Neighbors Raise Concerns About Homeless Shelter Planned in Southwest — Documents obtained by the Washington Post raise questions about Mayor Muriel Bowser’s plan to build a homeless shelter next to the Blind Whino event space. [Washington Post]
Man Accused of Killing American University Alumnus on Metro Train in NoMa Offered Plea Bargain — Jasper Spires, the 19-year-old man who is charged with killing American University alumnus Kevin Sutherland in July 2015 was offered a 30-year sentence in exchange for a guilty plea. [FOX 5]
How a Man With a History of Crime Slipped Through the Cracks of the D.C. Justice System — Antwon Durrell Pitt, a man accused of raping a woman in her Hill East home in October, had an extensive criminal record and violated the terms of his release from prison, but the District justice system failed to prevent him from striking again. [Washington Post]
Plans for Summer Camp Themed Bar Near Union Market Cancelled — Sloppy Joes, sugary cereals and booze will no longer come together after plans for a summer camp-themed bar near Union Market were cancelled by the property owner. [Washington City Paper]
Peruvian Restaurant in NoMa Reopened After Closing Due to Vermin Infestation — Chicken Rico Peruvian restaurant in NoMa reopened on Thursday after briefly closing after a District food safety and hygiene inspector reported a significant pest problem. [Hill Now]
The opportunity to have a beer with a Budweiser Clydesdale in Navy Yard and Southwest is coming next week.
One of Anheuser-Busch’s famed horses first is set to stop at Cantina Marina (600 Water St. SW) on Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. Then on Thursday, the Budweiser Clydesdales are scheduled to gallop over to Nationals Park for Opening Day at 4 p.m.
“Baseball fans will spend Opening Day with the Budweiser Clydesdales while the horses parade around the Park, hit center field for the national anthem and pose for photos at the stadium’s Budweiser Brew House,” a news release says.
Photos are encouraged.
In addition to Opening Day, the horses are in town for National Beer Day, a Capitals game next week and other events. April also marks the 83rd anniversary of when Budweiser Clydesdales brought a case of beer to the White House to celebrate the end of Prohibition.
Here’s what’s in store:
Photo courtesy of Maha Hakki
Capitol Hill bar Mr. Henry’s (601 Pennsylvania Ave. SE) might be one of the most beloved historic bars in the country.
At least, that’s what the National Trust for Historic Preservation said when it selected the bar to compete against 32 bars across the U.S. in its “Big Tap” tournament. “Big Tap” is an annual online competition that pits bars across the country against one another in a test of popularity and neighborhood support.
“Mr. Henry’s is thrilled to part of ‘Big Tap,’ especially this year as we celebrate Mr. Henry’s 50th year on Capitol Hill,” said Mark Steele, General Manager Mr. Henry’s, in a statement.
Mr. Henry’s fans can visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation website to vote for the neighborhood bar. The winner of the competition will be announced in the first week of April.
Spring has come early at Cantina Marina in Southwest, with a little help from Teddy.
The dockside bar at 600 Water St. SW announced it opened yesterday for the season after Nationals racing president Teddy “didn’t see his shadow,” following the lead of Potomac Phil last month.
Teddy didn't see his shadow, so spring begins today. Cantina Marina is OPEN! NOW! @ Cantina Marina https://t.co/XYLF3mtSUi
— cantina marina (@cantina_marina) March 8, 2016
Cantina Marina initially was scheduled to open March 19. The Wil Gravatt Band, a country music group, is slated to play that day from 2 to 6 p.m.
Photo via Instagram/Cantina Marina
The season for alfresco drinking and outdoor taco eating has almost arrived on the Southwest waterfront and the H Street corridor.
Cantina Marina (600 Water St. SW) and Chupacabra Latin Kitchen and Taqueria (822 H St. NE) are scheduled to reopen later this month, after closing down for the winter.
Chupacabra is slated to resume operations first on Thursday, March 17, which is St. Patrick Day’s, according to a Facebook post.
Cantina Marina is set to open its deck to customers two days later on Saturday, March 19, according to the bar’s website. The Wil Gravatt Band, a country music group, is scheduled to play from 2 to 6 p.m.
Photos via Facebook/Cantina Marina, Flickr/justgrimes
Yesterday we told you where to pick up the best snacks for your Super Bowl party. But for those who aren’t hosting their own parties, there are also restaurants and bars across the Capitol Hill area holding viewing parties for the big game. Here’s our guide to Super Bowl parties in the area:
- Represent your team with Panthers and Broncos themed drinks at Union Pub at 201 Massachusetts Ave. NE
- Sticky Rice at 1224 H St. NE will have free Pabst Blue Ribbon from kickoff until the first score
- Driftwood Kitchen at 400 H St. NE has food and drink specials planned from 6-10 p.m.
- Tickets are available online for an open bar, all-you-can-eat Super Bowl party at Barrel (613 Pennsylvania Ave. SE)
- Avery’s Bar and Lounge at 1370 H St. NE will have drink and wing specials until 7 p.m.
- Sol Mexican Grill at 1251 H St. NE will have happy hour specials all day Sunday
- The Ugly Mug at 723 8th St. SE has food and drink specials planned during and after the game
- The Big Stick at 20 M St. SE in Navy Yard is having a pig roast on Sunday with all-you-can-eat pork and sides for $8
- Also in Navy Yard, Due South at 301 Water St. SE will show the game on all of their TV’s with food and drink specials starting at 6:30 p.m.
Know of other Super Bowl specials and parties in the area? Let us know in the comments and we’ll add them to our list.
Photo via Twitter/ Union Pub
Schools, Government Offices Reopen Today, But Commute May Not Be Easy — The federal government and D.C. schools are reopening today, but roads still aren’t ready for a full-scale rush hour and not all buses are running. [Washington Post]
Capitol Hill Man Threatens to Bury Cars Parked in Spot He Cleared in Widely Shared Sign — Nathan Bergman of Capitol Hill spent five hours digging out his car after the weekend blizzard, and posted a sign promising to re-bury any car that took the spot while he was gone. The sign was widely shared on social media. [Washington Times]
Developer Struggles to Find Cafe Tenant in Hill East — The owner of a two-story rowhouse at 1247 E St. SE says he has struggled to find a coffee shop or cafe to occupy the space but hopes that will change as more residential projects are built in the area. [Washington Business Journal]
Three Capitol Hill Area Bars Among Districts Best Dives — The Pug (1234 H St. NE), Trusty’s Full-Serve Bar (1420 Pennsylvania Ave. SE) and Tune Inn (331 Pennsylvania Ave. SE) all made Thrillist’s list of the best dive bars in D.C. [Thrillist]
Tonight—it's going to be a good time. Don't miss the State of the Union. https://t.co/yC2x4ODfBa #SOTU pic.twitter.com/9FUNGoRp8Z
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 12, 2016
Tonight, President Obama will deliver the final State of the Union address of his presidency at the U.S. Capitol. Roads around the Capitol will be closed, but plenty of bars and restaurants nearby will be open for viewing parties complete with games and drink specials. Here’s where to catch the speech in the Capitol Hill area:
201 Bar
201 Massachusetts Ave. NE
The 201 bar and the Washington Examiner have teamed up to host State of the Union bingo, with prizes for winners. The Washington Examiner will even pick up the tab for your first drink.
Smith Commons
1245 H St. NE
Ward 6 Councilman Charles Allen will be watching the speech from the second floor bar at H Street eatery Smith Commons.
Union Pub
201 Massachusetts Ave. NE
Union Pub will play the Cloture Club’s official drinking game during the speech, with rules including “Every time Obama says ‘allies,’ swap your drink with a friend and cheers” and ‘If ‘ISIS is contained’ is said, you have to drink one when no one is watching.”
Molly Malone’s
713 8th St. SE
Make a political statement with your order at Molly Malone’s which will be offering red and blue jell-o shots at its watch party.
New Year’s Eve celebrations have already begun around the Capitol Hill area and there’s no shortage of parties to choose from tonight. When the confetti clears, though, it’s shaping up to be a quiet first weekend of 2016 in the area, with few events planned for Saturday and Sunday.
Temperatures are expected to cool down gradually over the weekend, with temperatures in the low 50s today but remaining in the 40s for most of the weekend. We’ll be taking tomorrow off and will be back on Monday. In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know to make the most of this New Year’s weekend in the Capitol Hill area.
How to Get Around Tonight
- Between midnight and 3 a.m., all Metro trains and buses will be free for those with a SmarTrip card courtesy of a sponsorship with Miller Lite. Passengers can use their SmarTrip to enter and exit Metro stations, but will not be charged for the trip. On buses, riders can show their SmarTrip to the driver to board for free.
- The Washington Regional Alcohol Program will pay for a free ride home (up to $30) from 10 p.m. tonight to 6 a.m. tomorrow. Those needing a ride can call 1-800-200-TAXI
- The DC Circulator will run extended service until 2 a.m. tonight
Events
- Check out our guide to New Year’s Eve parties in the area to find the right celebration for you tonight.
- Join Mayor Bowser for a 5K walk/run Friday morning to ring in the New Year
- Restaurants across the area will hold New Year’s Brunch Friday morning, including Osteria Morini (301 Water St. SE), Medium Rare (515 8th St. SE), Hank’s on the Hill (633 Pennsylvania Ave. SE), Ambar (523 8th St. SE) and The Arsenal at Bluejacket (300 Tingey St. SE)
Road Closures
Several roads will be closed Friday morning for the Fresh Start 5K walk/ run near Eastern High School:
- East Capitol Street between 17th and 19th streets will be closed from 7:30-9:30 a.m.
- East Capitol Street between 19th and 22nd streets will be closed from 8:45-10 a.m.
- 19th Street SE between Independence Avenue SE to East Capitol Street will be closed from 8:45-9:30 a.m.
- 22nd Street between C Street NE and Independence Avenue SE will be closed from 8:45-10 a.m.
Metrorail
- On Friday, Metro trains will run from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. on a Sunday schedule
- On Saturday from 6 p.m. until closing, Orange, Silver and Blue line trains will run every 24 minutes due to track work between Eastern Market and Stadium-Armory stations
- On Saturday and Sunday, Red Line trains will run between Shady Grove and Glenmont every 24 minutes and between Shady Grove and Silver Spring every 12 minutes from 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Parking
- Parking meters, residential parking and rush-hour lane restrictions will not be enforced on Friday, Jan. 1
Trash Collection
- Friday trash collection will be pushed back to Saturday
H Street Connection Strip Mall Closes Ahead of 2016 Demolition — All the stores in the H Street Connection strip mall between 8th and 10th streets NE have closed ahead of a scheduled demolition and redevelopment in 2016. [District Cuisine]
Local Restaurants Make List of Dishes That Shaped D.C. Food Scene in 2015 — Two eateries on the H Street corridor, Sally’s Middle Name and Maketto, made the Washington Post’s list of dishes that changed the District food scene this year. [Washington Post]
H Street is Going to Be Very Busy Tonight — The Frozen Tropics blog put together an extensive list of New Year’s Eve parties planned for tonight along the H Street corridor. [Frozen Tropics]
The Rest of the Area Will Also Be Fairly Busy — For events outside the H Street corridor, check out our guide to New Year’s Eve parties and dinners in the Capitol Hill area. [Hill Now]
Police Conduct Five-Hour Search for Relisha Rudd at Construction Site, Find No Evidence — Police searched a construction site in Northeast for five hours yesterday looking for evidence related to the disappearance of Relisha Rudd, who was kidnapped from D.C. General homeless shelter in 2014. [Washington Post]
Video Shows Danger of Crossing North Capitol Street in NoMa — Steven Glazerman, a writer for Greater Greater Washington, filmed his daily commute across North Capitol Street at the intersection with Pierce Street NE, showing that most cars don’t stop even as he makes his way across the crosswalk. [Greater Greater Washington]
Developers Plan to Break Ground on Condos at The Yards in Early 2016 — PN Hoffman, the developer behind condo projects at The Yards development in Navy Yard, is set to begin construction on a 10-story, 138-unit building in the first quarter of 2016. [Washington Business Journal]
Plans Revealed for Two Apartment Buildings North of Nationals Park — Developer JBG released plans for the intersection of Half and N streets SE that would add 225 condos, 200 apartments and retail space. [Washington Business Journal]
Capitol Hill Bar Makes List of Best New Bars in the District — Capitol Hill bar Stanton & Greene, which opened in February at 319 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, made DCist’s list of the best bars that opened this year in D.C. [DCist]
The new Buffalo Wild Wings location near Nationals Park is set to open on Nov. 16, JDLand reported.
According to a mailing posted by JDLand, the restaurant will offer 52 coupons for free wings – one for every week of the year – to the first 100 customers at the bar at 1220 Half St. SE.
Look what arrived in our snail mail today…. If I show up on Nov. 16, will @BWWings on Half St. be ready? pic.twitter.com/PBvnLwDrVR
— JDLand (@JDLand) November 5, 2015
The bar that sits just south of the Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro station, plans to have searing for 233 people inside with 28 sidewalk seats.
Photo via Facebook/ Buffalo Wild Wings
A lager or Merlot soon might be as common as a latte or smoothie at a Starbucks two blocks from the U.S. Capitol.
The Starbucks at 237 Pennsylvania Ave. SE has applied for a liquor license to serve beer and wine, according to paperwork filed with the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration this week.
The filing came after Starbucks submitted liquor license applications for locations in Dupont Circle, Georgetown, Chevy Chase, Arlington and Reston last week.
A Starbucks representative told Hill Now’s sibling publication, Borderstan, then that the push for alcoholic drinks is part of the company’s new “Starbucks Evenings” service, which also includes a small plate menu. The coffee chain may serve “craft beer,” along with red, white and sparkling wines by the bottle and glass, according to a sample menu.
But food and drinks vary by region, meaning it’s possible the stores could serve local beer and wine. Small plate possibilities include truffle mac and cheese, bacon-wrapped dates, chicken skewers and truffle popcorn.
Photo via Flickr/Charles Williams
The Ben’s Chili Bowl on the H Street corridor might officially start selling cocktails from its roof within days.
Ten 01 at 1001 H St. NE is slated to open to the public on the second floor of Ben’s and a rooftop deck this Thursday, Mike Herz, the operations manager for the bar, said on Twitter.
Herz also shared photos of the inside and the roof deck, which are both minimally decorated with stained wood and metal furnishings.
Coming soon to H Street Corridor! *TEN01 pic.twitter.com/MxkaYyY2xl
— Mike Herz – Ten01 H (@Mikeherz101Herz) October 2, 2015
The bar previewed their beer, wine and cocktail menus at an open house during the H Street Festival on Sept. 19.
Practice run last week pic.twitter.com/MycVTOVZrh
— Mike Herz – Ten01 H (@Mikeherz101Herz) September 26, 2015
A Ben’s representative couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
A boutique winery in New York is planning to open an outpost at The Yards in Navy Yard by fall 2017, the area’s developer announced today.
Brooklyn Winery, which bills itself as an “urban winery that crafts boutique small batch wine and seasonal eats,” is scheduled to start construction of a 16,000-square-foot location at Water and 4th streets SE this spring, according to developer Forest City Washington.
The winery’s D.C. branch, which will be called District Winery, is the first business of its kind in the city. It will make wine on site and have a tasting room, full-service restaurant, an outdoor terrace and space for weddings and other private events.
The Washington Business Journal reported in May that Brooklyn Winery was looking to open in Navy Yard. But a lease wasn’t signed at the time. The winery has since signed a lease for a new building that is set to occupy a now-vacant lot.
“We are very excited to make Washington, D.C., our new home,” Brooklyn Winery co-founder Brian Leventhal said in a statement. “The Yards is the perfect location for District Winery, and we look forward to being a part of this thriving neighborhood for years to come.”
Photo via Instagram/Brooklyn Winery
