The Georgetown Metropolitan

1000 block of Wisconsin Ave.

If you’re a chef and want to finally know the secret behind Washington Post’s food critic Tom Sietsema’s, um, face. Then you need to come to the next Q and A Cafe on FRiday October 12th at 12:00 pm.

Sietsema is a critic the zealously keeps his face out of the media. This is so he can eat at restaurants without the staff knowing that he is there to judge them (and thus get a fair read). A younger generation of restaurant critics don’t follow this rule, but Sietsema still sticks to it.

But will he reveal his face at the Q & A Cafe on the hopes that no chefs or restauranteurs are there? Only one way to find out! (But, yeah, he’ll probably wear a mask or something, which will also be entertaining in its own right.) Continue reading →

Photo by Redge.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• AOL executive selling fancy P St. manse.
• Sweet Green’s Tavern is open now.

3000 block of N St.

The ANC meets for its October meeting next week. There’s not really a theme, or anything. But it’s now officially fall, in both date and weather. So maybe buy some pumpkin spiced crap and show up in a sweater?

There are only a couple items that might be of wider interest on the agenda. One is the small cell tower plan for 5G. This next telecom wave is apparently a lot faster than 4g, but requires a ton more cell towers. This will mean oddly shaped antennae  on streetlights around Georgetown. How they ultimately look and how many is still yet to be determined. The ANC will be discussing and possibly weighing in next week. Continue reading →

Photo by Mumu Matryoshka.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• GM has to add from yesterday’s post that apparently Chase really might be interested in opening two branches in Georgetown. This, of course, would be as ridiculous as it would be awful.
• Fascinating history of local “bachelor’s clubs”, which included some in Georgetown.

Dumbarton Oaks

Last week GM reported on the high vacancy rate of Wisconsin Ave. That obviously hasn’t changed much in a couple days! But he does have some additional relevant information you’ll probably want to see.

The first is that the space that once held Paolo’s is being split back into two. As GM has mentioned before, the historic Little Tavern part of the building was separate into the 90s, when it was merged with Paolo’s (which had opened in the 80s). The two spaces are now being offered for lease separately (and GM hears the original Paolo’s part may already be leased to a new restaurant). So the historic Little Tavern building is being offered as a stand-alone space. Here’s your chance to restart a historic hamburger chain!

Up the street at 1424 Wisconsin Ave., GM can report that work continues on building out the promised 24-hour diner. GM hadn’t noticed any work there is a while, and his original skepticism appeared justified, particularly as the announced “Summer 2018” opening date slipped by. But it does not appear to be a dead project. Plenty of work still remains, so GM is not expected an imminent opening. Winter 2018 seems more likely. We’ll see. Continue reading →

Photo by Laura Tomas Avellana.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Herman Hollerith’s mansion is for sale for $19 million.
• GM hears Hertz and Avis now are renting cars from the Georgetown Park mall. Nice convenience!

3500 block of O St.