Pandora to Arrive on M Street
• November 7, 2013

Pandora — with jewelry stores in Tysons Corner, Montgomery and Fair Oaks Mall and many more — will open at 3213 M St., NW, formerly the home of men’s clothing shop Riccardi.

SweetFrog Yogurt Opens on Wisconsin Avenue
•

SweetFrog Yogurt, the pay-by-the-ounce, customized desserts shop at 1737 Wisconsin Ave., NW, at the corner of S Street opened Oct. 20. SweetFrog offers more than 20 froyo flavors and a considerable variety of topping selections.

“SweetFrog is frozen yogurt your way. You determine what goes in your cup, so every creation is perfect,” said James Denison, a company spokesperson. At sweetFrog, customers are invited to be creative, mix and match their favorite flavors and top them with what they want.

The yogurt chain has expanded to more than 300 stores in the U.S., England and the Caribbean since opening in Richmond in 2009.

Storeowners David and Elliot Staley are happy to bring the taste to town and say, “Our goal is for the store to serve as a fun and uplifting environment for the whole family to enjoy.”

Rialto Celebrates Debut With VIP Party
•

The newest Italian restaurant in Georgetown — located in the former Guard’s space at 2915 M St., NW. — threw a VIP party Oct. 17 with an eight-course meal. Neighbors and VIPs were more than impressed with the amount of food and flavors, provided by executive chef Ryan Fichter. Rialto owners Ben Kirane along with Moe and Joe and Idrissi also own Thunder Burger and Bodega on the other side of M Street.

Goorin Bros. Hat Shop Coming Next Month
• October 24, 2013

Goorin Brothers, the classic and “original bold hatmakers” from San Francisco, will set up shop in November.

McCooeys Take Art, Merchandise Online
• October 10, 2013

The restaurant design group, headed by Karen and Richard McCooey, is branching out into sales of classic American art prints and sports merchandise. You may know the McCooey name, as Richard founded three Georgetown classics: 1789, the Tombs and F. Scott’s, now owned by Clyde’s Restaurant Group.

The McCooeys’ new website, featuring the first names of the couple, went live a few months ago. It is filled with artwork of the golden age of illustration that can be seen at the Tombs — along with a new product line. While selling art, the site also is offering sports shirts that salute such sports as rowing, tennis and golf as well as giving women athletes their due.

“We wanted to represent men’s and women’s success, achievement and strength,” said Karen McCooey. “It is called ‘The Trophy Ceremony.’ . . . It’s time for women to have their own emblem, not a man riding a polo pony.”

The art selection starts with rowing, some of it is new, and shows the sport’s camaraderie. There’s more art coming, and the site will be expand its apparel selection, Karen said. “The prints romanticize the best of American sports, especially collegiate,” she said.

One of the grandest prints, available for sale, is “Georgetown University at the Millennium,” an aerial view of the main campus and the Potomac with historic Healy Building at the center.

It’s a natural leap for the pair, as a McCooey-designed restaurant is alive with art, illuminating the soul of the place, its history or its owners. Some of those places include work at various Clyde’s restaurants, the Tap Room of the George Town Club, Union Street Cafe in Alexandria, the Tap Room at the Greenbrier — and as far away as the Polo Club at the Marriott Grand Aurora Hotel in Moscow.

“I’m a sporting person,” said Karen, who is an artist herself and wants the art and apparel to be a celebration of sports, just like the Tombs, where you can catch the couple dining regularly.

Visit RichardandKarenMarie.com for more details.

FAD Georgetown Seeks to Become Perennial Fad
•

This weekend, fashion and arts will take over the neighborhood of Georgetown, thanks to the Georgetown Business Improvement District. The first-ever Fashion, Art and Design event – hence, FAD Georgetown — kicks off Thurs., Oct.10, and will run through Sat., Oct. 12. Enjoy art exhibitions, food and fun.

FAD KICKOFF: OCT. 10
FAD’s kickoff will consist of scattered art exhibits to be found throughout Georgetown. There’s no telling where you’ll stumble upon something surprising, the Georgetown BID promises: it’s time to “come out and play.”

FAD FASHION: OCT. 11, 6 P.M. TO 10 P.M.
Friday will be fashion-focused and a great opportunity to get discounts on fall trends. Whether you are on the lookout for vintage or new, cocktail dresses or sneakers, there will be something for everybody. Over the course of the weekend, more than 50 stores will be hosting in-store events, some which will include DJs, snacks and refreshments – all you could possibly want for a fun night out.

There will be a pop-up red carpet events as well as a “Street Style Live” photo set-up for FAD attendees at Wisconsin Avenue and M Street.

Among the shops, Tari Boutique will be serving mini-cupcakes and pumpkin margaritas to guests. Madewell will provide tips from top stylists as well as store discounts. Diesel will be serving cocktails, and Britt Ryan will provide complimentary wine and champagne while you shop. You’ll be able to peruse the fashion scene while sipping something delicious.

Don’t forget the savings – many participating shops are offering discounts as well as a chance to win gift cards to the stores. Stroll around to find the latest fashions at the best prices.

FAD ART & DESIGN: OCT. 12, NOON TO 6 P.M.
Saturday is dedicated to art and design. Art galleries will be hosting auctions, while interior design stores will be unveiling the newest, trendiest interior looks.

Guests can wander around the town to view exhibitions, participate in art walks and hear from film directors. Numerous places will be offering deals and opportunities to win gift cards. Babette and CB2, for example, will be offering $100 and $200 gift cards, respectively. Just as they did in the fashion sector the night before, guests can enjoy light refreshments in the galleries and shops. There will also be DIY crafting, like Flor’s DIY with Flor and Topaz + Arrow. Demonstrations in the arts of ravioli will take place at Pedini and flower arranging and Heiner Contemporary.

For more details click here. [gallery ids="101489,151781,151787,151786" nav="thumbs"]

Sushi-Ko Closed Permanently?
•

A “For Lease” sign was spotted over the week on the side of the Sushi Ko building at 2309 Wisconsin Ave., NW. Owned by Daisuke Utagawa, Sushi Ko closed suddenly a few months ago, because of a D.C. tax problem.

Eno Wine Bar Opening Soon
•

Eno Wine Bar, next at the Four Seasons Hotel, at 2810 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, is set to open in a few weeks.

Tory Burch to See November Debut
•

Tory Burch, the chic designer boutique set to open next month, is finishing its build-out in the old Bebe space, which many years ago was the American Cafe and before a Blimpie’s, at 1211 Wisconsin Ave., NW.

“Her team tells us the Georgetown boutique, scheduled to open November 1, will be an ‘accessories only’ concept,” according to Kate Bennett of the Washingtonian.

Latham Hotel Re-do: Small Apartments? Added Retail?
•

“Say farewell to Georgetown’s Latham Hotel,” reported the Washington Business Journal last week. “Preparations are underway to convert the property at 30th and M streets NW to residential. Small residential. Micro small.”

The Latham Hotel at 3000 M St., NW, closed in 2012, reportedly due to water damage. At the same time, Michel Richard’s Citronelle restaurant was shuttered — and it will not re-open in that location, if it ever does re-open in Georgetown. The casual eatery, La Madeleine, in front of the hotel also was closed and is gone.

“But behind the scenes, plans for a transformation are underway,” according to the Journal. “Matthew Le Grant, D.C.’s zoning administrator, recently sent a letter to the Latham’s land use attorney that sums up the blueprint. ‘You are proposing to convert the existing hotel to residential and retail use and eliminate the existing vehicular drop-off driveway, and excavate down two floors to bring daylight to the lower levels,’ Le Grant wrote Sept. 26 to David Avitabile of Goulston & Storrs PC.”

The letter also detailed that the renovated Latham would have more 12,000 square feet of retail, add height to part of the third floor and broaden the pool patio. According to the Journal, “Le Grant does not say how many units the residential Latham would have, though a site plan that accompanies the letter suggests there will be roughly 122, most in the 250- to 400-square-foot range. The Latham Hotel had 133 rooms.”