preference.

***Iowa, Vermont and DC all moved closer to marriage sanity/equality by advancing two pieces of legislation and killing another. DC City Council voted 12-0 to recognize same sex marriages performed in other states. That was not long after Vermont legalized gay marriage; by doing it the hard way. The legislature voted to over ride the governor's veto of the bill with a 2/3+ vote in each chamber. And in Iowa, the state's Supreme Court declared unconstitutional a ban on gay marriage, effectively re-legalizing it. I suspect DC will officially legalize gay marriage in the next few years, perhaps sooner!

Finally, A Real Coffee Shop Coming to PQ

The owner of Murky Coffee --which closed its DC store last year and will soon be closing its Arlington location-- will be opening up a new place on 475 H St NW. The new coffee shop will be called Wrecking Ball Coffee.

I'm totally excited! I've been reduced to trolling the Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts of the PQ coffee scene for too long. Finally some real coffee (and ambiance) in this neighborhood; with all due respect to Juan Valdez, formerly of 7th and E Streets.

This is a plus for the blog, too. I can get back to adding places to the Coffee/Riot series! There are several places on the still-to-visit list: Peregrine Espresso, Sova Espresso and Wine, and now Wrecking Ball. Perfect spring time activities. Any other places I should get to?

Cherry Blossom Crowds Over the Top

If its possible to feel claustrophobia in a wide open space, I had it last weekend. Just looking at the gridlocked car (and baby stroller) traffic around me was enough to cause anxiety. Sidewalks were jammed. We moved at more of a shuffle than a walk. And there was no way out. Once you decided to go with the flow, well, you were there for the long run. All par for the course for a beautiful Saturday at the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

The crowds downtown were amazingly dense and somewhat daunting. Being around so many people reminded me of the inauguration in a way. But less organized. Seeing the cherry blossoms wasn't even the ultimate objective. I wanted to use the Festival as an excuse to venture onto the National Mall and get back in touch with those parts of DC which I really appreciate, but rarely see. It's nice to be reminded that we ARE the nation's capital. And we are occasionally treated as such by the millions of visitors who make the trek here yearly. It's exciting to be around that. And I enjoy seeing everyone else get excited about being in DC, many for the first time.

After checking out the post-parade street festival on Penn Avenue, I barely made it down to the Tidal Basin. And no where close to the Jefferson Memorial, or any other memorial. I gave up after a couple of hours and lots of walking; very slow, walking. Maybe reconnecting with the National Mall and Federal DC can wait for a less popular holiday.

Columbia Road NW at Biltmore

New Museum Designs Are Cutting Edge

A new museum is scheduled to open on the National Mall in 2015. And yesterday, I took a trip downtown to view the proposed designs for it. The Smithsonian's new National Museum of African American History and Culture will be located at the corner of 15th and Constitution Sts NW. It will be one of the first landmarks visible to visitors entering DC by way of 14th Street. The Smithsonian tasked six architect and design teams to create the initial vision of what the museum will look like. These are not the final designs. Once a firm is chosen, the designs will be modified and will have to pass through a series of reviews by several entities which oversee these sorts of additions to the DC architectural cannon.

Here are some photos of each of the six models. The Washington Post has additional renderings and the full story. I can find good things to say about each of the designs, but my initial favorite is the Devrouax & Purnell + Pei Cobb Freed & Partners design. The models are on display with additional information about each presentation. See them at the Smithsonian Castle.

Visions Really is Dead; Will it Become Office Space?

Visions Bar Noir was located at 1927 Florida Ave NW. The Dupont theater featured indie and art flicks and was one of my favorite places in DC. It closed nearly five years ago. And it looks as if the space won't be showing films anytime soon, either.

There is major work going on inside and AED has its logos all over the front doors. The Academy for Educational Development is an international education non profit. AED rents space in a large building at 1825 Connecticut Ave NW; a building that backs up to the old Visions. Looks like Visions will be come axillary office space.

Sad end to a formerly dynamic building. Visions served alcohol and light fare with popular outdoor seating and midnight movies. The spring weather reminds me of great happy hours we had there during its heyday. Good while it lasted.

Circulator on Mt Pleasant Street

The pictured Circulator bus passed me on a walk down Mount Pleasant Street, at about 8:00pm. It was empty, but running the much discussed new route through Woodley Park, Adams Morgan, Mt Pleasant, Columbia Heights, U Street, Logan and McPherson Sq. Pretty crucial! Heck of a route there. Three buses passed me, with one going traveling the opposite direction, towards Woodley. Still trying to figure out how this bus can benefit me. A slightly faster way to Woodley Park seems to be it. How will you use it?

Props to DC for footing the bill for this route and another new Circulator route, replacing the N22 bus (Union Station to Navy Yard).