Another Great Reason to Head to The Heights

There are many reasons to love Logan @ The Heights: bloody marys on Saturdays, the steak salad, the ginger lime margarita, the patio, bloody marys on Sundays. And here is another reason to stop by: 15 percent of all proceeds on Tuesday night will benefit Columbia Heights Day (less than two weeks away).

Support the Columbia Heights Neighborhood 15% of Proceeds Donated to Columbia Heights Day  Logan @ The Heights is proud to support our neighborhood by donating 15% of Tuesday evenings proceeds to the Columbia Heights Association. Please join us for dinner tomorrow night to help this wonderful cause. ONE NIGHT ONLY... Tuesday, September 23rd, beginning at 5 PM Logan @ The Heights 3115 14th St. NW Washington, DC 20010 For Reservations, Call: 202-797-7227 Or Reserve online: www.theheightsdc.com

Columbia Heights Streetscape Project Update

Big news today on the Columbia Heights streetscape project as the Department of Transportation finally awarded a contract. Reports the Examiner:

The streets of Columbia Heights are about to receive a $15 million makeover, part of a District Department of Transportation project slated to begin in the next two months .... DDOT, which awarded the contract for the work to Civil Construction LLC last week, described the project as "an ambitious effort to implement consistent, practical and aesthetically pleasing urban landscape elements in what can best be described as the heart of the city."

Bike lanes for 14th Street are planned, too.

Oktoberfest Arrives in Columbia Heights

The Wonderland, Looking Glass Lounge, and Red Rocks are banding together on Saturday to celebrate Oktoberfest with, "Katch the Keg."

Promo flyer is courtesy of Prince of Petworth.

CommonWealth Reviewed

The Hill reviewed CommonWealth last week, and was pretty positive about it. The Washington Post was similarly generous in their review. I remain reserved and await Sake Club, Panda Express, and Dave's Tavern. Seems like it will be a fall full of openings in Columbia Heights.

Though one place that, despite continued rumblings, I am convinced will never open as it currently is Royal Blue, the Mediterranean joint on 14th. I peak through the tears in the paper covering the windows often and it's still just a hole. A prime location hole. Perhaps it's telling that their website isn't working right now...

SHOWDOWN! Starbucks v. Starbucks

That's right, it's time for a SHOWDOWN! among the Columbia Heights excess. One Starbucks, inevitable. But TWO Starbucks coffee shops... within about 100 yards of each other? A wee bit tragic. Thus, this SHOWDOWN! shall be a battle to the death! Or... maybe, given where the company is heading, one of those battles where they stab each other simultaneously and we end up with no Starbucks at all. Anyhow... let's get going.

Category 1: Location
One Starbucks is right on 14th, the other is nestled in Target. Clearly 14th is easier to access when you don't need something from Target. However... when don't you need something from Target? And aren't you better off shopping with a little caffeine kick? I know it SEEMS like 14th is best for us all, but I think the Target Starbies is onto something, because and only because I can always use a trip to Target. Winner: Starbucks (Target)

Category 2: Service
Recently, every Starbucks in the United States shut down to retrain their employees on how to make a proper latte. For a few weeks, I thought, 'Hey, things are better here!' But a few months have passed now, and for some reason every single time i order from the 14th street 'bucks, the barista spills crap down the side of my drink and I end up with two cups. I hate having two cups. However, despite the recent flaws, 14th 'bucks is about 1.3 million times faster than the Target 'bucks, even if the line is twice as long. Speed is king when coffee is on the line. Winner: Starbucks (14th)

Category 3: Ambiance
Our 14th street coffee haven has it. The latest production from a Starbucks artist (yuck, I know, but they try), plus chairs, tables, outside seating, and wireless. In Target, the Starbies space is shared with some soda fountains and Pizza Hut cafeteria style dining space. I think this category settles it. Winner: Starbucks (14th)

So if the company is going south and we only get to keep one, The Heights Life has declared the best Starbucks is the original 14th Street version. However, if we had it our way... two Sticky Fingers instead?

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Crime Crime Crime

Frequent listserv voice William Jordan made a good point yesterday. The last few days of the 3D Substation crime report look like they could be from the last few weeks.

Normally when school starts again, we see a bit of a decline in crime. I have no statistics, but that doesn't seem to be the case this year.

The Heights Life will be honest here and say we're particularly concerned because a couple of the muggings reported happened on our well-trafficked block, and not always during absurd hours.

How will we stumble home from the Wonderland at 2AM under these circumstances? The answer: probably the same as always, but with less confidence that we'll arrive chez nous with our purses.

Also, we'd like to suggest to the police that they get more Segway cops, and maybe the Segway cop can bring along an extra Segway in case I want a ride home. Just an idea.

RIP Mayorga

If you're a member of the CH listserv, you're already well aware that Mayorga is closed, or half-closed, and now it's all about Asian and not coffee, and then something about how Carvel/Cinnabon leased their coffee machines. I don't know. All I do know is that I hope Not-Mayorga-Anymore figures it out because for the last six months, maybe nine, I've considered that wasted space. Spud Lite does not like having her wifi taken away!

Anyhow - coming soon to the Tivoli theater space: sushi, Korean, maybe Chinese. How much Asian can one restaurant handle? I'd like to know.

SHOWDOWN! Potbelly v. Pete's

Hulk Hogan can have the celebrity feud of the week, because now 'The Heights Life' has SHOWDOWN! a new feature where we pit two embattled Columbia Heights "things" against each other and declare a winner. People, places, streets, pets, whatever it may be. But, since this is a blog for the community, I will welcome a vote in our Heights Life Poll to overturn any SHOWDOWN! decision I may make that you disagree with.

For our first edition, let's go with something obvious. They're neighbors. They both serve food. Their names start with the letter "P." And I can be seen at one or the other several times each week. It's time for...

SHOWDOWN! Potbelly v. Pete's Apizza

Category 1: Service
I'm quite certain Potbelly has a strict customer service regiment. It's why they shout your order down a line the same way every time. It's also why they seem to do this without a lot of fire in the potbelly... their service is a script, and while it keeps it consistent, I don't know if I FEEL it so much. Pete's, on the other hand, seems to be staffed by people who... well... like their jobs! Shocking, I know, but it's a family affair and they aren't stuck to a script. I even asked someone if something was good last week and you know what they said? They said, "I don't know. I haven't tried it yet." Honesty is good service. Victor: PETE'S APIZZA

Category 2: Price
Quality and quantity are always at play when considering pricing, but if we try to look at the straight up bang for the buck, everyone knows Potbelly is way cheaper than Pete's. Sure, a single slice at Pete's is less than a Potbelly sandwich, but the sandwich will fill you up far quicker. And... a $4 slice? Remember when you could get a burger for a quarter? Ok, me neither, but I still think $4 for a slice the size of a Pete's piece is a bit high. Throw in a salad and a drink and Pete's is a $10-$15 meal. At Potbelly its tough to break into the double digits. Victor: POTBELLY

Category 3: Deliciousness
It's one and one and it comes down to the final category... who is more DELICIOUS. Do I even need to explain myself here? Pete's is damn good. Their deliciousness quotient puts Potbelly to shame. The paninis are great, the pizza is gourmet, and the house salad is perhaps my favorite thing ever... it's just a salad, but it's so very good and organic and full of deliciousness! Potbelly is tasty, but come on - Pete's has gelato. Victor: PETE'S APIZZA

FINAL SHOWDOWN! TALLY:
Pete's Apizza: 2
Potbelly: 1
WINNER: Pete's Apizza

Congratulations Pete's! I will be by later for my house salad with chicken and a Diet Coke to go.

A first for the Wonderland

Not wanting to stop celebrating the long weekend just yet, your bloggers stopped by the Wonderland around 12:30 am last night only to find a horrible, horrible thing. A line. To get into the Wonderland.

Now, repeat those last two sentences and give your best WTF face.

Apparently the bar was at capacity and making people wait outside to get in. This combined with the new seating rule for the beer garden is making the place lose some of its dive-y charm. Anyone knows the reason why for these new changes? Did you actually wait in line on Sunday? Leave a comment below.