Walgreens Opens in Chinatown
• April 10, 2013

Walgreens opened in March at 801 7th St. NW with 21,400 square feet in Chinatown. The store includes a pharmacy with a walk-in clinic, a juice and smoothie bar and a boutique beauty department with a nail and eyebrow bar. Spread over three levels, Walgreens’ newest Well Experience flagship store—the seventh in the U.S. and Puerto Rico—will employ 75 people and showcase a unique pharmacy format that offers quality, affordable care and has nurse practitioners on site. The front of the store will be open 24 hours a day with extensive, but shorter, hours for the pharmacy and Take Care Clinic. Douglas Development Corporation restored the building along with several existing properties that are being transformed into a state-of-the-art, mixed-use development that includes about 22,000 square feet of office space and 33,000 square feet of retail on several floors, including the Walgreens, Panera Bread (673 H Street)—which opened in January—and Yo! Sushi restaurant, coming soon.

Frederick Douglass Statue Moved to U.S. Capitol
• March 13, 2013

The statue of abolitionist, orator and District resident Frederick Douglass moved from One Judiciary Square to the U.S. Capitol in the National Statuary Hall along with the sculptures of other famous Americans. All 50 states have statues of two luminaries apiece in the Capitol building, but because D.C. is not a state, the Douglass statue and one of architect Pierre L’Enfant were not admitted. As a compromise, legislation authored by Rep. Dan Lungren, backed by D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and approved last year, allows D.C. to have one statue.

But Norton has vowed to “continue to fight to bring” the L’Enfant statue into the Capitol as well. After all, L’Enfant planned the city of Washington, the nation’s capital. His statue remains at One Judiciary Square.

Cherry Blossom Festival Begins March 23
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The National Cherry Blossom Festival’s opens March 23 at the Warner Theatre and will feature American pop singer Andy Grammer, jazz pianist Chihiro Yamanaka, and violinist Nanae Iwata. Free online registration is required in advance. Taste of Japan returns, after a two-year hiatus, in April at the Carnegie Library. The city’s Japanese restaurants will help celebrate the gift of cherry blossom trees to D.C. from Japan from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event is only open to the first 350 people who purchase tickets. Tickets are $100 per person; $150 per person for an exclusive preview hour starting at 6 p.m. Proceeds will go to the festival, a nonprofit. The parade takes place April 13 from 10 a.m. to noon. Grammy award-winning artist Mya and Elliott Yamin of American Idol will be joined by the University of Maryland’s GYMKANA, seen on America’s Got Talent; the Washington Wizards Girls; D.C. Rollergirls; eight marching bands from across the country; the Youth Choir and All-Star Tap Team. Although free along the parade route, prime grandstand seating is available for $20 through Ticketmaster or by calling 800-745-3000.

Zipcar Expands
• March 12, 2013

Zipcar will expand its presence in 15 locations in eight D.C. neighborhoods in March, increasing its fleet by 44 cars. The car sharing company added seven cars in Colonial Parking Garages located at 1425 K Street and 1015 15th Street in Downtown on March 1.

A taste of Paris in Las Vegas
• November 27, 2012

Amid all the buffets in Las Vegas is Thomas Keller’s Bouchon, with that bustling quiet that a fine dining restaurant usually has and without any of the flash and prefabricated extravagance that the town was built on.

With indoor and outdoor seating, the ambience was lively but contained to low chatter with an old-world bar and an even better bartender who served up a Coudoulet de Beaucastel 2009 Red Rhone Blend. An inviting and intimate atmosphere amidst the overwhelming lights and people of Las Vegas, the staff is punctual and treat customers like what most restaurateurs should treat customers like, but even more so when the prices are as high for elegant but traditional food.

Living in the not-so-coastal town of D.C., every chance I get, I go for the oysters. And though Las Vegas is farther from water than our own home, I took a chance that Bouchon wouldn’t let me down on what I can never eat enough of: oysters. Starting with three varietals of oysters — Fannie Mae, Barron Point and Hama Hama — they were the dream of any seafood lover who never quite gets enough. Creamy and firm all at once with a hit on vinegar on each. Priced at $18 for half a dozen, they were a pricey decadence, but so is Vegas. They did not disappoint.

And then came the Rillettes aux Deux Saumons, or a jello-mold of smoked and baked salmon that the server peeled back a layer of Crisco-looking lard from. Served with toasted croutons, this could have made an entire meal for one. With plentiful croutons, I chose to dollop on more salmon than what was proportional to each garlicky crouton — the fish did not have the usual flakiness that a salmon cake can have, but was a fatty spread. A couple sitting next to us peered at the dish of salmon as the server peeled back the layer of fat, and after I took the first bite asked if it was worth it. It was.

My companion had to try the classic Frisee aux Lardons et Oeuf Poche, which is like an egg sandwich made somewhat healthier with frisse lettuce. Lardons, or thick pieces of bacon and pork belly were embedded in a bacon vinaigrette that deliciously mixed with runny egg yolk from the poached egg. The most indulgent “salad” on earth.

The restaurant features an open seafood bar, with three chefs preparing mussels, lobster, crab and clams with a muster. While watching them during the appetizer course, they prepared a Grand Plateau, or one lobster, 16 oysters, eight shrimp, eight claims, tne mussels and seasonal crab, for $110. It was like watching the building of a boat, with each chef on a particular duty and high fives at the end as the masterpiece was hauled off to a table.

Onto entrees. Gigot d’Agneau, or roasted rack of lamb with crispy swiss chard subric, bite-size pieces of rutabaga and rosemary lamb jus. The portion of lamb was just right with around 5 oz. and perfectly cooked. Oh, and the pears. The pears. Poached in red wine for over three hours, they tasted like what one always wishes plastic fruit on Christmas wreathes should take like: succulent, sweet and with the texture of a good steak that fades slowly away and down the throat. Paired with the slightly salty lamb, it was a match made in heaven and something most would never think to put together, or could pull off. The pears were the best, and I recommend Bouchon start offering them in as dessert.

From the same seafood car comes Moules au Safran, which are steamed with white wine, Dijon mustard and saffron and served with French fries, though we were unable to try it because of the bounds of our stomachs. For gnocchi lovers is a Gnocchi a la Parisienne with a fricassee of garden vegetables and brown butter sauce. And for the more simple bargain shopper is the Croque Madam, or a grilled ham and cheese sandwhich on brioche bread with a fried egg and sauce Mornay.

The classic steak Frites was a tossed bag, with pan-seared prime flatiron, caramelized shallots and maître d’hotel butter. Though the steak was slightly over-cooked for medium to what was probably medium well, the prime cut was still full-flavored and created enough jus for the massive amount of fries to be dipped in. On this front, the fries were too many and heaping. To watch them be dumped in a trashcan after perhaps an eighth was eaten was painful. Downsize the fries, Bouchon.

My companion who hates crème’ caramel, loved the crème caramel. The caramel custard was everything it should be – candied air that had just the right amount of caramel sauce that seems like it could be the jus from sugar. The Marquise au Chocolat was a must, with burnt orange cream on top of a singular disk of dark chocolate mousse that was thick and rich. Also on the dessert menu that was a close toss up in ordering were the Profiteroles, which are the classic puff pastry with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

All in all, the meal was amazing and the service even better. It was a quiet respite, even from the venue of the bar, from Vegas with its French-inspired décor that begged to be likened to a French home and inviting and personal wait staff. The dark wood paneling, tables and bar made myself and my companion feel at home, which complimented the traditional food that was all in all, quite good.

Prices: $60 to $200 for dinner for two
Ambience: Classic and intimate amidst Las Vegas extravagance
Address: 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, NV
Location: In The Venetian
Phone: (702) 414-6200
Web Site: www.bouchonbistro.com
Cuisine: French
Reservations: Recommended

Vicki Johnston’s D.C.
• October 11, 2012

Vicki Johnston knows D.C. real estate – she’s worked as an agent for eight years, but prior to that she worked in advertising as an account executive with a lot of local developers. When she decided to make the switch, an old client hired her to sell new condominium developments in the Metro area.

“New” has been Johnston’s focus in a burgeoning housing market in the District that continues to expand. There were approximately $3 billion in sales in 2011 with an average selling price of half a million dollars, according to figures from RealEstate Business Intelligence, LLC.

Johnston was assigned to Velocity Condos (1025 First St. SE) from Cohen Companies/ADC in November 2007 for the initial presale opening and has remained the sales manager since. Twenty percent of units are still on the market. The building was completed in 2009 and has 200 residential with retail below. A few studios and one-bedrooms remain – a 644 South facing studio on the 10th floor goes from $294,900, while a 787 South facing one bedroom goes from $398,900. Along with Velocity, she thinks the next hot spots in D.C. will be Southwest and Southeast. In addition, she also sells homes, which can range from $500,000 to closer to $1 million.

“My clientele are almost always referrals from friends, family and business associates and range from young 20-something first-time buyers to downsizers wanting to move into D.C.,” she said.

She has seen it all in the Metro region. Her most memorable home was in Del Ray, Alexandria, Va., where “the ‘half bath’ consisted of a toilet next to the water heater in the utility area of the basement. It was in full working order and even had a bath mat in front.”

One of her quickest sales was in Prince George’s County, a friend’s house that was more than 5,000 SF. She only had to “stage,” where the realtor populates the house with furniture, and had the home sold in just four days.

Johnston hails Buffalo, N.Y. and graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in marketing and advertising. She moved to D.C. soon after graduation and has spent most of her career supporting major developers in the region. During the past nine years, she’s bought, sold and remodeled nine homes and now manages two full-time rentals in the metropolitan area, along with two vacation rentals, one in Florida and one in North Carolina.

“I love my job because it’s multifaceted. I do data analysis, I stage, I get to be involved in construction and remodeling…I have to do some savvy negotiating, space planning, run numbers and help people budget expenses, etc.,” she said. Johnston lives at 4th St. and Massachusetts Ave. NW, in Mt. Vernon Triangle and also has a home on Lake Anna, Virginia. “The best part is seeing someone really happy and feeling like they accomplished their goal and are moving on to the next adventure in their life.”

Bacio Pizzeria: More Than a Place for Pies
• August 10, 2012

When Atilla Suzer is asked if he ever would have imagined having “this” ten years ago, he responds with a definitive “no.” “This” is Bacio Pizzeria, a thriving carry-out pizza joint in Bloomingdale.

Ten years ago, Suzer was living in his native Turkey as a just laid-off journalist, about to depart on his first trip to America. He landed in Glen Burnie, Maryland, where he enrolled in English-as-second-language courses and eventually moved to the District. His first job was as a dishwasher in a large chain pizza store, where his only words, he said, were, “Yes boss, no boss.” That first job paid $3.50 for training, because, the manager told him, he hadn’t mastered English yet. After six months of completing schooling though, he brought up his hourly wage and ended up quitting.

He says as an immigrant he didn’t have many choices for work. So, he stayed on the “pizza” route because he started making friends in the business. They’d call him if there was an open job, and eventually made his way to a manager job at Italy Pizza on Florida Avenue in Northwest. When it came up for sale, he had saved enough and bought it.

After successfully running the restaurant, he sold his half to his partner and started on the path that would eventually lead to Bacio. “I was looking for an investment neighborhood and a job that I like to do.” He explains his choice in Bloomingdale as an economic investment, because it’s not quite to “developed” status, but there isn’t a lot of competition and the residents have a little extra income to spend on the more expensive, organic ingredients that he wanted to offer.

Before Bacio, 81 Seaton Place, N.W., was a garage, and it had to be completely converted, a process that took nearly one-and-a-half years. Nearly a year ago, Green Paws opened, an organic pet shop that is graced by Suzer’s own black lab, Miles. Six months later, Bacio opened below. Suzer’s wife, a journalist, runs the website and marketing, while Suzer runs the day-to-day.
Suzer made all the design choices, from an antique Coca-Cola refrigerator complete with glass bottles and Turkish floor tiles, to a genuine farmer’s table he got at an auction. He made the choice to make it mainly a carry-out establishment. And he chose not to put bars over the front windows.

“When you go to a place, you want to eat there and not just get out of there as soon as you can. Sometimes, you go to carry-out stores and they are dirty, dark; you wait behind the glass,” he said. “Here, you come in you can see it’s clean, and psychologically it makes people open their appetites.”
He also decided to keep the hours short and not do delivery.

“If I were looking for profit, I could do delivery or late night, but we’re all natural organic downstairs. If I want people to come try the pizza and see quality and get to know each other, face-to-face is better than talking on the phone. And they don’t even know where it is in the neighborhood.”

The menu consists of eight neighborhood-named pizzas like the “Shaw,” which is ham, baby arugula, ricotta, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and pesto and the “Eckington,” more of a meat-lovers with ham, sausage, onion, pepperoni and mozzarella. It also features several calzones, salads and pints of ice cream from Moorenko’s, made locally in Silver Spring. Suzer also offers several beverages, including fresh-squeezed orange juice that pays homage to Turkey, where he says shops will have several fresh-squeezed juice for only $1.

He doesn’t keep the store open past 10 p.m., mainly because he wants to be respectful of his neighbors, the people who will ultimately make him successful or not.

“If the neighborhood is going from non-developed to developed, you’re teaching people, and that takes time. Out of ten customers, six say, ‘I was feeding my dog from the super market, and now I want to feed him from natural food.’ And you have to be patient and tell them the differences between this food and that food,” he said. He said it would be a few years before Bacio turns a profit, but for right now, he and his wife aren’t in a hurry. “It’s not about you, it’s about the people that vote for you. You can have a $1-million investment or $10,000, it doesn’t matter. People will decide.”

Bacio’s is located at 81 Seaton Place, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001. Visit them at baciopizzeria.com, or call 202-232-2246. Store hours are Monday and Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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More Restaurant Closings Downtown
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Downtown’s restaurant scene is abuzz with openings and closings. Zola (800 F St., NW), the long-standing upscale dining establishment closed June 30, while Potenza (1430 H St., NW), the Old World Italian restaurant which opened in 2009 will close Aug. 18. Stir Food Group owns both restaurants and closes both to complete its transition out of the restaurant business. The company closed Zola Wine and Kitchen (505 9th St.), the wine shop and chef’s test kitchen, in May. Restaurateur Jeffrey Buben of Vidalia fame has already agreed to open a restaurant in the Potenza space, located in the historic Woodward Building. No word yet on who will move into Zola’s space. Meatballs, the casual restaurant that opened at 624 E St. last October, has also closed.

Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum Reopens
• August 9, 2012

After several months of remodeling, the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum reopened to the public July 30. Back on view at the museum is the popular exhibition, “Separate and Unequaled: Black Baseball in the District of Columbia,” which examines the history of African-Americans in baseball from Reconstruction to the second half of the 20th century.

Depart BWI with Connectivity
• August 8, 2012

Baltimore-Washington International Airport has finally caught up with the technological demands of today’s passengers. Last month, the airport introduced free wireless Internet access for travelers waiting at its gates. Previously, Internet access was only available at BWI to people willing to pay one-day fees for a few hours of use. That level of service still remains as an option, featuring greater bandwidth, the airport said, but now there will be a free tier of service, too. For the price of sitting through a brief commercial, travelers will be able to enjoy 45 minutes of Internet access. The move brings BWI up to speed with its regional competitors. Reagan Washington National and Dulles International added free wifi last year. It should also help legitimize BWI’s standing in a PC World ranking of the nation’s “techiest” airports.