clchurch

From an inside source: apparently the owner was subletting the space and suddenly had his rent jacked up and couldn't make the numbers work.

According to the Prince of Petworth, a new Indian Restaurant has just opened in Petworth. I am somewhat skeptical about anything with the word "fusion" in it, but it appears to have a great pedigree - click.

My vote goes to Bar Pilar; great food and drink.

According to an article about street vendors that appeared in the Post a couple of days ago, the shwarma cart (I'm assuming they were refering to this one) has gone out of business.

Having just gone there last night, I can tell you the answer is no.

I was told that it will be in the old Ellington's space on 8th St. I walked by the other day and the Ellington's sign is gone and there is work going on inside.

I know there's already a thread on dive bars, but not all neighborhood bars are dives. I often hear that DC doesn't have many neighborhood bars, but I disagree. Some neighborhoods will never have their own bar/pub based on zoning, but you don't have to go too far in the district to find one. Based upon years of arduous research, here's a list of DC neighborhood bars that pop to mind (in no particular order) Palisades - DC Boat House (although I have high hopes for the Kendle Tavern when it opens) Foxhall/Spring Valley - Chef Geoff's (it has a great long wooden bar) Friendship Heights - Chadwick's Chevy Chase - Chevy Chase Lounge Tenleytown - Dancing Crab/Malt Shop (although I preferred the old location) Cathedral Heights - Cafe Deluxe Glover Park - Bourbon Georgetown - Martin's Tavern Cleveland Park - Cleveland Park Tavern Woodley Park - Woodley Grill Dupont - Childe Harold Dupont East - Townhouse Tavern Foggy Bottom/West End - Red Lion or 51st State Tavern Golden Triangle - Bottom Line Logan Circle - Stoney's U Street - Saloon or Polly's Mt. Pleasant - Raven Adams Morgan - Toledo Lounge or the Reef (except on weekends) Columbia Heights - Wonderland Petworth - Temperance Hall (not technically in Petworth, I know, but right across the street) Takoma - Takoma Tavern Brightwood/Manor Park - Jackie Lees (a cool and historic place but with eratic days/hours) Brookland - Colonel Brooks Woodridge - Saints Bourbon Street Union Station - Irish Times or Dubliner Penn Quarter/Downton - Matchbox, Harry's or Irish Channel Shaw - Dominion Brew House Capitol Hill (Senate side) - Union Pub Captiol Hill (House side) - Tune Inn Eastern Market - Tunnicliff's Potomac Ave/Hill East - Trusty's Trinidad - Argonaut (again, not technically in Trinidad, but esentially across the street) Congress Heights - Georgina's aka the Player's Lounge Neighborhoods sorely lacking neighborhood bars: Shepherd Park Brentwood Van Ness (I miss Passport; it was a dive, but a likeable dive) Southwest (Cantina Marina doesn't really fit my idea of a neighborhood bar) Eckington (hopefully EC-12, if it ever comes to fruition, will change that) Navy Yard/Ball Park district (this should change with the opening of the stadium and all the new residences under construction) Anacostia and most other neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River --- Hawk 'n' Dove (Pat)

An article in today's Washington Business Journal says that the Sheraton Four Points is going to make way for a luxury office tower. Since I couldn't read the entire article, I'm not sure of the timeline on this.

Well, I wouldn't trust a place named Izakaya that didn't serve alcohol. Izakaya is a generic Japanese term that means a place that serves alcohol, and maybe some things to nibble on while you're drinking. In fact, the middle character in this name (zaka) is in fact sake, which means alcohol.

The two 4P's split (the other is in Falls Church). Although the original was in Cleveland Park, the Falls Church branch retained the name.

It's not a problem of historic preservation or anything like that. It's owned by a group that plan on transforming it into the Armenian Holocaust Museum at some future date (I presume this means, once they have arranged enough funding ). At one time, they did have art displays in the windows, but I don't know what happened to that.

Taliano's has been closed for several months now. It's supposed to be replaced with condos.

I believe it was asupposed to be a Brazilian Churascuria (non-chain), but the restaurateur got into a disagreement with the landlord and he pulled the lease. By the way, this post comes to you from Bahrain. I will be monitoring Rockwellian comments from exile for the next year.

I had the same experience yesterday. I ordered the ma po tofu and the double cooked pork. The double cooked pork arrived first and was fine, but when the ma po tofu came, it tasted overly salty to me too. I mentioned it to the GM who got me another batch, but with the same result (although I didn't say anything the second time). It made the water that I chased it with tastedparticularly strange, so I don't know if it's a chemical recation resulting from the spicing or what. The GM is particularly friendly/talkative. She told me they planned to try out different ma la items to see which were the most popular, so expect the white board offerings to change.

I walk by there quite frequently and haven't seen anything going on at that specific address, but another nice looking (haven't tried it yet) Mexican/Salvadorean place called Acuario just opened up next to Columbia Heights coffee.

Yes, the Dancing Crab/Malt Shop has moved to the space previously occupied by A Caravela because their rent had been increased. The owner of A Caravela had moved back to Portugal, and since they owned the building, it seemed like the perfect thing to do. I went there earlier this year and it's just not the same. I guess it could work well as the Dancing Crab, but it doesn't have the old Malt Shop divey feel to it.

I thought I read recently that Clare & Don's was being forced out.

Yes, regretably Mickey's Patio closed a couple of years ago and is now a Thai restaurant. I can't believe no one's mentioned the Post Pub, on L St, across from the Washington Post. It's gotta be one of the darkest places I've ever been in. I hear that now that Stoney's is closed, they've decided to open on Saturday's to try and pick up some of their business. Also, the Lil' Pub on Penssylvania Ave, SE, next to Remmington's. Not sure how long it's been there, but it is truely a dive in what appears to have been a Little Tavern in a previous life. It's got a pool table in the back and the only beer on tap is Bud. I once saw a patron being taken out of their by two of his friends (one under each arm). It was still daylight outside and and he didn't have any shoes on. They do have a kitchen and advertise lunch specials, but I've never been brave enough to try any.

I've been twice and concur that it is a great little hole in the wall (albeit a bright, clean hole in the wall). The tongue (lengua) is very good and does not appear on the English side of the menu. The owner seemed quite somewhat surprised that a gringo would order it. No liquor license, but they have horchata (which they gave me a free refill on) and other refreshing Mexican drinks in big vats.

Word has it that Balducci's pulled out of the deal to open in Penn Quarter across from the Shakespeare Theater; anyone have any details?

Where exactly would this be? The only restaurant spaces around there are in hotels (not counting Helix, there are 5). Chris

It's very fresh; no self-respecting Japanese sushi chef would ever serve you anything less (which is why I'm sceptical about going to any sushi restaurant that doesn't have a JAPANESE sushi chef). And, as I said, it's very authentically Japanese, including the service, it's just a little more expensive than I think it warrents.

I went there once two years ago. It was a slow Saturday night and I sat at the sushi bar with a friend. I'd heard about it's reputation (catering to Japanese expense account types), but I'd also heard it was very authentic, and having spent 6 years in Japan, I had to give it a try. I think speaking Japanese did help smooth things along, and in my opinion, sitting at the counter just helps in general. All in all the food was very good (and he threw us a few freebies, probably because it was slow and I could speak Japanese) with a few things such as shiokara (I think it was described on the menu IN ENGLISH as fermented squid guts) that you won't find too many places around here. HOWEVER, I think it was overpriced.

I'm pretty sure they're open on Saturdays, but not sure about Sundays.

For those interested in something a little closer and Metro accesible, Young's Deli in the Capitol City Market (between New York and Florida Aves, next to Galudet University). It serves primarily a Korean customer base from the market and I think it's only open for breakfast and lunch, but combined with a trip to the market, it would be a fun day out. Here are some pictures from a local blogger (scroll half way down the page): http://frozentropics.blogspot.com/2005_11_...cs_archive.html