Cork Market to open next week

Cork Market, almost ready (courtesy of Vincent Gallegos, Flickr)

Robin Shuster, the lovely lady who runs the 14th and U farmers market, says Cork Market, at 14th and S, will be open on Monday or Tuesday. She got this news straight from co-owner Diane Gross. Unfortunately by that time I’ll be out of town, home in Massachusetts for Thanksgiving, so dear readers, I’m relying on you. If you see that they’re open, please email me (with any of your first impressions about the place) and I’ll post about it right here. I am super excited for it to be open. I might attempt to live there, drinking wine, eating charcuterie and cheese.  And in other news, this is the last weekend for the season of the 14th and U farmers market – so get your market fill because they won’t be back until May!

 

In the market for a matterss?

Matterss Sale

I feel bad making fun, but it was just such an egregious typo I had to share. Seen on 14th street near Wallach.

 

Arrest made in Oscar Fuentes’s murder

The community really needed a quick arrest with this murder. WaPo is reporting 26-year-old Josue Pena of Hyattsville was arrested at 6 am this morning. This is good news but you can’t help but think it’s not going to bring Oscar Fuentes back.

DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier also noted that there is no indication that the murder was gang related, though she did acknowledge that the suspect is a known associate of MS-13.

 

Strange art in Mt Pleasant

Strange trike art in Mt Pleasant

Sunday was gorgeous. I ended up walking around the city, mostly through Mt Pleasant. Ended up coming across perhaps the strangest house at Park and 17thish, that featured this very weird tricycle art. In fact, there were tricycles hung at different parts of the house. I just had to share. Check out the rest of the pictures I took on Sunday on my Flickr photostream.

 

Looking Back: Club Bali

Club Bali at the corner of 14th and T (courtesy of the book, Greater U Street DC)

This is the first post of a new feature in which I look back at the history of a building in the U street area. I’ve always been interested in the history of buildings, and after a few posts Prince of Petworth had of pictures of the area, showing how completely it had changed in just a few years, my curiosity just grew. Thanks to some Internet research, I present to you my first Looking Back post.

The first building we’re looking at is at 1901 14th street, which was formerly Club Bali, a popular place where jazz greats like Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, and Cab Calloway performed. Now the building is home to the Arena Stage’s Community Engagement Studio.

Benjamin Caldwell opened Club Bali in 1943 as mainly a venue for live music. The club also featured tap dancers and chorus girls. Club Bali supposedly held 200 or 300 patrons, one of the largest clubs in the area. Club Bali was one of the first clubs to successfully charge a cover to get in. In the 1940s it was five dollars (which was a lot of money in the 1940s!). And, in contrast to the name, they also served a not-often found cuisine in the time: Korean food prepared by George Kim.

The building that housed Club Bali was built in 1907 as a billiards and bowling alley (PDF). In 1937, the building featured the exhibit “National Memorial to the Progress of the Negro Race in America.”

Arena stage building, now

“It was a magic place, its rear garden lit with strings of lights in the summertime…the magic often continued late into the night, as name entertainers, winding down after formal engagements, played to intimate gatherings into the wee hours of the morning in the many tucked-away, after-hours clubs located throughout the neighborhood.” (from U Street Heritage trail).

In 1950, owner Benjamin Caldwell was convicted of jury tampering in a gambling case. After his conviction, the former Club Bali housed numerous restaurants and clubs in the 1950s and 1960s, including Cafe Trinidad. It eventually became Jack Wiseman’s Lounge. In 1975, Jack Wiseman was murdered in his office in the building. Police attributed his murder to participation in a heroin drug ring, but his murder was never solved.

After Jack Wiseman’s murder, the building remained vacant until a string of theater companies, starting in the 1980s, used it as their home.

A feature in which I look back at the history of buildings in the U street area.

 

UPDATE: Child killed at 1400 Columbia Road

You know, this is enough. MPD is reporting a child was shot and fatally wounded at 1400 Columbia Road last night. I certainly heard all of the helicopters starting around 10 pm. I knew something bad had happened. This is horrible.

Jim Graham has more information:

“Just before 10 PM, a nine year old boy was shot dead in the presumed safety of his apartment at 1433 Columbia Road. At this time, it appears that there was some kind of fight in the hallway, shots were fired, one of which entered the apartment and killed this boy. I have the name of the boy (who happens to be Latino) but I am not releasing it since I do not know whether the entire family has been notified.

Chief Lanier and Mayor Fenty–who were both on the scene– stated that there are persons in custody.”

I guess that’s good at least? Before I even saw this I could figure it was crossfire that this kid was caught in. I am so disgusted.

UPDATE: Three persons of interest were questioned in relation to the murder, but MPD has announced no arrest, says WaPo.

UDPATE 2: The child has been identified as Oscar Fuentes. His family said that the locks on the apartment building’s front door had been broken for months. The family also believes MS 13 might have been involved in the shooting.

 

Garden District files for bankruptcy

Garden District, courtesy of Daniel Lobo (Flickr)

14thandYou is reporting that Garden District has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This is such a sad development, though it does make sense (they closed their indoor store and consolidated to one location recently). They will be open through at least Christmas, though their fate is not quite clear after that.

I am Garden District shopper. I’ve read complaints on various blogs, but for the apartment dweller with a balcony on which to garden, they’ve been perfect. First, it’s an easy walk, and the accessibility is key for someone who doesn’t have a car. I always buy my herbs there each summer, and am looking forward to purchasing my first DC Christmas tree there in December. It’s perfect for the urban dweller that doesn’t want to drive out to Home Depot or whatever and has basic needs. I really hope they’re able to stay open, it would be a big blow to the area if they close.

 

D’brows closed on U street, open in Brightwood

D'brows, no longer on U street

Well this shows how moving a few blocks away can change your perspective. 12th and U used to be my block, I would walk up and down it at least 4 times a day. But now that I moved off of 14th street, I don’t walk it nearly as often, maybe once or twice a week. So if I lived at my old place still, I probably would have realized this earlier: but D’Brows, formerly of U and 12th street, has moved to Brightwood, at Georgia Ave and Jefferson St. They are now open at their new location as of yesterday.

 

To do: Eatonville Food and Folklore dinner

Eatonville, courtesy of Zagat Buzz (Flickr)

There was very few things not to like about Eatonville after I visited it back over the summer. And now, here’s another reason to visit the restaurant: they’re hosting a monthly series called “Food and Folklore,” featuring storytelling, to honor the inspiration of the restaurant, Zora Neale Hurston. They’ll also be serving their Eatonville-inspired food.

The first event will be this Friday at 6:30, featuring Hurston biographer Valerie Boyd. Each Food and Folklore event will feature a special prix fixe menu, and a conversation with the writer. The price will be $45/person. Reservations are required so definitely call to make them if you want to attend. I don’t think I’m going to make it this month, but I hope to check it out soon and let you know what I think.

 

Thoughts on Pho 14

Pho from Pho 14

mmmm, I love pho (and yes, it’s pronounced fuh – think about how many restaurants are called Pho King and you’ll get the inside joke). It’s a perfect antidote to the cold day, congested chest, the Vietnamese version of chicken noodle soup (and better, in my opinion). So I considered it a personally travesty that until last week, I had never been to the pho restaurant in Columbia Heights, Pho 14, especially considering it opened back in April.

I tried going a few weeks ago on a Wednesday around 8, and was surprised to see the line was out the door. Ended up at Pete’s Apizza and all was right. But when I saw they were open for lunch, and I had a Friday off on a cold day, off to get pho I went. Now, while I am very fond of pho, I’m no pho expert. However, a half-Vietnamese friend of mine (who shares my love of Four Sisters) likes Pho 14 and says he drops in often. So I liked their pho, it’s all in the broth as everyone says, and I loved the complexity of theirs (I also added a good amount of siracha sauce and some hoisin as well).

Bahn mi

We also ordered a banh mi heo nuong platter and barely touched it, not because it was bad but because you forget how filling a big bowl of pho is. So, the next day I had my banh mi with grilled pork, and it was wonderful, a little spicy, nice and crunchy from the vegetables, and a lovely tang from the pork.

And of course, one of the best parts about pho restaurants is the price. You pay less than $10 for a huge bowl of pho, $2 for a pot of tea. Pho 14 is a great first date spot as well. And, they do takeout. So if I’m not the only one left in the area that hadn’t been, you reader, you go too.