The Georgetown Metropolitan

Back in the Great Cupcake Wars of 2012, when locals debated the relative superiority of Georgetown Cupcake against Baked and Wired, one thing that could always be said of Baked and Wired was that it didn’t have the long lines that cursed (blessed?) Georgetown Cupcake. In GM’s opinion they also had better (or at least more filling) cupcakes. Only that second advantage still applies; long lines have now come to Baked and Wired.

The lines at Baked and Wired are not quite as long as at Georgetown Cupcake. But they’re definitely long enough for you to question whether it’s worth it. Continue reading →

Photo by Andrew Griffith.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Dead body found in the canal.
• Some background on why After Peacock Room closed.

Rose Park

Last week’s Georgetown Current had an article on the plans to restore several of the locks of the C & O Canal. Specifically, Locks 3 and 4 are targeted for major repairs. And the Current briefly noted that the “bust of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas will be temporarily moved, and the tree above the bust will be removed.”

Sadly, this tree is not a scraggly or short tree. It is a huge and healthy maple tree. It provides a giant pool of welcome shade in throughout summer. It used to couple with another large tree just up the path to create an even larger shady courtyard, but that other tree was cut down recently. Continue reading →

Photo by Andrew Griffith.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• That’s a nice sunroom.
• GM missed this when he was in London, but the gondola has drawn 8 bidders wishing to study it.

It was always going to be a challenge to run a successful restaurant on P St. far from the commercial corridors. So it should not come as a surprise that the After Peacock Room has recently folded. Unlike previous closures, this one is permanent.

After Peacock Room opened originally in the summer of 2014. Its original concept seemed to be roughly that of a tea house, with small finger-food also offered. After remaining open only a few months, it closed and retooled into a full sit down restaurant.

Although the rapid change of business plan raised some red flags, after the reopening, things seemed to be going well. The interior (inspired by Whistler’s Peacock Room) was sleek and an improbably raving review from Tom Sietsema seemed to announce a bright future for the restaurant.

Things seemed to continue to go well for the restaurant through the first half of 2015. But then it closed down for all of August. Maybe it was just a summer vacation, but it raised those same red flags again. Continue reading →

Photo by Joe Flood.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Liquor license moratorium officially dead.
• There were no sidewalk expansions this weekend due to the weather. They will resume next weekend.

3600 block of Prospect St.

Photo by Guillermo Fdez.

Last year, GM got a tip from a very reliable source that the fancy French pastry shop, Laduree, would be opening at 3060 M St. People got really excited about this idea, and while the company announced they were planning to come DC, they didn’t say where exactly. Not much seemed to happen at 3060 M St. for a long time, but a permit now in the window practically confirms that the store is coming.

The permit is for interior demolition and it has been issued to Bertrand De Soutrait at 124 Rue de Faubourg, Saint Honore in Paris. Monsieur De Soutrait just happens to be the name of the President of Bertwood Realty, which has announced that it’s been the agent on the opening of two new Laduree stores. Continue reading →