The Georgetown Metropolitan

The already precarious M St. dining scene took a sizable blow over the past month as three different restaurants closed. The decline of restaurants is a long term trend that GM has been documenting for a while. While the recent closures are largely consistent with this long term trend, it is isolated along the eastern end, which has up till now been somewhat more resilient.

The closures (first reported by the Georgetowner) are Unum, Maxime’s (next door) and Pier 2934 (across the street). Unum was a well regarded, if not particularly high profile, restaurant that replaced Mendocino, another relatively well regarded restaurant which closed in 2012. (Mendocino itself replaced the beloved Geppetto’s Pizza, which was the highlight of GM’s family trip to DC in 1986:

Maxime’s replaced the short-lived Rialto, which itself replaced the long-standing Guard’s. Pier 2934 was a reinvention of its predecessor Little Viet Garden as a cajun crab house. This format is apparently popular for Vietnamese restaurants in the suburbs, but this is the second attempt at it in Georgetown that ended in closure (Yummi Crawfish was the other). Continue reading →

Photo by Bill Starrels.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Bridge Street Books is becoming a non-profit, which should ensure it lasts well into the future. (But Georgetowner, there are other books stores in Georgetown! Don’t forget the Lantern Bookshop!)
• The new game room in the basement of the Pizzeria Paradiso is open.

3200 block of M St.

This week for Know Your Trees, GM is visiting the Japanese zelkova. The zelkova is a member of the elm family (it is sometimes referred to as a Japanese elm), and as such received a brief mention in GM’s discussion on elms back in September. But they are a lovely tree, and deserve to be discussed in their own article too. Continue reading →

Photo by Victoria Pickering.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• 1065 Wisconsin Ave., which most recently hosted Nadeau furniture, will become a South Moon Under. Blah.
• Is the Dean and Deluca in trouble?

3200 block of M St.

Photo by Victoria Pickering.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• The history of disastrous ice floes on the Potomac along Georgetown.
• Falafel DC, a restaurant on Potomac, has used proceeds from food sales to provide meals for 25,000 people. Good job everyone!
• Jerry McCoy, who oversees the Peabody Room at the library, is a treasure.

1300 block of 31st St.

As reported last week, the Current Newspapers, including our own Georgetown Current, filed for bankruptcy protection last week. In an age where local publications are being demolished by Facebook and Google sucking up all the ad revenue, it was grim news to see the Current in such financial straits.

But the newspaper published an issue this week (after a holiday break). And they issued a message to the public describing the paper’s future:

Dear Readers and Friends of the Current Newspapers,

As we begin the New Year, we wanted to let you all know, in the interest of stabilizing the company, The Current’s Board of Directors has decided to file for Chapter 11 reorganization. This reorganization will allow us to continue to do business as we have for the past 50 years while we restructure the financial foundation of the company.

In addition, a new Current Newspaper Company will be established under new management that will operate as before, but with a new operating plan that will maintain our local news focus, while expanding our print and digital coverage of local events, sports and the Northwest lifestyle.

We bring this to your attention in order to set the record straight about our situation and because we greatly value our relationship with you as readers and clients of the Current Newspapers. We are committed to maintaining your trust, and, hopefully, your business as we restructure and improve our internal systems, circulation and our print and online products.

In summary, we can assure you that we will continue to publish the finest local community newspapers in the D.C. Metro area, and we will continue to deliver to our advertisers the affluent, involved and responsive readership we always have.

Sincerely,

Management of the Current Newspapers

Continue reading →

Photo by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• NCPC considering options to light up the Key Bridge.
• Update from yesterday’s story on the most expensive home sold in Georgetown last year: it was built in 1867, not 1887. (Which makes sense since its Italianate style was much more popular in the 1860s than in the 1880s).