Data Dump of Restaurant News

Ok, so I recently started a new job and things have been a bit crazy, so it's been a bit more difficult to keep up with the flood of restaurant news recently. At any rate, forsaking much commentary or analysis, here's a brief round-up of where things are in the 'hood:

Standard, the new burger joint in the former Garden District space at 14th and S recentl had a soft opening, according to U Street Girl and Borderstan. I'd been watching the picnic tables going up slowly-but-surely, so I knew that this opening had to be imminent, but apparently last night the heat lamps were running and people were chowing down.

A bit south on 14th Street, work continues on Jeff Black's new establishments, the Pearl Dive Oyster Bar and BlackJack Lounge, continues to be built-out in the space at 1612 14th Street. No official opening date is set, but we're told "late spring/early summer" is likely.

According to DCist and U Street Girl, Dunkin Donuts will be joining Subway as a ground-floor anchor tenant in the soon-to-be-finished building at 14th and U. Prince of Northwest DC Petworth deemed the arrival of DDs at 14th and U to be a "beautful site;" I believe I'll settle for "a leased storefront."

And speaking of the building at 14th and U, long-promised "boutique steakhouse" and lounge Lost Society, brought to you by Aman Ayoubi of Local 16, will reportedly be opening in the spring. Of course, Lost Society was also supposed to open last summer, and in January, so you'll forgive us for not getting too excited until we're sitting on their roofdeck enjoying a plate of grass-fed cow.

And finally (phew), Touchdown, the new sports bar in the former MoMo's space on U Street, opened yesterday. U Street Girl has a brief review and pics. No official word on the opening of Touchdown's companion restaurant, the fish-chips themed Codmother, but we'll keep you posted.

Restaurant update: Tacos coming soon; Touchdown and Codmother on the way

Catching up on some recent restaurant news in the 'hood, in abbreviated form:

U Street Girl (via Metrocurean) has the latest on El Centro D.F., the tacqueria opening soon next door to the Black Cat. El Centro, which is being opened by Richard Sandoval and Kaz Okochi, the team behind Masa 14, is aiming for a May 5 (get it?) opening. They plan to offer take-out tacos, a seated restaurant area, and the requisite bar/lounge space in the basement.

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict mind-numbingly huge crowds for this when it opens. (And considering that plans for the space were only announced last July, getting this open within 10 months would seem to be some sort of record.)

On the other side of the Black Cat, Thaddeus Kurtz continues to be hard at work opening the casual burger and hot dog shop Standard in spite of a rough start to the proceedings. No official opening word, but the outdoor picnic tables appear to be about done, and interior work is wrapping up as well.

Across the street, caffeine purveyors Peregrine Espresso continue to work away towards a "Spring 2011" opening. (They also appear concerned over the lack of businesses along the 1700 block of 14th street.)

As we head north we arrive at the corner of 14th and U streets, where it was recently learned that Subway will be opening on the ground floor of the recently renovated building on the northeast corner of the intersection. This will be Subway's 1,345th third location within a few block radius of the 14th and U intersection. I thought only Starbucks could pull crap like that.

Headed a little further down U STreet, the street's two newest eateries--the Touchdown sports bar and the fish 'n chips shack Codmother--will be opening soon in the former Cafe Nema's space. Both Touchdown and Codmother are, according to WBJ's Missy Frederick, owned by the same team behind Bistro La Bonne, Tabaq and Soussi.

Finally, no, I don't have any word as to when the new steakhouse/lounge at 14th and U will be opening. Local 16's Ayman Ayoubi had promised a January 2011 opening, but unless you're a member of the construction crew no one's really hanging out there yet.

14th Street Burger Joint Running Into Strong Opposition

Thaddeus Curtz, a cook at esteemed Cathedral Heights pizza place 2 Amys, would like to bring a bit of Manhattan to 14th Street, but things aren't looking too good for his business plan.

Curtz is looking to a "burger joint" known as Standard (what's with the restaurant names these days?) modeled after Danny Meyer's eatery in Manhattan's Madison Square Park, in the former Garden District space (and, briefly, proposed home of the never-to-be-seen Crepes on the Corner) at the northeast corner of 14th and S streets. I think pretty much everyone in the neighborhood would welcome a place to swing by and pick up an inexpensive burger, hot dog or order of fries for dinner (Curtz has indicated that nothing on the menu would be more than $6). However, his application for a liquor license, operating hours until 1 AM during the week, and outdoor occupancy totaling 130 people have worried a lot of neighborhood residents.



There is so much concern, in fact, that the license has been protested by both ANC 1B and ANC 2B. (Typically, only one ANC protests a liquor license application, even if the operation in question could affect residents in both.) 2B commissioners voted unanimously to protest the license at last week's meeting, with many voicing concerns over the affect that the late hours and high outdoor occupancy could have on the nearby residents. It was noted, for instance, that no one on the Commission could recall an applicant coming before them and requesting such a sizable outdoor permit.

Privately, I have been told by those close to the negotiations that an agreement could be worked out if Curtz was willing to cut back his outdoor seating hours until 9 or 10 PM during the week. However, Curtz may be reticent to do that, since the indoor space only allows for seating of approximately 15 patrons at a time. As was noted at the 2B meeting, at the price point Curtz is proposing, he would need to sell a lot of hamburgers in order to afford the lease rates at that location.

Another potentially confounding factor is that the site may in fact have environmental remediation issues, as it is believed that at one point a gas station existed on the property (which would, in fact, serve to explain the awkward arrangement of the parcel.) If true, it would present another potential hurdle for Curtz--or anyone else, for that matter--opening a restaurant on the premises.

To the matter at hand, however, it's not hard to see the point of view of the ANCs on this issue. The space in question sits directly across from, and just down the street from, numerous residences, who undoubtedly would be affected by the noise emanating from upwards of 130 people outside drinking at midnight or 1 AM. I have a limit to my sympathy for people who complain about the general noise and din of 14th and U streets--this is, after all, very much an urban neighborhood. But the size and hours that Curtz is requesting for his venture seem unreasonable considering the location of his proposed establishment.

That said, I also feel confident in saying that a business like the one he is proposing would certainly be welcome in the neighborhood, which leads me to a point that I raised last summer during the discussions that took place during the meetings of the Arts Overlay review committee. Currently, individuals wishing to open an alcohol serving establishment essentially have two options to choose from: restaurant or tavern. Restaurant licenses come with strict requirements regarding food service, the hours during which a chef must be on premises, and so forth which many owners may find untenable. A tavern license, however, is far more likely to be protested due to the nature of the operation and the late hours during which they are allowed to operate. Why not create a third classification of license--call it a Pub class license--that provides for food requirements less than restaurants, greater restrictions on hours of operation, but greater freedom to operate in or near residential areas--something that a tavern license owner would likely face strong opposition against?

An establishment requesting a pub license, for instance, might agree to operate their outdoor seating areas only until 10 PM during the week and until 11 PM on weekends, and to be closed down completely by midnight, along with a 25% food requirement (25% of their income must be derived from the sale of food products, rather than alcohol). In exchange for this arrangement, the license holder could operate at a location such as the one in question at 14th and S streets that is near residential properties and would otherwise likely be prevented from opening.

The model for such a license would be the many corner pubs one finds sprinkled throughout the neighborhoods of London, frequently in or near residential areas. These pubs provide a place of enjoyment for those in the neighborhood that is close to their homes, yet close early enough so as not to be a nuisance to nearby residents.

Since no such license currently exists in DC, such arrangements would have to be worked out through the voluntary agreement process, a cumbersome, time-intensive and, at times, adversarial process. While I don't know if Curtz would be amenable to the type of operating hours restrictions that are being discussed, I would be hopeful that a workable compromise could be worked out. In the longer term, it would be helpful for ABRA to consider the evolving nature of many of the neighborhoods in DC, with an eye towards creating liquor license laws that provide for adequate protection of residents whilst promoting development and growth throughout the city.

As far as whether we'll see Standard at 14th and S anytime soon: I will keep you posted.