Adam Koussari-Amin and Khelan Bhatia remixing the ’80s. (David Claypool/Kalorama Photography)
From Luis Gomez. Catch his photos at One Photograph A Day. Follow him on Twitter @LuisGomezPhotos.
Adam and Khelan are doing it again. The Breakfast Club Remix Dance Party is on again at The Duplex Diner, this Friday, November 30, from 9 pm to 2 am. Travel back in time and enjoy all that ’80s music with this Dance Party.
“Being bad feels pretty good, huh?”
The boys say: “You don’t need to bring your mixtapes of recorded songs from the radio; we will be playing more new wave, synthpop, one-hit wonders and 80’s hits (and remixes) than your average John Hughes movie soundtrack.”
The Duplex Diner, will be serving outrageous drink specials, including $3 champagne drinks and $7 Orange Squeezes. All for NO COVER!
If you want to check if your friends are going look here. And unlike the film’s stars, you don’t have to sit through morning detention to experience the party.
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
Hanoi House at 2005 14th Street NW. (Natalie Pinto)
From Jane Alonso. Her passion for food and spirits leads her on frequent excursions into Borderstan’s land of bars and restaurants. Email her at jane[AT]borderstan.com.
The DC suburbs usually have a lock on the best choices for Vietnamese food, but now Borderstan residents have a new option close to home — Hanoi House, which opened its doors on November 26.
Located in the space formerly occupied by the Hilton brothers’ Blackbyrd Warehouse, Hanoi House showcases the traditional northern Vietnamese cuisine of Marvin Executive Chef James Claudio and his grandmother, Lap Claudio, who taught him the art of Vietnamese cooking in their family home. The restaurant builds on the pho “pop-up” concept that Claudio experimented with last spring at the Montserrat House on 9th Street.
Hanoi House gives us a more extensive look into Vietnamese cuisine beyond pho, adding several categories of food to the pop-up’s menu — four different Banh Mi sandwiches (Vietnamese pork sausage, beef, chicken, slices pork), vermicelli rice noodle bowls with a variety of toppings, spring and summer rolls, green papaya salad, and Banh Xeo, a type of rice flour crepe.
Though serious about its food, Hanoi House has a distinctly lounge feel. As with The Gibson, the cocktails are created by master mixologist Brendan Murphy, and the music engineered by the wonderful Eric Hilton of Thievery Corporation. The drink menu features Asian-themes ingredients like tea, coconut milk, ginger, Thai basil, and tamarind; a limited but interesting list of beers from Vietnam, Brazil, and Beligum, and wines meant to complement the cuisine. And of course, a fully stacked bar for all other requests.
The décor is so different from the Blackbyrd you have to remind yourself you are in the same space — the walls, bar stools, and even the cozy booths are splashed with red and lacquered black, the color of luck in the Far East. Perfect for anyone trying to close a lucky deal with a date at the end of an evening out in the neighborhood.
Hanoi House: The Details
- Where Am I Going: 2005 14th Street, NW
- When Am I Going: Monday-Friday, 5 pm – closing; Saturday and Sunday 12 pm – closing.
- Paycheck Pain: Your pocketbook won’t hurt too badly. Cocktails, beer, and wine from $8-$12; Food from $5-$11.
- What am I eating and drinking: Vietnamese chow washed down by Asian-inspired cocktails.
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
The 2011 Ross PTA Christmas tree sale. (Luis Gomez Photos)
On Saturday, December 1, Ross Elementary School will hold its annual holiday tree sale, bake sale, open house and book fair.
The one-stop holiday fundraiser starts at 10 am at the school (1730 R Street NW). Here are the details on the various events of the day:
- Holiday Tree Sale: Fresh trees and wreaths will be sold from 10 am until 4 pm. Don’t have a car to lug home your new evergreen? Ross is offering free delivery within the neighborhood on trees. Prices start at $45. The tree sale will run every Saturday and Sunday from 10 am until
4 pm, through December 16th — or until the last tree is sold. - Holiday Bake Sale: If all of that tree shopping works up an appetite, bring your blood sugar right back up with homemade goodies from the bake sale, which will run from 9 am until 2 pm. The table will have cookies, cakes, pies and breads baked fresh by Ross community members.
- Holiday Book Fair: The book fair will start at 10 am and go through 1 pm this Saturday and again on Monday Dec. 3 from 8 am until 4 pm. The book fair will be held in the Nelick Library, located on the lower level of the school. Up to 35 percent of all in-person purchases will be donated by the vendor to Ross. If you can’t make it to the book fair this weekend, catch the online book fair through December 12. Visit www.bookwormcentral.com and enter “Ross” under Organization Code; 20 percent of online purchases will be donated to Ross.
- Ross Open House: Thinking of sending your young one to Ross? Take a tour of the school between 10 am and noon before joining in on all of the day’s other seasonal activities.
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
Proposed rendering of the Stead Park redesign. (Courtesy Friends of Stead Park)
From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
On Sunday, December 2, Friends of Stead Park will present updated plans to the park’s redesign project to members of the community at 10 am at the DC JCC (1529 16th Street NW).
In October, the Friends of Stead Park held a community meeting about proposed changes to the design of the field at Stead Park. Prior to the first meeting, a petition opposing the design was circulated by a local adult sports league that frequently uses the space. However, after the meeting, residents, board members and local officials worked together with Friends of Stead Park to build a plan that aims to address all of the aired concerns.
“The feedback we received was largely positive, but many people felt that we’d taken too much space away from the athletic field,” said Jeff Garigliano, a board member on the Friends of Stead Park committee.
Since October’s meeting, the board made a few tweaks to the proposed design, including, reducing some bench seating along the south wall and a grassy berm at the southwest corner.
“That adds valuable space back to the playing field, making it big enough to accommodate two simultaneous kickball games (a specific request from the adult sports leagues who use the park),” said Garigliano. “Yet the design still includes benches, shade trees, the walking track and the spray ground.
This weekend’s meeting allows community members to see the design changes and provide feedback on the updated plans. After the meeting, Friends of Stead Park will incorporate any comments and feedback from Sunday’s meeting into a final design, which will be presented to the ANC in early January for approval.
All are welcome to Sunday’s meeting.
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
Yellow Curve is by ekelly80 from the Borderstan Flickr pool.
Photos of the Day are pulled from the Borderstan Reader Photos pool on Flickr.
Today’s photo, “Yellow Curve” was taken by ekelly80. The photo was taken on November 14.
If you don’t already have a Flickr account, you will need to sign up for one, and then join the Borderstan Reader Photos group. Already a Flickr member? Join the group! You can submit up to five photos per day in the Borderstan reader pool. We are looking for photos from DC’s Dupont, Logan and U Street neighborhoods.
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
Kultura’s on Connecticut Avenue. (Rachel Nania)
The Connecticut Avenue second-hand bookstore and vintage clothing boutique, Kultura’s, is closing this week. The store’s last day of business is this Sunday, Dec. 2.
According to one of the store’s owner, Irene Coray, Kultura’s has been a part of the DC scene for about 20 years, in various locations. However, the plan for the next move is to the West Coast, Los Angeles, to be specific.
But from now until Sunday, customers can enjoy 50 percent off all merchandise. Kultura’s is open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from noon until 8 pm, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 am until 10 pm and on Sunday from 11 am until 7 pm.
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
Culinary Innovators in the neighborhood. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Namita Koppa. Email her at namita[AT]borderstan.com.
DC gets no love sometimes.
I get it. Our industry is the government. Chances are that if you reside here, you either work directly for the government, or are subcontracted to the hundredth power by somebody who does. Even the metro runs on your schedule! ETM (Extreme Track Maintenance) occurs nearly every government holiday, this past Veteran’s Day notwithstanding.
A girlfriend of mine recently jumped ship from the District for the gorgeous landscapes of San Francisco. During our last phone call filled with details of her immediate love of the Bay Area (no doubt her honeymoon phase), she threw the gauntlet.
“People in Washington are Not Creative”
I had to be careful not to take personal offense. The truth is that her perspective is easy to believe. Fashion trends in DC reoccur so frequently that I sometimes feel like I should sell my middle-school wardrobe at vintage prices to make a pretty penny. The morning metro commute is filled with grays, blacks, browns, and navys of every hue. Happy Hours are filled with people talking shop, talking politics, talking business, talking about things that are not (by stereotype) creative.
DC, though, does have a flavor of its own. There are all types of people here, and to find them, all you really need to do is start a conversation. We’re not just high-priced restaurants and “American” cuisine. We’re also creators, filmmakers, chefs, performers, and guerrilla artists. There is a lot more going on beneath the surface, and more often than not, it can be found at the Sunday drum circle in Meridian Hill Park.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be using this column to refute my friend, gastronomically speaking. By tapping into Borderstan’s culinary innovators’ tremendous talent; this column will focus in introducing YOU to a neighborhood food entrepreneur.
As our local food and beverage scene grows (have you SEEN the new Matchbox at 14th and T Streets NW? cannot believe those divine cinnamon rolls will soon be a mere three blocks away!), it’s nice to know who is cooking what, what our options are as consumers and how local businesses support our wallets, our environment, and our health.
Stay hungry and stay tuned!
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
Wesley Tashir-Rodriguez from Los Verracos. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
A few years ago, three friends from different backgrounds (Puerto Rican and Guyanese, Italian and Thai) started a dinner tradition in New Jersey that centered around one unifying dish: pork.
The response from friends and family who attended the supper club eventually led the three friends, Wesley, Ben and Dave, to start a food business with a menu that consists of pork-centric ethnic street foods from their respective cultures.
In 2010, Wesley Tashir-Rodriguez brought that business, Los Verracos, with him when he moved to DC for a job in health policy.
“It was a great opportunity to see if people in DC were interested in our food,” said Tashir-Rodriguez.
Since the move, Los Verracos has participated in three Grey Markets and has sold out at each event. The business has also participated in some private events throughout town.
“We did a Feastly event with our friends at Bakehouse DC who are opening a bakery on 14th Street,” said Tashir-Rodriguez. “We’ve also done the DC MEETmarket in Logan Circle, a few events at the Hillyer Art Space and other small venues and events in Dupont Circle.”
In addition to catering events in DC, Los Verracos has also conducted some events in New York and Hawaii, where Tashir-Rodriguez’s two other business partners now live. However, Tashir-Rodriguez says that Los Verracos is definitely DC-based.
Currently, Tashir-Rodriguez is in the process of securing a food and catering business license and looking for some commercial kitchen space out of which to work.
“We like to slow roast most of our dishes so we need a space that would be able to accommodate that,” said Tashir-Rodriguez.
Los Verracos’ menu may be pork-centric, but Tashir-Rodriguez tells us it has nothing to do with pork being en vogue.
“It just happens to be a very versatile meat that is a staple in the cuisines of our respective cultures,” said Tashir-Rodriguez.
“I remember growing up and dreading the holidays because while my American friends were having turkey for Thanksgiving and a ham for Christmas, we were having pernil, a slow roasted pork shoulder for Thanksgiving and pasteles, ground plantain and yucca turnovers filled with pork. I wanted nothing more than to have some of that dry white turkey meat or that bland ham because I wanted an American version of the holiday. Obviously, over the years I’ve come to appreciate our cuisine and it seems everyone is catching up.”
One thing Los Verracos specializes in is a pig roast (although the business has yet to due one in DC because of the urban setting). Tashir-Rodriguez said that his current customers enjoy pork dishes that are slow roasted for many hours so that the meat is super tender and the flavors are even more developed.
For more information on Los Verracos, follow them on Twitter on @losverracos or visit the Facebook page.
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
Cait Lowry from The Coffee Bar at 1201 S Street NW. (Jonathan Riethmaier)
From Jonathan Riethmaier @DistrictBean or email him at jonathan[AT]borderstan.com.
Coffee seekers are about to have a new spot to get their fix on, as The Coffee Bar becomes the latest cafe to bring specialty coffee goodness to the District. Pending city inspections, The Coffee Bar, located at 1201 S Street NW, intends to be open for business on December 5.
The product of DC resident and veteran barista, Cait Lowry, The Coffee Bar will be a neighborhood-centric cafe that takes its coffee seriously. She’s brought in three well-regarded, specialty coffee roasters, including Annapolis-based Ceremony Coffee Roasters, Handsome Coffee Roasters and Batdorf & Bronson. The Coffee Bar will serve a combination of espresso-based drinks, drip coffees and manual pour over brews.
The Coffee Bar becomes the latest addition to an already strong and growing list of coffee purveyors in the Borderstan area. The cafe’s location, just two blocks from the bustle of 14th Street, is intended to attract neighbors from the surrounding U Street, Logan Circle and Shaw communities.
“It’s a great balance of being close to the action, yet slightly off the beaten path,” said Lowry, who, aside from taking a very hands on approach to the cafe’s build out, has been busy introducing herself to her new neighbors. “Between hitting the streets and talking to our local community officials, we’ve received such a warm welcome and we’re so happy to be in the neighborhood. Really developing those relationships with your customers is what resonates with me and why I am in this business.”
A highlight of The Coffee Bar’s “coffee bar,” an area specifically dedicated for slower, more personal service, is the manual brewing station where coffee is served by trained baristas stripped of mechanical and automated assistance. The manual, pour over style coffee served at the bar is intended to bring out the maximum flavor potential of each coffee.
Lowry, the product of the local coffee scene, spent times as a barista and manager of several area cafes prior to opening The Coffee Bar. Her previous coffee work includes stints at Pound the Hill, Yola, Baked and Wired and Buzz Bakery. She says she looks forward to contributing to DC’s booming coffee community, this time as a business owner.
“I am just so thrilled and grateful to be part of the specialty coffee community here in DC,” said Lowry. “DC has a great and unique collection of coffee shops, and each one has something different to offer. They’ve been instrumental in furthering the cause of specialty coffee and delivering to the consumer, and I want to do the same.”
The Coffee Bar sits in the former location of a neighborhood market, though it has been empty for some time. The roughly one thousand square-foot space will give a nod to the building’s legacy by showcasing the market’s original sign on an interior wall. Other reclaimed and salvaged materials will add to the cafe’s aesthetic, which Lowry describes as vintage industrial.
“I wanted to use a lot of salvaged materials. Not only do they create a great look, but it’s also fun to talk about the story behind the pieces,” said Lowry, whose been scouring salvage yards and antique spots for decor inspiration. “Our condiment station is a fire mantel from an old Victorian town home in Virginia. We have tin tile panels on the walls from an old textile factory in Pennsylvania. The building itself is from the 1890s, and I felt an obligation to stay true to its historic roots.”
Between the coffee bar, lounge area, communal tables and few two-top tables, The Coffee Bar will have seating for more than 25 customers. Lowry says the seating is intended to promote conversation and socializing between neighbors, as well as the barista staff. Additional outdoor seating should be available in spring 2013.
Upon opening, weekday hours for The Coffee Bar will be 7 am to 6 pm and 8 am to 6 pm on the weekend. Additional details are at The Coffee Bar’s website.
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
Radio, anyone? (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Scott Leibowitz. Find Scott on Twitter @Lebodome. Email him at [email protected].
Every few weeks or so now it seems like there is a moderately funny list online with a title like “You know you were a part of 90’s if” or “Thing you will never see again” and I always look at it and think about the good old days. The days of no one having a smart phone and MTV actually being centered around music videos.
One item that I see on these lists that pains me is people remembering their childhood radio stations and how they filled many carpools and roadtrips with sing-a-longs and funny prank calls. Sadly these days, thanks to iPod jacks in cars, Spotify and satellite radio, the traditional AM/FM radio has become nostalgic.
I drive a fairly old and beat up Ford Taurus that has no audio jack so I have come to know and love our local radio stations. Coming from the tri-state area, I have had a long love for radio thanks to disc jockeys like Howard Stern and FunkMaster Flex. DC doesn’t have the wide variety like NYC has, but what we have is pretty good and worth a listen.
What’s on My FM Dial?
Here is just what I have on my FM dial, ranked in order of my listening preferences.
- 101.1: This is my morning ride to work with Elliot in the Morning. I also have a great respect for this station in general as it was the one that gave Howard Stern his real start and thus appreciates quality humor. Besides Elliot, this station is a very mainstream rock channel with a fine mix of 90’s hits and the occasional classic rock. I will say that this is generally my music taste so I am biased into liking it, but Elliot in the Morning is hilarious and can really fill a long commute.
- 93.9: The next best morning show for me is Russ Parr in the Morning. This hip hop station has a packed morning show that also takes extended breaks for music blocks which can be a nice change of pace at 8 am. I also love this station in the afternoon ride as their 5 to 6 pm block is just a DJ and a mix-tape, no commercials.
- 99.5: The Z100 of DC; the mega pop station. In the last few months, I’d say I have heard “Gangnum Style” playing at least twice a week. Terrible DJ’s, but when you want to hear “Call Me Maybe,” this is your station.
- 100.3: The classic rock station. I would like to rate this higher on the list, but frankly their song bank is very limited. I can only listen to “Hotel California” and “Don’t Fear the Reaper” so many times.
I sadly don’t know the AM stations that well and I have never been a NPR person. But, the next time you are in a car or at home and want to jam out, turn on the radio, if you still have a working one, on.
The Wizards Have Not Won A Game Yet!
- It’s getting ugly.
Links! Links! Ice Cold Links!
- Congrats to the Nationals. Bryce Harper, NL Rookie of the Year. Davey Johnson, NL Manager of the Year.
- No hockey can sometimes have serious consequences.
- Not sure why any NFL coach carries $3,700 in cash on gameday. Thoughts?
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
Crime news from Dupont-Logan-U Street.
There were two gun robberies Tuesday night, November 27, about one hour apart. The first incident was around 9:30 pm at 19th and R Streets NW — just east of Connecticut Avenue NW — and involved three men. The second robbery occurred around 10:20 pm on the 1800 block of R Street NW, just west of New Hampshire Avenue, and also involved three suspects.
From DC Police Alerts:
- “Robbery Gun. Robbery Tact #2 CONFIRMED A Robbery @ 19th & R St., NW LOF: 3B/M’s, 20’s, wearing blk puffy jkts. DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #I20120597827. Sent on: 11/27 21:04”
- “Robbery (Gun). 2084 CONFIRMED A Robbery (Gun)/ 2022 hours/ 1800 blk R St NW/ LOF: (2) B/M, 6’2, thin build, med complexion, dark skull cap amd (1) B/M, 6’2, thin build, med complexion, dark skull cap, green puffy coat DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #I20120597824. Sent on: 11/27 22:00”
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.
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
The residential-retail complex coming to 13th U Streets NW. (Courtesy JBG Cos.)
From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
The project planned for the corner of 13th and U streets NW recently underwent some changes, due to community feedback.
The planned 134-unit space, which was once thought to be a hotel, was originally rejected by residents who attended a design committee meeting this summer. Although the committee in advance of an Historic Preservation Review Board hearing approved the plans, some residents were concerned with the height and scale of the development.
Urban Turf reports that in response, the architect David M. Schwartz brought the height down to 86 feet and set back the seventh and eighth floors. The firm also eliminated plans for a rooftop pool.
At the November 19 meeting, the committee voted to support the project. In December, JBG will go before the full ANC and will plan on submitting their PUD before the end of the year.
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
“Tribute to Damian Riehl” is by TheRobbStory from the Borderstan Flickr pool.
Photos of the Day are pulled from the Borderstan Reader Photos pool on Flickr.
Today’s photo, “Tribute to Damian Riehl” was taken by TheRobbStory. The photo was taken October 9.
If you don’t already have a Flickr account, you will need to sign up for one, and then join the Borderstan Reader Photos group. Already a Flickr member? Join the group! You can submit up to five photos per day in the Borderstan reader pool. We are looking for photos from DC’s Dupont, Logan and U Street neighborhoods.
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
Click above for more images: Car fire on the 1400 block of P Street NW Tuesday afternoon. (Luis Gomez Photos)
See photos from the car fire today on the 1400 block of P Street.
From Luis Gomez. Catch his photos at One Photograph A Day. Follow him on Twitter @LuisGomezPhotos.
Around 3:20 pm today, November 27, the engine of a Chevy Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) burst into flames on the 1400 block of P Street NW. The front of the car was engulfed by fire, with a huge stream of dark smoke coming from the car. Fortunately, the husband and wife who were driving the car were able to quickly escape and avoid injury.
The car, a 1998 Chevy SUV was just installed with a newly rebuilt engine three weeks ago, according to the woman from the car. “We bought a warranty on the engine… thank goodness,” the woman said. She said she was able to grab her purse and i-Pad before exiting the car.
DC Fire and Police personnel arrived on the scene as the black flames of smoking were shooting from front of the car; the Fire Department quickly extinguished the fire before it could spread to the rear section of the car. Parts of the burning engine block had fallen onto the street. The incident occurred near Stoney’s Bar and Grill, and Bar 9 near the center of the block of 1400 P Street NW.
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
Shrake preforming at the Ultimate Story Showcase, Story League. (Photo credit: Rachel Gwynne-Eisley)
Remember what it was like before the turn of the century?
… Yeah, I’d like to forget those side ponytails and stirrup pants mixed with grunge rock and the occasional trip to the skating rink, too, but Story League is not letting us off that easily.
On Thursday, Nov. 28, Story League is holding a story telling contest with the theme of the ’90s at Busboys and Poets (2021 14th Street NW) at 9 pm.
The evening will be packed with celebrity guest hosts and judges, such as David Crabb (host, The Moth NYC), Julianne Brienza (executive director, Capital Fringe Festival), Lavanya Ramanathan (Washington Post Going Out Guru) and Wayne Manigo (comedian).
Tickets to the contest are $10 and are available online.
Those interested in participating can submit a 100-word story synopsis online or fill out a card at the show. The winner will be announced at the end of the night and will receive $100 cash as a prize.
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
