[Erik Ox]

So, as a new occupant of the Hall of States, I just received a call from a friend who asked if I had heard the great local dining news. According to his "sources" La Colline will be shutting down sometime next week and replacing it will be.....

Johnny's Half Shell

This may also may explain the LA Times article last week about business being down. While I am happy for a new dining destination, I also have my doubts that it's another JHS, but what do I know. Anyone able to verify either way?

[mhberk]

That's too bad! I took my wife (my girlfriend then) there for Valentine's Day a few years ago and had the most unbelievable bouillabaisse I have ever had!

[The Delicious]

I work in the Hall of States as well, and have never really cared for La Colline. In fact, the office never eats there anymore, and when we do have a work-related luncheon, we dine at Bistro Bis. It's probably because my office window looks out on the Hotel George/Bis and it's got me hypnotized. However, La Colline does provide a huge service for the building with their little take-out joint in the back. I wonder if Johnny's will replicate that?

[Woodleygrrl]

I have never been to this place but work right next door. I for one would never cross a picket line, which is what this place has had for about four years or so.

Sad of course for the workers that will lose their jobs.

[bilrus]

Woodleygrrl, on Feb 9 2006, 09:02 AM, said:

I have never been to this place but work right next door.  I for one would never cross a picket line, which is what this place has had for about four years or so.

Sad of course for the workers that will lose their jobs.

I think it has been longer than that, or at least they had a different one in 1996. The Democratic Campaign Committee I was working for had to cancel an event we had planned there due to some labor issues.

[The Delicious]

It's been longer than 4 years, but "picket line" might be a little strong, considering that it's usually one guy walking around with a small sandwich board. I wonder if they'd even care if the restaurant wasn't so close to the afl-cio building.

[Woodleygrrl]

Actually, it is next to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters building, not the AFL-CIO and there is a legitimate labor dispute there.

So hopefully, the new joint will be wonderful, I will be able to dine there and there is love all around

[ladycakeapril]

I, for one, will miss the expert way the La Colline waiters bone the fish at your table. Service like that is hard to come by in this city.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Woodleygrrl, on Feb 9 2006, 10:17 AM, said:

Actually, it is next to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters building, not the AFL-CIO and there is a legitimate labor dispute there. 

So hopefully, the new joint will be wonderful, I will be able to dine there and there is love all around

There is a lot of union offices down in that part of town.

[DonRocks]

ladycakeapril, on Feb 9 2006, 10:56 AM, said:

I, for one, will miss the expert way the La Colline waiters bone the fish at your table. Service like that is hard to come by in this city.

Do they bone the fish, or do they de-bone it?

Speaking of which, not many people realize that Andrew "Gallstone" Jackson was into kinky chain sex. Proof: the equestrian statue smack dab in the middle of Lafayette Park, to be viewed from the eastern perspective.

Cheers,
Rocks

[Barbara]

It's been many years since we had dinner at La Colline. Back in the day it was our go-to place to take folks for a "special" dinner. However, neither Corduroy or Firefly existed at the time, so I won't be shedding any tears.

[oliveDC]

This rumor's been floating around for a few months and I tried to track down something substantial for a story I was working on back in November. The person I spoke to at La Colline was furious and said people keep asking them but they just signed a new lease. Johnny's said they were shopping at one point but it was off the table.

That's not to say it's not true, but those were the responses I got.

[oliveDC]

I have more info coming in today that they are closing ... next week. Stay tuned.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

This from a friend of mine:

Quote

I heard that Joel Wood is actually thinking about making it into a Louisiana style place --- which of course Johnny's is, sort of, with John Breaux as a co-investor.  He's reportedly going to bust open the walls and turn it into a fun after-work joint ala New Orleans.  This is from the horse's mouth --- my colleague X X X  is a neighbor of Joel's and talked to him about it over the weekend.

[Mark Slater]

Jacques Gastreaux, on Feb 15 2006, 02:00 PM, said:

What was that stuff on the Chat today about Komi and the replacement for La Colline?  I didn't get it.

Johnny's as in Half Shell, not Johnny as in Komi.

[MBK]

But do we think Johnny's is moving? Or just opening a new location? It would be a huge loss for my sanity if the bar at Johnny's is no longer a couple of blocks from my house...

[oliveDC]

Sure sounded like it from Tom's comment about Dupont's loss.

[jdl]

From Tom's chat yesterday:
"La Colline was purchased by A Well-Known Restaurateur in late January and is poised to become --- I type, fingers crossed -- a destination dining room in the near future. Stay tuned for more details, once my source is able to share more news about the deal."

Destination dining room, eh?

[jparrott]

Great! They're moving the Greyhound station and expanding its services!

[jdl]

jparrott, on Feb 23 2006, 09:31 AM, said:

Great!  They're moving the Greyhound station and expanding its services!

(Isn't Corduroy a destination dining room? You know, since the decor has been likened to an airport lounge...)

[Drive-by Critic]

After years of "on my list" I finally went to La Colline a few weeks ago. The food was wonderful. I won't bother going into detail, since it won't do anyone any good now.

The service - at the table - was quite nice.

HOWEVER, talk about making guests feel unwelcome. We waited and waited and waited at the front hallway, looking into the dining room and the bar for a maitre d' (boy, that looks so funny - but I think it is right). No one showed up.

Eventually, we walked into the bar and asked the bartender if anyone could seat us. A man standing at the bar, yakking to others as though he was a customer, said rather sarcastically that he would. I sarcastically asked him "well, if you are sure you want us to have dinner here...we were beginning to think that perhaps you weren't interested in our business."

It was a Tuesday night and the place was dead.

Maybe we just weren't important enough? I don't usually eat out on Capitol Hill, so I don't know if this is typical.

Ellen

[jdl]

So, who's moving into this space? Come on, people - I thought you were plugged in.

[mdt]

jdl, on Mar 4 2006, 08:09 AM, said:

So, who's moving into this space? Come on, people - I thought you were plugged in. 

See post #15 above...

[jdl]

mdt, on Mar 4 2006, 10:05 AM, said:

See post #15 above...

I did. But the math doesn't add up to me. Johnny (as in 's Half Shell) + La Colline = "destination dining room"?

[youngfood]

The Hill makes it somewhat more official: Johnny's is leaving Dupont and moving into La Colline's space on Capital Hill.

Metro
• Farewell La Colline, hello Johnny’s Half Shell. Long a favorite haunt of expense-account journalists, Paul Zucconi’s boîte at 400 N. Capitol was haunted by labor disputes that kept Dems away. Now it will be Johnny’s Half Shell, owned by Ann Cashion and John Fulchino. A personalized, upscale seafood house, Johnny’s is moving to the Hill from 2002 P St. N.W. ...

http://www.hillnews....ape/030806.html

[JLK]

Any news yet re: what will fill Johnny's present space?