Georgetown Time Machine: Au Pied de Cochon

This week for Georgetown Time Machine, I’m honoring an historic restaurant spot that recently became vacant after the &Pizza left: Au Pied de Cochon.

The photo above is from my pile of 1993 shots and show the restaurant squarely in its middle age. It lingered on until 2005 when it closed. It was replaced first by a Five Guys burger shop, which was itself replaced by the &Pizza. Unfortunately the old French bistro interior was removed by the last tenant. It was hardly spectacular, but it had some character. Hopefully a new restaurant can come in and bring it back to its former, if not glory then at least status.

Here’s an excerpt from a piece I wrote in 2012 on the building itself:

According to the Historical American Building Survey, this structure was constructed around 1890. Interestingly, the survey came to this conclusion based upon a 1960 interview with George Scheele from the Georgetowner. Scheele stated that he believed that the first business to occupy the new building was Robert Weaver who ran a meat market.

From then until 1928, the building hosted a series of grocers. After remaining vacant through 1929, Payne’s Millinery opened. It only lasted three years though. By 1934, the space was a restaurant, and has remained as such ever since.

From 1939 till 1954, the restaurant on this spot was called Connor’s Grill. By the time of the photo below, however, Le Hi Grill had moved in.

In 1976, Pied de Cochon moved in. Ghosts of DC ran a nice history of this historic restaurant last winter, including how it hosting the famous “un-defection” of Vitaly Yurchencko in 1985.

Pied de Cochon sadly closed its doors forever in 2004. Despite the unfortunate current tenant, Five Guys, much of the character of the building is in tact. Hopefully someday Five Guys will shuffle off and a better option will move in. (ed: fingers still crossed…)

Finally, I would like to point out the stark difference in tree cover on Dumbarton. In 1966 there was a tall line of trees. Now there’s hardly anything.