Snowmageddon '10 - Who's Open?

Edit: Mid-City Caffe is open this morning, so if you're up to venturing out and need your morning caffeine fix, stop by. And do keep the reports of other businesses that are open coming. I'm sure they could use all the business they can get today.



So, the Mrs. and I just got back from cheering on the Caps at Nellies, and it's an understatement to say that it's snowing like crazy. I can't think of many storms I went through growing up in Ohio that were this severe. According to local forecasts, a foot of snow is pretty much a foregone conclusion, a foot and a half is quite possible, and 2 feet isn't out of the question.

Craziness, I tell you.

So, in spite of all this craziness, there are still some places in Logan and U Street that are open so you can get your eat and drink on this evening. (This is by no means a complete list, but Mr. and Mrs. 14thandyou weren't exactly able to go scour the neighborhood and provide a complete list.)

Nellies, as we mentioned earlier, is very much open--and quite busy. All of the tables were full when we left, which was shortly after 9:30.

Both Vinoteca and Solly's were open and serving, as was Dukem. Ben's was serving chili dogs, and Cravings was doing a brisk business as well.

Down along 14th Street, both Policy and Masa 14 are open. We're told Saint-Ex is as well, but we weren't able to confirm that.

Now, there are some places that are very much *not* open. If you are in need of supplies to last out the storm, you may be SOL. Both the CVS at U STreet and 10th, and the Rite-Aid at 13th and U were shuttered. A number of businesses that would normally be operating appeared darkened. If I had to guess, I would venture that those businesses who draw their employees form outside of the neighborhood are probably having a hard time opening, or simply elected to respect the safety and well-being of their employees and not open at all.

Any other tips for who is operating this evening? Or tomorrow? Please do share them in the comments. Together, we shall ride out the great Snowgasm of 2010...perhaps with a drink or two. Stay safe!

Where to brunch: Vinoteca

This afternoon, the 14thandYous faced a quandary: where to go for brunch? Mr. 14thandYou's brother had just wrapped up his fall internship here in DC and would soon be headed back to The Heart of It All, Ohio to finish his undergrad work. (For more on unpaid internships, we recommend this.) We wanted to take him out somewhere to celebrate, and determined that Sunday brunch would be the most opportune time.

So we set out into the chilly December air to scope out the usual suspects. Unfortunately, it seemed that we were not the only ones who had the brunch idea today. Every place we walked into was packed to the gills, with wait times ranging from 1/2 - 1 hour for a table. We visited Commissary, Logan Tavern, Bar Pilar, Saint Ex and Ulah Bistro, all without success. (Success being defined as "able to get a table".)

Running out of ideas, we wandered into Vinoteca on 11th Street, not knowing if they even had a brunch menu and, if they did, whether it was worth the cost of admission. We came away with highly positive answers to both questions.

First, the service: pleasant, attentive and thoughtful. We were seated immediately (the place was not full, and presented the relaxing, casual atmosphere we were looking for). Unlike other neighborhood establishments who shall remain nameless, the service was quick and attentive. For anyone who spends a fair amount of time dining out in DC, you no doubt understand how significant that is.

It was the food however that won us over. I ordered prosciutto eggs benedict with a side of home fries, which came with perfectly poached eggs and a lovely hollandaise sauce. Mr. 14thandYou's brother got an omelette which he deemed to be "awesome", and Mrs. 14thand You ordered duck confit crepes which were described as "eyes-roll-back-in-your-head good". Now that's high praise. Couple the wonderful food with good service and a relaxed atmosphere, and you have yourself a winner of a brunch. Which made the dearth of patrons somewhat surprising.

So the Vinoteca brunch gets a hearty recommendation from the 14thandYous. Has anyone else had a surprisingly good brunch/meal in the neighborhood? Any brunch recommendations in the neighborhood that you'd like to share? Please do so in the comments.