"Italian Shirt Laundry" and "Italian Cinema" Headed for 14th Street

One of 14th Street's mysteries--who will take over the former Shirt Laundry space located at 14th and Q streets--has been answered. Later this year, local restaurant developer The Whisk Group and Abdo Development will be bringing an Italian restaurant and bakery--Italian Shirt Laundry--to the currently dilapidated former drycleaners. According to a report from the Post's Tom Sietsema, blueprints have already been drawn up for the establishment. You have to believe that the plans will include some way to make use of what could be a lovely outdoor patio space fronting Q Street.

Whis Group owner Mark Weiss has indicated that he plans to have the operation running by the end of the year, but that seems ambitious. They have yet to appear before the ANC regarding a liquor license, and there have been concerns expressed regarding potential environmental remediation issues at the site (drycleaners, in spite of their name, don't leave particularly clean environments in their wake).

A little further down the street, at Abdo's offices at 1404 14th Street, yet another Italian restaurant developed by the Whisk Group--this one called the Italian Cinema--will move in. According to Sietsema, the Cinema will feature "pasta, charcuterie and, as the title suggests, Italian films screened against a wall on the restaurant's roof."

With Posto already entrenched along the east side of 14th Street in the former Veridian location, does this announcement make 14th Street the new hotbed for Italian cuisine in DC?

I had my doubts . . .

According to Chris Ziemann's report at the February 6th ANC meeting, the Q Street repaving project had about three weeks to go until completion. Does anyone see it being done on or around next Wednesday? In November we were told that the project would wrap up in about a month. It's not an emergency, just an inconvenience to have my fillings knocked loose when I drive east while cautious drivers ahead of me take all the bumps and ripples at 5 m.p.h. I also have serious doubts about the contractor's project management and DDOT's ability to manage contractors.

I'm sure that the work is a necessary inconvenience. I still cringe to think of all of the upcoming projects in and around Logan Circle. This spring work on P Street will commence, and DDOT will "reconstruct" and resurface 11th Street. We'll watch these projects carefully so that we can prepare ourselves for the upcoming 14th Street and 17th Street streetscape projects. Yikes.