Restaurant News: Work Underway at "Italian Shirt Laundry", No Sandwich Shop (for now) at S and

At long last, work appears to finally be getting underway at the vacant "Shirt Laundry" building at the corner of 14th and Q streets. This summer, it was announced that the building--which for many years had housed the Shirt Laundry Dry Cleaners store--was going to be converted into an Italian restaurant and bakery called the Italian Shirt Laundry. The group developing the property, The Whisk Group, will also be opening a a second Italian restaurant a bit further down 14th Street called The Italian Cinema.


We had heard that the site may have some environmental remediation issues to contend with, which appears to be true with the current "Asbestos Removal" project going on at the building. Never fear though, as that part of the project will be over with very quickly, and come spring diners should be able to enjoy asbestos-free pasta and charcuterie.

The Italian Shirt Laundry will be the slightly downmarket of its ritzier cousin, Italian Cinema. The arrival of both restaurants will mean three Italian restaurants within a few blocks of each other along 14th Street (with Posto currently in operation in the Viridian building). Having three Thai restaurants within close proximity seems to be working out so far, so perhaps the market for Italian cooking is not yet saturated in Logan.

One thing that most CERTAINLY is not saturated is the desire for a good sandwich shop in the neighborhood. Yes, yes...having an embarassment of Italian riches from which to choose for a night out is a nice problem to have, but what about those times when you just want a nice roast beef and havarti? Sadly, those of us who live in Logan and have experienced that craving have not had much satisfaction. We had a glimmer of hope back in May that a deli might be coming to the corner of S and 12th street, but unfortunately, as U Street Girl reports, it seems like that is longer in the cards.

The space is still vacant, and the owner of the property indicates that the gentleman who was going to open and operate the deli will not be moving forward with the project. For shame.

Still, the building's owner indicates a strong desire to get a business opened in the building, which appears contingent upon a rezoning of the property. Meanwhile, those of us looking for a nice chicken salad on rye will have to be content to wander over to the Dupont Market on 18th. Which, if you haven't been, makes a very mean sandwich.

What Was the Commotion on S Street This Evening?

Anyone walking along 14th or 15th streets at S Street between 7:30 - 9:00 pm this evening no doubt noticed the significant collection of police cards, ambulances, fire engines and other EMS vehicles surrounding S Street.

Based on reports we received at the scene, it seems that an individual was seen breaking into a car along 15th street this evening by a man and woman. The man gave chase while the woman called the police; police responded quickly but were unable to immediately apprehend the suspect, who broke into an unoccupied house along the 1400 block of S Street by crashing through a skylight, and climbed into a crawl space. Police, not knowing whether or not the suspect was armed, and unable to determine with certainty whether or not others were in the house, blocked off the street and broke through the back door of the house with a battering ram. At that point, they were able to successfully apprehend the female suspect.

So, yes...basically the response we witnessed this evening was the result of a breaking and entering. Borderstan has more details.



Image courtesy of Luis Gomez.

Resurfacing Work to Begin on S St.

A heads-up to those of you who use S St. as a rush hour commuter route: DDOT has sent out a press release announcing that a resurfacing of S St. between 15th St. and New Hampshire Ave. will commence "on or about" August 23rd, and end approximately one month later. Work crews will also be replacing gutters and storm drains, and repaving alleyway entrances along the street. S St. will remain open during the project, but will be restricted to one lane. Since S St. is two ways, I doubt they will restrict it to a one-way street during this time, so it's likely that drivers will get the pleasure of having their lives placed in jeopardy by careless construction crew workers waving cars around the project and--perhaps--into oncoming traffic. So be careful out there.

With that being said, this work is long overdue and is much anticipated by Mr. and Mrs. 14th and You, both of whom frequently traverse the minefield of cracks and potholes that populate the 1600 and 1700 blocks of S. My car's suspension unleashed a cry of joy at the news of the resurfacing project. I've included the text of the release below, for anyone interested.

FOR RELEASE: AUGUST 16, 2007
MEDIA CONTACT: ERIK LINDEN @ DDOT, 202-671-2004

*RESURFACING AND OTHER ROADWORK SET FOR "S" STREET, NW*(Washington, DC)

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) advises residents, pedestrians and motorists that roadway restoration is scheduled to begin next week on "S" Street NW between 15th Street and New Hampshire Avenue in the Logan Circle/Dupont Circle areas.

The work is slated to begin on or about August 23, 2007, weather permitting. It's scheduled to be completed by September 22, 2007. The streetscape work will include the milling and overlaying of the roadway surfaces as well as curb and gutter replacements. Alley entrance ways in the area will also be repaired or replaced.

Work will take place between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. One lane of traffic will remain open for use at all times during construction.

Access to adjacent houses will also be maintained however parking will be limited. DDOT advises residents, motorists, and pedestrians to be safe and stay alert when traveling through the work zone.