Downtowner News 9-15


Closing Time for Union Social and BOE Step back, doors closing. After less than a year, D.C.’s Metro-themed restaurant Union Social is no more. The Washington City Paper reported that the NoMa restaurant closed because its location at 100 Florida Ave. NE was apparently anti-Social. Owner Reese Gardner said that not much has changed in the neighborhood since Union Social arrived — an underpass project hasn’t been completed and the Department of Justice never moved in. Also per the City Paper, the log-cabin-styled purveyor of comfort food BOE, which opened in January, has been shuttered. One reason was owner Errol Lawrence’s desire to spend time with his one- and three-year-old children. Another may have been the eviction lawsuit reported by Washingtonian magazine. Lawrence has been involved in one way or another with 11 other restaurants, including SEI in Chinatown, which he plans to keep open.

Winemaster Kroll Splits With NRG Brent Kroll will be the new general manager at Proof, the Penn Quarter restaurant with a 1,200-bottle wine list. Previously, he developed wine lists for the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, home of Hazel and Birch & Barley. NRG has lost some of its biggest stars, including Jeff Faile to Pineapple & Pearls and Tiffany MacIsaac to her own Buttercream Bakeshop. Kroll intends to open his own wine bar at some point.

Two-Year-Old Not So Terrible
The name Harper Westover was found on an envelope in an alley amid piles of garbage left by illegal dumpers, ABC-7 reported. There was an address on the envelope, so Westover was subsequently fined $75 for littering. However, there was a catch: she is only two years old. While Harper’s mother and father fought the issue, local news outlets took an interest. Eventually, a DPW spokesperson named Andre Lee paid a visit to the Westovers and saw for himself that the alleged perp was indeed a toddler. The family won’t have to pay up.

Nearly Half Our Memorials Bone Dry A new report by NBC-4 revealed that 40 percent of the fountains that surround and accent D.C. memorials don’t work. The National Park Service has asked people to report broken fountains, according to the Washington Examiner. Freedom Plaza, the Dupont Circle fountain, waterfalls and pools at the FDR Memorial and Union Station’s Columbus fountain are all out of service. The price to get the water flowing? Around $850 million. Until funds are found, expect plenty of disappointed tourists, thirsty dogs and dirty birds.

More Ampersands Coming to Chinatown This fall, local fast-casual pizza chain &pizza will open its first shop in Chinatown. The new store will launch &BAR, a curated beverage concept with three signature cocktails made with the chain’s &SODA and &TEA. Also available will be &WINE, D.C. Brau and the proprietary sodas and tea sans booze. At the two-floor restaurant, patrons’ orders will be delivered tableside.

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