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.

My Dry Cleaning: An Update

Since one of our commenters asked for an update on my dry cleaning (and I always do what you people tell me to in the comments section), here it is!

I got my clothes back today from Georgetown Valet. All done, on time, and I must say - they look fantastic. I should probably do my dry cleaning more often because my skirts have never looked so good. Not even when they were new!

As for the prices... women always get hosed at the dry cleaners. I just don't know why, and I don't know why we don't stage a major protest on the issue... but seriously, if you're a dude reading this, I'd like to compare prices.

Here's what I had done:

2 suits
1 pair of pants
2 skirts
1 shirt

If you count the suits as two pieces each, the total was 8 items. I paid $43, or just over $5 per single item (including tax).

That certainly seems like a lot to me, especially if dudes pay like... $2 per shirt. And do I get charged more if it's a suit versus a jacket and a skirt? I think I might...

But, for this area - it might be decent. Does anyone have an experience or prices to compare?

WSC: Mr. T Says Wipe It Down

Mr. T had some WSC gym beef going on today.

And he makes some good points. Is it just me - or is there no sign-up board for cardio equipment? Shouldn't there be? Didn't they say there would be?

I took a class last night, so I didn't have to deal with the madness he endured, but the WSC is certainly crowded during the immediate pre- and post-work hours... and it seriously lacks any solid organization. People also don't have the same hygiene standards I saw at results, as Mr. T points out. It's polite to wipe off a machine, a mat, whatever it may be.

On the plus side - they just added a bunch of classes, both earlier and later ones. The addition of 7:30PM classes is good for those of us who work outside the neighborhood and need to trek home before hitting the gym. I applaud them for this and hope they last.

UPDATE: Some more positive WSC news from Matthew in the comments section - starting soon, soccer time in the gym. Plus, more machines extending into the stretching area, so hopefully Mr. T's Lord of the Flies scenario won't actually happen.

Where Do You Dry Clean?

This morning I managed to take myself on a grand tour of the Columbia Heights / 14th Street area dry cleaners. I had two skirts, two suits, a shirt and a pair of pants to get done. I also had several pairs of shoes in need of re-heeling.

My observations:

OXXO Cleaners: This was my first stop. Some rather rude man saw me with my stuff and raced in ahead of me. This was by far the largest, cleanest cleaner I saw. They do not, however, handle shoes. And they told the rude man in front of me that the plethora of shirts he brought in would take a week. A week! I didn't even bother waiting my turn. They do have that fancy thing that lets to drop-off and pick-up at any time. Anyhow, I can't wait a week, so my next stop was...

Georgetown Valet: This is my usual choice. They aren't as big into the "organic" business, but they say they are environmentally friendly. What I like best is how speedy they are. The line is fast, the clothes are done in about two days, and they are usually willing to bump it up if I ask nicely. I've always thought my stuff looked good when it came back, so I just keep using them. They do not, however, do shoes. I left them my clothes and continued my trek to...

Kenyon Square: The new little green machine on 14th just opened. The window listed shoe repair among their services and I was happy to find somewhere so close! They send their clothes off-site, so I wouldn't leave them with my duds. When I tried to turn over my shoes I learned that they ship these off-site, too (not unusual for shoe repair at a dry cleaner), but they told me the shoes would take a week! What's with this week business again?! Apparently they are shipping them to Arlington at this juncture. I don't go NoVa. My shoes don't go to NoVa. Alas, it was a bust and my shoes are now across town, but I'll get them back tomorrow.

So where do you dry clean? Any preferences or horror stories? Take our poll!

Finally some news on Royal Blue Bistro

What did I just say about restaurant news ...

Various DC foodie sites have some surprising updates on Royal Blue Bistro -- the forevered-brown-papered windows next to The Heights. From DCist:

Chef Rissa Pasibigan will be behind the stove at Royal Blue Bistro from Jawad Laouaoudaand Khalid Raji, of Citronelle. Pasibigan's name might be more familiar from her front of the house exploits at Corduroy and most recently West End Bistro. A CIA-trained chef, she will be designing the Mediterranean menu with inspiration from her upcoming trip to Morrocco. For anyone who has tasted the lumpia at Corduroy, you'll have an idea about her gifts behind the stove.

While RBB is slated to open in the Fall, I peeked at the space about a week ago and it looked still empty with little construction happening.
 

ListServ post of the day

Suffice to say, I love local restaurant and retail news. This update from the developers of The Meridian Pint comes on the heels of a rather ridiculous Columbia Heights listserv discussion of the 11^th Street commercial strip and what bars and restaurants should and should not be like. But the description of the new place sounds fantastic! Another thing to look forward to in 2009:

What will The Meridian Pint be like?

Wed Aug 13, 2008 10:35 pm (PDT)

I'll be brief since I'm preparing to go canoe the upper Potomac for 2
days, departing at 6am...in 4 hours.

Located at 11th & Park, The Pint, as I've come to nick name it, will
be 2 levels. The street level will be very much restaurant/bar
similar in casualness to Commonwealth Gastro Pub with an open style
kitchen. We'll offer great food, a casual groove, 25 beers on draft
and no bottles or cans, plentiful wines and yes, an outdoor seating
area. Beers will be diverse including cask conditioned as well as the
occasional gravity poured, firkin. There will be 2 "idiot boxes"
since I do enjoy sports and I believe few things go better than
quality beer while watching some football. Certainly not a sports
bar, just some back ground.

The basement level will be equal in size and will have both a separate
entrance and internal connection. The downstairs will have a more
playful personality and will carry the name "The Joint Chiefs" while
still serving the same food and beverages. There will be 4 8ft.
billiard tables, to be rented by the hour, shuffle board, another bar
and a spacious lounging area with the ability to section off for
private party/receptions. A ping pong table top will be available for
covering 1 billiard table for those interested.

Scheduled opening is based on 3DG's renovation of the building but for
now I'm hoping for spring of '09.

That's it in a nut shell.

John Andrade
The Meridian Pint