Stuff You Might Have Missed

From Michelle Lancaster

Confusion over Crème Café’s status

Management changes are never easy, and now diners on U St. and owner Tegist Ayalew know just how tough they can be. On Monday, a note appeared on Crème Café’s website announcing they were closing their doors after ‘accomplishing every goal they had set out for themselves’. Almost immediately, a panic that can be fueled only by an absence of shrimp and grits ensued. The Washington Post‘s Going Out Gurus set things straight with the owner – Crème is still very much open. The restaurant’s management staff was dismissed after six years, but the chef, Orlando Hitzig, will continue restaurant operations as normal.

Speaking of Management Changes… Vincent Gray’s Goodwill Tour Begins

The Washington Post reports that Vincent Gray, winner of the Democratic mayoral primary, will kick off his town hall meetings in Northwest DC today. His unofficial outreach efforts in areas where he lost in double digits began at the 17th St. Festival on Sept. 25. Stay tuned for the announcement of additional town hall meetings in and around Ward 2. One already on the books is Oct. 14 at 6:30 pm, School Without Walls, 2130 G St. NW.

Hiring and Promotion Freeze for City Workers in Effect

Mayor Fenty issued a freeze on hiring and promotions for all city workers effective immediately. As The Washington Post reports, it was a move urged by presumptive mayor Vincent Gray to help cover a whopping $175 million budget gap for fiscal year 2011. This move may give an additional boost to efforts by Council members Jim Graham and Michael Brown to raise taxes on the wealthiest DC residents.

Burleith Reporter and Wife Charged in Marijuana Case

DC has long earned its rather liberal reputation, but accounts of arrests made in Georgetown this weekend involving a small-scale marijuana farm still surprised area readers over the weekend.  The Washington Post and Washington City Paper both reported that 11 full-grown plants were found in the yard of CBS radio correspondent Howard Arenstein and wife Orly Azoulay. An anonymous tip to the local police from a neighbor provided the basis for a search warrant.

Rogue States Trial Begins

Rogue States, one of the burger joints on “Burger Row” on Connecticut Ave., has been taken to court by their neighbors, law firm Steptoe & Johnson. The firm has accused Rogue States of being a ‘nuisance’, claiming that fumes from the restaurant’s wood-fired grill passed through the ventilation system and into the law offices. Washington City Paper‘s Tim Carman has the day-to-day of the trial at the Young and Hungry blog.