RSS FeedMarket Square Will Add Burgers And Vegan Friendly Cafe (701/801 Penn Ave NW)
Signs are afoot that both a burger restaurant and a vegan friendly restaurant will be opening in the Market Square set of buildings on Pennsylvania Avenue in Penn Quarter.
In the west building of Market Square at 801 Pennsylvania Ave NW, the Washington Business Journal reports that Plan B Burger signed a lease for 4,800 square feet. The Plan B Burger website touts beef, burgers, bourbon, and beer in that order with a dinner menu [PDF] that includes 22 different kinds of burgers. A late night menu implies that this venue will be open until midnight or 1 amI’ll depending on the evening. Plan B will be located on the side where Paul and the soon to open Chop’t are located.
On the other side of the plaza to the east at 701 Pennsylvania Ave NW, we learned about the posting of a liquor license for the Native Foods Cafe, again from the Washington Business Journal. Native Foods Cafe is a vegan inspired restaurant and their menu [PDF] features salads, handholds (no meat but chicken, tempeh, and seitan), and bowls.
There is no indication on when either of the outlets might open but the good news is that the long vacant spaces in Market Square are now filling in.
It’s A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood
As a wise man once said, the only constant is change (or maybe a wise woman, we’re not sure who or what a Heraclitus might be), and as such this week we’ve seen a few changes going on right here in PQ.
First up we see that Honest Abe’s Souvenirs & Game Day Sports Shop (1000 F ST NW) are getting a face-lift of sorts. Workers have been out painting the brick a deep red, from the pretty beat-up cream color of old. This update surprised us a little bit, as we thought this block was about to be demolished to make way for Jemal’s eleven story redevelopment.
A bit more controversial is the Times Square-ification (folks, we thought we’d coined a term here till Google dashed our hopes) of the Verizon Center (601 F ST NW), specifically as the new jumbotrons are put into place. The photo above doesn’t do them justice, these things are huge. It will be interesting to see how the neighborhood reacts to these when finally in place and turned on.
And now for the last but certainly not least update: heading to the Nats game last night we walked by 701 Restaurant (701 Pennsylvania Ave NW) and noticed these new screens set up in their outside dining area. 701 has always had a pleasant outside area, but we thought these screens really gave that space a polished look. Coming back by this spot hours later after the game, there was a large crowd in the area having what we assume was a private event. As such we’re not sure if these screens just come out for such events, or if this is a new addition to their outside seating.
Penn Quarter Neighborhood Association Meeting Next Thursday – Speaker: Dan Tangherlini From GSA
We received notice of the next Penn Quarter Neighborhood Association meeting as follows.
Penn Quarter Neighborhood Association
Breakfast Meeting Reminder
Thursday, September 26, 8:30amLocation
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
Victor Building, 724 9th Street, NW
Metro: Gallery Pl-Chinatown, exit 9th and G streetsAgenda
Continental Breakfast 8:30 – 8:55am
Announcements 9:00am
Speaker 9:15amSpeaker
Dan Tangherlini
Administrator, General Service AdministrationDan Tangherlini returns to tell us where GSA is headed over the next few years, and how he sees that impacting the local economy. He will also address GSA’s trend to release government-owned sites for private development, including two possible Penn Quarter sites: the FBI site on Pennsylvania Avenue and the Webster School site at 10th and G streets.
Please respond if you plan on attending this meeting as it will help our host prepare
RSVP via email by noon Tuesday, September 24 to joann[at] PennQuarter.org
Include the first and last names and affiliations of all people attending
Clara Barton’s New Digs
The renovation work on the museum space continues, but the Welcome Center for Clara Barton’s Missing Soldiers Office Museum is now open at 437 1/2 7th Street NW.
Check here for regular updates on the Museum opening and fascinating facts about the life of Clara Barton.