B Too at 1324 14th Street NW. (Lauren Jones)

From Lauren Jones. Email her at laurenjones[AT]borderstan.com

Recently opened B Too (1324 14th Street NW) brings a flavorful, modern twist of Belgian cuisine to Logan Circle. Chef and owner Bart Vandaele (you may know him from Belga Café) dedicates B Too to the hip and contemporary multicultural scene of Belgium, which is reflected in the food and eye-catching interior.

Menu items include traditional mussel bowls with flavors ranging from chorizo to lobster bisque, more playful fare like frog legs and a foie gras lollipop and beautifully grilled steak that is cooked in a Spanish influenced josper grill—the first of its kind in Washington. Pair your food with a selection from the extensive beer and wine list where Vandaele spent time to curate all of the wines himself, sometimes tasting up to 150 a day.

Country Meets City Chic

Vandaele paid full attention to the ambiance of the bi-level restaurant that, dare I say, carries a flare of European cheekiness. Think down home country meets city chic. The knowledgeable wait staff dresses in comfortable plaid and cowhides line the wall in the upstairs dining room that seats 175.

Downstairs, patrons are greeted with floor to ceiling photographs of a cow’s head and a little piggy snout. And the bathrooms… well, let’s just say they provide unique comic relief. Yet the plush leather bar stools and flower bouquets spread throughout give the space an elegant credit.

The wood for the tables and the bar has been reused and was a part of the building when it served as a locksmith shop. Vandaele also installed $60,000 worth of acoustic insulation so that guests can enjoy their dining experience without having to scream at the person across the table. Unless you choose to, of course.

B Too offers two bars, a waffle and frite bar and a chef’s table that lines the space around the open-air kitchen. Vandaele plans to incorporate new menu items weekly and introduce brunch soon. When I asked him what he thinks of the new digs he responded with “Every day is something new, something fun.” See the entire menu here.

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Piola is ready at 2208 14th Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)

Nabil Ashi, Piola’s owner. (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Luis Gomez. Catch his photos at One Photograph A Day. Follow him on Twitter @LuisGomezPhotos.

Piola has been in the works since May 2012. Finally this Monday it is happening: It will be open starting at 5 pm for dinner.

Piola had its soft opening during the weekend. Nabil Ashi, the owner of the 14th Street location, was there to greet friends and family as they were treated to Piola’s extensive menu of pizzas and Italian dishes.

Ashi says the menu will be very similar to the one found in their other locations: authentic Italian cuisine, pastas and an extensive list of pizzas served in a casual space. Piola will also serve wine and beer.

Piola’s space was design by Michiels Architecture & Partners and the Piola “in house design team” working closely together on the final product. We had a chance to talk to Maeva Michiels, senior architect of the firm, who told us that the design is based on the translation of “piola” in the ancient Italian dialect to “gathering place.” Our mission was to create an environment that becomes part of the local community in a dynamic way. The design of Piola is warm, friendly and inviting. With an emphasis on green architecture and recycled materials, the design of Piola is a mix of modern gestures such as openness, fluidity of spaces and abundant natural light combined with noble materials such as recycled wood and recycled brick. She was also in charge of the space at Table on 9th Street.

The international Italian food chain Piola, known for its pizza, is opening its second location in the area having one already in Arlington. At 2208 14th Street NW Piola is the latest opening in the corridor following Etto, Taqueria Nacional, BakeHouse, B too, Ghibellina and Black Whiskey.

Piola: Great pizza and Italian dishes. (Luis Gomez Photos)

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From Luis Gomez. Catch his photos at One Photograph A Day. Follow him on Twitter @LuisGomezPhotos.

Etto at 1541 14th Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)

Week after week at least one new restaurant opens on 14th Street NW.

Etto, at the southeast corner of 14th and Q Streets, is having its soft opening today. The name of the restaurant means “100 grams” in Italian and the phrase is often used when purchasing food.

Tad Curtz will be bringing us his take on Italian food, with pizza, cold meats and wine.

The space formerly occupied by WellBuilt has been under renovation since 2011. The new space will have a capacity of 85 with outdoor seating. Curtz has done a wonderful job renovating the inside space to recreate a comfortable dinning area. New tiling and wood create a warm atmosphere with plenty of daylight.

Etto will join Ghibellina, Posto, Lupo Verde and the other Italian themed restaurants on the corridor.

Let’s hope it’s as good as Curtz’s current place — he has given us years of great beer and German food at Standard (1801 14th Street).

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From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at cody[AT]borderstan.com.

Crime news from Dupont-Logan-U Street.

A man was robbed and beaten early Thursday morning near the intersection of 14th and N Streets NW, according to a post from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). According to police, three men approached the victim at about 1 am and began punching him.

During the attack, one of the suspects stole the victim’s iPad. Two of the three suspects were later apprehended and charged with robbery. A third suspect fled the area on foot. The victim’s iPad was not recovered.

NBC Washington spoke with the victim in the case, who says the suspects shouted homophobic slurs in Spanish at him. The incident occurred on the sidewalk near 1321 14th Street NW, the location of Crew Club, which according to its website, is a fitness and lounge facility that caters to gay men.

Police are investigating the case as a possible hate crime and are still seeking the third suspect. Anyone with information in the case is asked to call MPD at 202-727-9099.

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The Men’s Parties club was on the second floor of 1618 14th Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)

After receiving numerous emails with photos from readers alerting us to the news, we took a look ourselves: There is, indeed, a notice at 1618 14th Street that the owners have filed an application for a permit to raze the building.

The building at Corcoran and 14th rose to “fame” three-and-a-half years ago as the site of “Men’s Parties/Wrestling Club” after a patron died after apparently falling down a flight of stairs on October 4, 2009.

A spokesperson for the DC Historic Preservation Office said they have not yet received the application to raze the property. However, they are aware that it is coming as the property is located within the 14th Street Historic District.

As we noted in our original 2009 story, “The location of the death is the upstairs unit of 1618 14th Street, at the northwest corner of 14th and Corcoran Streets NW. According to published reports (MetroWeekly) and numerous online reviews, the building houses a sex club for gay and bisexual men. The club last made news when it experienced a fire in June of 2005.”

The raze permit application at 1618 14th Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)

After the DC Police spoke to Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F and said they were looking for ways to shut down the club, it was obvious that Men’s Parties days were numbered. After reopening for a while, Men’s Parties was shut down by the city in January 2010.

For relative newcomers to the neighborhood, it’s important to remember that the redevelopment of the 14th Street corridor had not come as far as it has today. There was still a spot for a business such as Men’s Parties — where patrons could come and go without attracting notice from crowds on the sidewalk.

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1401 14th Street NW: Soon to be Stub’s Kitchen & Wine. (Luis Gomez Photos)

Something is cooking at the corner of 14th and T Streets NW. The space was last used in the fall by French photographer “JR”  as a gigantic mural.

The corner is finally getting some action. With Taqueria Nacional and BakeHouse getting ready to open steps from 14th on T Street, Stub’s Kitchen & Wine Bar will end up the street corner joining matchbox, Saint-Ex and Room & Board.

The new Stub’s Kitchen & Wine will have capacity for 80 patrons and a sidewalk cafe that will seat 40. The menu calls for American dishes influenced by Italian cuisine.

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From Luis Gomez. Catch his photos at One Photograph A Day. Follow him on Twitter @LuisGomezPhotos.

Piola is coming to 2208 14th Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)

It has been a long waiting for Piola Pizza to open. Owner Nabil Ashi called it is a “work in progress” the last time we spoke to him, in January.

Piola, an international Italian food chain known for its pizza, has been setting up and working on its new location at 2208 14th Street NW since last year.

The facade of the building got new signs a couple of weeks ago and there is work going on inside with decoration, furniture and the kitchen. We spoke to Ashi last week to follow up on the opening of the restaurant:

“It Is not official yet but I believe we will be ready to open during the first week of May. We are now going over the decoration and organizing all our supplies, cleaning, etc. We are also in the process of hiring the management staff .”

The menu will be very similar to the ones found in their other locations: authentic Italian cuisine, pastas and an extensive list of pizzas served in a casual space. Piola will also serve wine and beer.

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From Eliza French. Follow her on Twitter @elizaenbref; email her at eliza[AT]borderstan.com.

Vastu is one of the businesses participating in this weekends event. (Eliza French)

Just as beautiful spring weather finally comes to DC, some local businesses are offering an opportunity for DC residents to make our indoor surroundings more beautiful, as well.

The third annual WFP Home and Design Weekend, hosted by Washington Fine Properties and DC Magazine, takes place on 14th and U Streets NW this Saturday, April 13, and Sunday, April 14.

Retail stores and local art galleries will offer giveaways and host seminars and demos from experts in design and remodeling.

Customers at any of the participating stores can enter in a drawing for free gifts from the vendors, including gift cards of up to $300.

Color of the Year

The weekend highlights the Pantone 2013 color of the year, Emerald. Window displays at some of the participating businesses (Vastu, Foundry, Timothy Paul Bedding & Home, Timothy Paul Carpets & Textiles, Miss Pixies Furnishing’s & Whatnot and Showroom 1412) are currently showcasing the color.

Seminars and Demonstrations

Seminars and demonstrations take place on Saturday, with one repeat session on Sunday at Room & Board with HGTV “Design Star” winner Danielle Colding. Other program highlights include a 3 pm session on Saturday at Urban Essentials on “overcoming the challenges of small sized spaces,” which sounds promising for Borderstan residents.

For those more interested in DIY renovations than the finer points of design, Capital Carpet LLC will host a demonstration on installing hardwood floors at 11 am on Saturday.

Visit the WFP Home and Design website for a full list of the businesses, details about the giveaways and a schedule of lectures and demonstrations.

Details

• What: WFP Home and Design Weekend.
• When: Saturday, April 13 and Sunday, April 14, 11 am to 6 pm both days.
• Where: 14th Street and U Street corridors.

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Crime news from Dupont-Logan-U Street.

DC Police reported a gun robbery at 11:43 am yesterday, April 8, on the 2200 block of 14th Street NW — between W Street and Florida Avenue. The lookout is for a tall white male with long hair wearing a yellow shirt and armed with a handgun; more details are below.

From the Police Alert: “Robbery Gun_1143 hrs_2200 14th St. NW_LOF: W/M, Long Hair, tall, wearing a Yellow shirt, armed with a Handgun. DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #I20130158295.”

From the DC Police Twitter feed: “3D: Robbery Gun_1143 hrs_2200 14th St. NW_LOF: W/M, Long Hair, tall, wearing a Yellow shirt, armed with a Handgun.//4014.”

Police Alerts, More Information

• You can sign up for alerts through Alert DC and get alerts  by e-mail, cell phone, pager or wireless PDA. When signing up, you can select alerts on crime, transportation, utility outages/issues, government closings, breaking news, DC-sponsored events and Amber Alerts.
• You can follow the DC Police on Twitter @DCPoliceDept.
• You can get more information about crime in the Borderstan area through the MPD listservs for the Second and Third Districts on Yahoo! Groups.

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From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.

Black Whiskey is already black at 1410 14th Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)

Black Whiskey is matching its facade to its name. Construction on the restaurant, coming soon to 1410 14th Street NW, is progressing as the anticipated opening date quickly approaches.

Washingtonian reports the two-story space will be a hybrid whiskey bar/restaurant and mixed-use art gallery from Kushi’s chef and owner, Darren Lee Norris.

According to Washingtonian’s interview, Norris plans to serve strong, small-batch cocktails and traditional Scottish bar food.

In addition to providing a rotating art space, Norris also plans to provide outdoor patio space for the warmer days ahead.

According to the last update, Black Whiskey aimed to open in March. We’re crossing our fingers for an announcement soon!

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