Red umbrellas and colorful outdoor seating at bar di Bari. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From the owner of Drafting Table, Aaron Gordon’s bar di Bari is open. At 1401 R Street NW the red umbrellas and colorful outdoor patio furniture are welcoming guests since Saturday morning. Although they had been offering morning coffee since Wednesday last week as a sort of soft opening.
From the corner of 14th Street the smell of fresh baked goods is inviting and once inside it is hard to choose. The food is Italian-Mediterranean inspired. A selection of salads and healthy meals is on the menu. There are cheese and charcuterie plates, antipasti and entrees and sandwiches.
Happy Hour starts at 5 pm with a menu of three draft beers and 10 bottled beers plus a list of 20 French and Spanish wines.
Bar di Bari wants to be a casual place to enjoy a coffee, a pastry or have a bite for lunch or dinner. Coffee service and a lighter fare is available from the counter all day. Dinner service starts at 4 pm.
bar di Bari Will be open Monday trough Friday from 7 am to 11 pm, Saturday from 10 am to midnight and Sunday from 10 am to 9 pm.
Now we are still waiting for Ted’s Bulletin and M Cafe & Bar (the later looks like it should be the next to open).
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Cherries and Berries at 14th & U Framers Market (Luis Gomez Photos)
This Saturday the 14 & U Farmers Market is a cherries and berries market. From 9 am to 1 pm enjoy strolling through the market, picking up sweet cherries, raspberries, red currants, blueberries and a few blackberries are all around. Here some recipes for you.
Market Highlights
- Do stop by Itbi at 10 am for a cooking demo with two summer salads: Kale and mixed root vegetable slaw.
- Panorama is bringing as always their delicious croissants, bear claws and pretzels, and a great selection of pastries and baked goods.
- Cherry Glen Goat Cheese’s Bryan will have a sampling of the best French style goat cheese you will find. Fresh chevre only a day old, ricotta, and five different kinds of soft, wedge shaped Monocacies.
- Mountain View has carrots, squash, kale, radishes, beets and cut herbs.
- Truck Patch is bringing turkey and turkey breast this week.
Come early for your full selection of your favorites vendors at the market. Market hours are 9 am to 1 pm, Saturdays only.
So there you have it. Enjoy the market and try to keep cool during this weekend.
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Black Whiskey at 1410 14th Street NW. (Jane Alonso)
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
I have been itching to visit Black Whiskey, 14th Street’s newest watering hole, since its opening in early May, and I finally got my chance one rainy night this past week. As I sampled a shot of bourbon at the upstairs bar, I realized that every assumption I had about the place was wrong.
Wrong Assumption #1: Black Whiskey is owned by the Bethesda-based Black Restaurant Group, owners of BlackSalt Restaurant, Pearl Dive Oyster Palace/Black Jack, Black Market Bistro, Black’s Bar & Kitchen, and Addie’s. Nope — actually, despite the “Black” in the name, Black Whiskey is the brainchild of the team behind Kushi — Ari Kushimoto and Darren Lee Norris. The friendly bartender taking my whiskey order set me straight right away on this basic fact.
Wrong Assumption #2: Black Whiskey is a typical DC whiskey destination bar. I admit, I had expected Black Whiskey to resemble Jack Rose, Againn or Bourbon both in atmosphere and in breadth of whiskey selection. Wrong again. Black Whiskey has a smaller, more intimate approach, and — ready for this — it doesn’t even have a whiskey menu!
You have to either rely on the bartender to make a recommendation or have very good eyesight to read the labels on the bottles on the wall behind the bar. It’s a little frustrating not to be able to peruse the selection in an easy to review format, but the non-structured, free-spirited approach seems to be part of the vibe that Kushimoto and Norris are trying to create at Black Whiskey. Still, I wouldn’t mind a menu.
Wrong Assumption #3: A night at Black Whiskey will set you back a pretty penny. I have this assumption about all whiskey-focused bars, because – well, let’s just state the obvious – good scotch and bourbon are an expensive habit. But hats off to Black Whiskey for keeping its prices at reasonable levels. Most of the shots I sampled were between $7 and $8, which is not bad for a good bourbon. What is hugely annoying, however, is that you have to ask the bartender for the prices because (again) there is no menu to guide you in that department.
So I walked away with the sense that Black Whiskey, at least in its infancy, is catering to a more casual young party crowd rather than the moneyed whiskey aficionado set. Not that this is a business problem, as the Black Whiskey appears to be doing quite well in its first six weeks. The atmosphere is vibrant, and there is no shortage of customers, even on a rainy Monday night.
Note that the downstairs space (capacity of 250) is still under construction, but marked for a “concert venue and gallery space.” The team also plans to build an outdoor deck addition to the top floor for expanded dining options. Currently, Black Whiskey serves a limited menu of carved meats and bar bites designed to soak up the alcohol, but a more food-centric approach may be in the bar’s future.
At least, I assume that is the case as Norris is known as a first rate chef, having worked at the Oval Room, Red Sage, and Ridgewells Catering, and was named Washingtonian’s 2011 Restaurateur of the year. However, I remind myself not to make any more assumptions. Black Whiskey will be what it wants to be, never mind my expectations.
Black Whiskey is at 1410 14th Street NW. It is open Sunday through Thursday from 5 pm to 1:45 am; Friday and Saturday from 5 am to 2:45 am; and closed Mondays.
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From ArtSee. Email contact[AT]artseedc.com and follow ArtSee @ArtSeeinDC on Twitter.
Hemphill’s Artist-Citizen. (Courtesy of Hemphill)
Hemphill, 14th Street’s contemporary cornerstone for great art and community awareness, is celebrating their 20th anniversary of doing artsy good for their neighborhood.
This particular exhibition is almost homage to their purpose — to explain to the media and greater community that artists are not simply “possessed by reckless freedom and lacking accountability”; that in fact artists can be and almost always are productive, introspective and forward thinking. To sum it up, artists are good citizens. And Hemphill’s penned the name, “Artist-Citizen,” just for this special breed.
The exhibition’s purpose is honing in on the specific situations that effect and influence artist-citizens living and working in DC. We see Franz Jantzen’s mundane moments in a local barber shop, video art profiling friends and family shot by Larry Cook, Mingering Mike’s mixed media portraits and quick shots of sturdy, geometric buildings taken by Colby Caldwell.
These are simple, fleeting snapshots of the beautiful, the ugly, the boring: the artist-citizen’s daily life in the district.
The show features Colby Caldwell, Larry Cook, Max Hirshfeld, James Huckenpahler, Franz Jantzen, free[space]collective, Mingering Mike, Anne Rowland, Julie Wolfe, and Workingman Collective. The show opened June 5 and will run through July 27.
Bringing the Art in DC to you. – Shira Karsen
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The 14th & U Farmer’s Market. (Luis Gomez Photos)
Summer is here and the temperatures have risen. Make sure you wear a hat and some skin protection as you head out this Saturday to the 14 & U Farmers Market. We are told that the list of summer produce is extensive:
- Sugar Snap Peas, Sweet Garden Peas, just dug baby Yukon Gold potatoes, Leeks, baby zucchini with their flowers, sweet Candy Onions, Spring Onions, Green Garlic and Shallot scopes, Spinach, Broccoli rabe, Green Kale, Toscano Kale, Redbore Kale, Baby Beets, Turnips, Sweet Hakurei Salad Turnips,
- The Northern Neck strawberries are slowing down but the Pennsylvania berries are taking their place — look for Sweet Charlies, Earliglows, Ovations and Chandlers. Asparagus too.And don’t forget the rhubarb
- Strawberry rhubarb, chocolate pecan pies, chard with roasted garlic and goat cheese quiche are at Whisked. Panorama has a double-decker table of Damien’s Breton and Parisian pastries and breads.
- Peonies, poppies, hanging baskets, hundreds of potted herbs and vegetables and summer flowers.
- Grillers: tons of steak at Pecan Meadow and lots of cuts of pork like Porterhouse and the Porcine version of New York Strip. (Ask Truck Patch). Sausages at both. Lamb, goat, rabbit, duck, Eggs from chickens, ducks and geese.
Market hours are 9 am to 1 pm, Saturdays only.
So there you have it. Enjoy the market and try to keep cool during this weekend.
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From Dafna Steinberg and Josh Siegel. Follow Dafna @AlizaySteinberg; email her at dafna[AT]borderstan.com. Email Josh at josh[AT]borderstan.com.
U Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)
Sustainable U has partnered with renewable energy provider Clean Currents to offer U Street residences and businesses added incentives for going green.
Starting last April and continuing through June 21, Clean Currents is donating $250 for each U Street business and $30 for each U Street home that signs up to purchase wind power as its source of electricity generation. Sustainable U will use this money to purchase new tree boxes for the 14th and U Street area.
Pepco customers have the option of choosing an alternative power supplier for their electricity. Clean Currents, which delivers renewable energy through wind power generated electricity, is one of the options through Pepco.
Next Sustainable U Meeting
The next meeting of Sustainable U is at 7 pm on Thursday, May 23, at the Paul Laurence Dunbar Apartments, 2001 15th Street, NW. The meeting will evaluate how the businesses and community we’re doing on their Clean Currents challenge and how we plan to make the most of the final month.
Sustainable U is a community-led initiative that strives to increase the availability of and participation in green living and working options in the 14th and U corridor.
To participate in the Sustainable U Clean Currents challenge, consumers should have their Pepco account number available and talk to Clean Currents representatives, and indicate they are a part of Sustainable U.
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From Joey Gavrilovich. Follow him on Twitter @joeygDC, email him at joey[AT]borderstan.com
Martha’s Outfitters on 14th Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)
Martha’s Outfitters at 2114 14th Street NW has been a staple of the 14th and U corridor. It is a destination for young professionals, hipsters, families, and active ‘thrifters’ in the area to discover brand name clothing and vintage finds at budget-conscious prices.
With a new neighborhood thrift store in historic Anacostia, Martha’s Table is expanding its presence east of the river. The second location is located just up the block from the iconic Big Chair at 2204 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE.
“We are thrilled to have found a location in historic Anacostia.” says Patty Stonesifer, CEO of Martha’s Table, who is based at the 14th Street NW location. “There is wonderful community energy and opportunity for us to continue to serve the residents of Ward 8.”
Nikki Peele, Founder of Eat Shop Live Anacostia, and Director of Marketing & Business Development for ARCH Development Corporation, agrees. “Martha’s Outfitters will fit perfectly into the fabric of what is fast becoming a destination station for visitors on both sides of the Anacostia River.” says Peele.
Revenue from Martha’s Outfitters fuels Martha’s Table’s food and education programs. Both locations welcome clothing donations to help maintain racks and shelves filled with clothing, housewares, lamps, mirrors, and small furnishings.
For now, donations can be dropped off at Martha’s Outfitters at 2114 14th Street NW, Tuesday through Saturday from 7:30 am to noon.
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A culinary world tour on 14th Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Mathew Harkins. Email him at mharkins[AT]borderstan.com.
There’s been a lot of talk around here about the international experiences available in DC. And on top of that, there’s been some talk about DC’s ranking as a place worth visiting in 2013 because of our existing and ever-expanding food scene. Let’s admit it, this city’s doing well for itself in this second decade of the 2000s.
So, with food and the international experience on our minds, now seemed like a fine time to take a walk along 14th Street to survey our own culinary landscape. Sure, there are great establishments located throughout Borderstan but it’s undeniable that 14th Street has become the go-to location for great new restaurants.
The list below is in no way meant to be comprehensive; how could it be when there’s a new opening practically every few days? Instead, this makes for a good snapshot and a handy cheat sheet when you’re in the mood for a certain cuisine and you want to make sure there’s something nearby. Last week as we were preparing this piece Jessica Sidman at Washington City Paper gave us a great map of how the food landscape will look for the 14th Street corridor.
In no alphabetical or geographic order (besides being on 14th Street), here we go:
- French: the recently opened Le Diplomate.
- American: Birch & Barley, Bar Pilar, The Pig
- Seafood: Pearl Dive Oyster Palace.
- Thai: Thai Tanic, Rice, Teak Wood.
- Ethiopian: Lalibela.
- Spanish: the ever-popular Estadio.
- Belgian: the brand new B Too.
- Italian: a pair of brand new restaurants in Etto and Ghibellina, the standard in the city but new to the neighborhood Matchbox (admittedly better known as a pizza place), and the well known Posto.
- Mexican: El Centro, Taqueria Nacional
- Asian Fusion: Masa 14.
- Bakery: the brand new BakeHouse.
- Pub/Gastropub: Café Saint-Ex, Drafting Table, Black Whiskey
- German: Standard.
- Japanese: Tsunami Sushi & Lounge, Teak Wood (making it’s second appearance on this list).
- Chinese: the pleasantly renovated Great Wall Szechuan House.
So remember, this is a list that will probably be wanting for additions in just a few days, but you can always stay up-to-date at the Borderstan Food & Drink page.
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Come to 14th Street and celebrate with Point Foundation. (Luis Gomez Photos)
An elite collection of high-end 14th Street restaurants and mixologists will join together on May 9 to support Point Foundation, a national organization that provides college and graduate scholarships for LGBTQ students of merit.
Restaurants will prepare unique small plates and appetizers for Point’s DC Cornerstone event, the organization’s premier annual Washington fundraiser. Participating venues include Estadio, Marvin, Cafe Saint Ex, Pearl Dive Oyster Palace, and Black Whiskey, the newest restaurant on the 14th Street corridor.
Mixologists from Bar Pilar and The Gibson will prepare signature cocktails featuring 42 Below vodka. Barefoot Wine & Bubbly and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. beer are included with ticket purchase.
“This is the first time we’re aware of that this many 14th Street restaurants have come together to support a common cause,” said Point Trustee Celina Gerbic. “It shows that our neighborhood restaurants recognize the importance of Point and supporting these amazing scholars. We’re thrilled to have these fantastic restaurants and mixologists participating.”
The event will be held May 9 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Room and Board at 14th and T, one of 14th Street’s anchor retail establishments, which is also donating a gift certificate as a raffle prize. Another 14th Street corridor establishment, Body Smith Gym, is donating a membership and training sessions to the event.
Tickets are $75 and can be purchased at the DC Cornerstone website. Advance purchase is recommended.
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Tonight: Black Whiskey has a soft opening at 9 pm. (Luis Gomez Photos)
May2 at 9 pm Black Whiskey is having its soft opening.
Chef and owner, Darren Norris of Kushi Izakaya & Sushi, are claiming his spot on the corridor at 1410 14th Street NW, the former site of Mar de Plata restaurant. Renovations and remodeling for Black Whiskey have been going strong for the last couple of weeks.
Black Whiskey went totally black on its facade. It keeps the floor tiling of the downstairs space for what they call the “Social Room,” with a capacity of 250. Exposed brick walls and wood details are upstairs in the “Carvery Pub.”
The drink menu will include small batch whiskeys and a large selection of beers on tap. The menu will be “contemporary, farm-to-table, rustic, American meals such as roasted chicken and lamb, with sides like potatoes au gratin and sous-vide cooked vegetables.”
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From Mathew Harkins. Email him at mharkins[AT]borderstan.com.
A rendering of the Louis at 14th and U NW. (Courtesy JBG Cos.)
You’ve known it’s been coming. You’ve heard the rumors, you’ve even read the confirmations, and yet you kept wondering if and when Trader Joe’s would finally come to 14th Street NW. That much-beloved grocery store may not be open for business quite yet, but the process just moved ahead one more step.
According to the Washington Business Journal, DC has finally issued a permit for the Trader Joe’s at 14th and U Street. It was confirmed last September that Trader Joe’s would be a part of the Louis, the mixed-use complex still under construction. It is expected that construction on The Louis will be completed near December 2013, and with it, we should see the opening of the Trader Joe’s not long after.
The Trader Joe’s in West End is a regularly packed affair and if it’s any indication, the new Trader Joe’s in our community will be a huge draw. Famous for their eclectic and affordable groceries (and wine, in particular), Trader Joe’s is the perfect grocery store addition to the Borderstan area.
Meanwhile, changes and improvements to the grocery store landscape can be seen around the neighborhood. Shaw’s O Street Market will feature a brand new Giant and there is talk of a Harris Teeter possibly coming to the intersection of Sherman Avenue, Florida Avenue and V Street NW, just a few blocks northeast of 14th and U.
For an area once known for a scarcity of grocery stories, Borderstan is beginning to look flush with choice and variety.
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Black Whiskey at 1410 14th Street NW opens May 4.
From Luis Gomez. Catch his photos at One Photograph A Day. Follow him on Twitter @LuisGomezPhotos.
Well, it is opening season on 14th Street. Black Whiskey tweeted, posted on its Facebook page and sent invitations to its grand opening this Saturday, May 4. Chef and owner, Darren Norris of Kushi Izakaya & Sushi, will claim his spot on the corridor at 1410 14th Street NW, the former site of Mar de Plata restaurant. Renovations and remodeling for Black Whiskey have been going strong for the last couple of weeks.
Black Whiskey’s opening is in collaboration with Transformer, which will present “Cult Fiction,” a large-scale installation by artists Zach Storm and Cheyenne Seely.
Jack, bar manager at Black Whiskey.
We spoke to Bar Manager, Jack, as preparations were being made for the opening. Deathfix and Paint Branch will be in charge of the inaugural performances with DJ sets by Kid Congo Powers and Ian Svenonius.
Black Whiskey went totally black on its facade. It keeps the floor tiling of the downstairs space for what they call the “Social Room,” with a capacity of 250. Exposed brick walls and wood details are upstairs in the “Carvery Pub.”
The drink menu will include small batch whiskeys and a large selection of beers on tap. The menu will be “contemporary, farm-to-table, rustic, American meals such as roasted chicken and lamb, with sides like potatoes au gratin and sous-vide cooked vegetables.”
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Click for photos: BodySmith at its new location at 1630 14th Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)
See photos from the new BodySmith.
From Luis Gomez. Catch his photos at One Photograph A Day. Follow him on Twitter @LuisGomezPhotos.
After moving to a new location where they totally renovated the former AYT auto service shop space, the new BodySmith space at 163014th Street NW is open.
According to Shane Beatty, marketing manager of BodySmith, the ample space comes with new equipment but keeps it key characteristic of personal dedicated treatment given to its members. “This is a gym where we know the names of our members.”
The space at BodySmith is ample and modern with lots of natural light. If you are ready to use the cardio equipment, there are nine 50-inch flat screens that will keep you entertained during your workout. The kickboxing studio is already set up, and Chuck Harney of the Bike Rack is in charge of the spinning studio.
The first level is 5,400-square-feet, containing the lobby, personal training studio, massage and treatment rooms and a new organic juice bar. The juice bar, JuicyMax, will face the street and will have its own entrance. It will serve cold-pressed juices, coffee, tea, fruit yogurt, protein shakes and small breakfast items. JuicyMax will be open soon.
Personal Training and Attention
The second level of 8,000-square-feet has a separate space for classes and areas for spinning, boot camp and kickboxing. It also has a full free-weight station, strength circuits and treadmills for cardio workouts.
Their regular programs include muscular endurance training, cycle, Punk Rock Fitness (punk music, tattoos, fun and fitness), fit-functional interval training, kickboxing (taught by NYC’s Ken Charney), pilates, yoga and boxing.
There are 20 personal trainers and 12 instructors available to check and customize your experience. At BodySmith they are ready to create what is best for you with the proper motivation from the beginning.
Personal training, partner training, group training and off-site training are available; you can check their rates.
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From Eliza French. Follow her on Twitter @elizaenbref; email her at eliza[AT]borderstan.com.
Busboys and Poets on 14th Street NW is one of the participating local businesses. (Luis Gomez Photos)
Sustainable U has partnered with renewable energy provider Clean Currents to offer U Street residences and businesses added incentives for going green. Starting this past Monday (Earth Day) and continuing through June 21, Clean Currents will donate $250 for each U-Street business and $30 for each U-Street home that enrolls for its services. Sustainable U will use this money to purchase new tree boxes for the 14th and U Street area.
Brianne Nadeau, former ANC-1B commissioner and 2014 candidate for the Ward 1 DC Council seat, founded Sustainable U in 2012. The community organization works to promote environmentally conscious development in the 14th and U Street and encourage civic engagement around the effort. To learn more about Sustainable U, local residents can attend the next meeting, scheduled for 7 pm on Wednesday, April 24, at the Paul Laurence Dunbar Apartments (2001 15th Street NW).
Interested business or home owners should visit the Clean Currents website or call 301-754-0430 (x3) and note that they are participating in the Sustainable U challenge. Local businesses SweetGreen, Busboys and Poets, and The Heights are among Clean Current’s customers. Sustainable U and Clean Currents are hoping to prompt U-street residents and business owners to start using clean energy and take advantage of the automatic contribution to new tree boxes in their neighborhood.
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