RSS FeedThe Ollie Burger, An Appreciation
This is going to sound a lot like a Jimmy Buffett song. Some 18 months ago Mrs Columbo decided we needed to start juicing. I quickly agreed, assuming that one taste of kale-carrot-beet juice would end the family juicing and we’d return to our normal ways.
But that wasn’t how it went. Oh Mrs Columbo made kale-carrot-beet juice (and many others too horrible to name), but she claimed to like them, drank them, and subsequently made me drink them. Just about every morning she’d juice and we (sometimes holding our nose) would drink the concoction.
You don’t take on a big dietary change like juicing without altering the rest of your diet, and gradually ours improved. One food we stopped eating almost completely? Hamburgers.
Burgers had been a Friday night staple, places like Good Stuff Eatery when on the Hill, or Five Guys when coming back from picking our dog up at WagTime, or at any of the other great spots in our neighborhood. Every once in a while, no burger & fry combo would do but that from Ollie’s Trolley (12th and E St NW).
But we were a juicing family now and things were going along pretty well too, until recently. After a night of excess (at Minibar, of all places), I woke up and knew that the cure for what ailed me was to be found at Ollie’s.
It was just after 8 am when I walked into the restaurant. At the register I let out a sigh and asked “is it too early for an Ollie Burger?” The cashier took in my crumpled appearance, let out a chuckle and said it wouldn’t be a problem.
Maybe it was the pain I was in at the time, but I tell you now looking back on it (well rested, hydrated, and juiced) that it was perhaps the best burger I’ve had in my entire life. Highly seasoned beef, fully loaded, it was perfect.
So as the neighborhood food options grow, and we look forward to places like Shake Shack moving in, we wanted to remind everyone of the great burgers already available in this landmark location. And if your significant other tries to amend your carnivorous habits with juicing, don’t say we didn’t warn you.
White Apron Opens
White Apron (445 11th St., NW), a new specialty sandwich shop, is now open. There’s certainly no shortage of yummy eateries in the neighborhood, but it’s great to have another quick and affordable option. Buzz around the ‘hood so far highlights the daily and weekly specials, generous portions, delicious combinations and service genuinely focused on trying to make customers happy.
Alliance For American Manufacturing (AAM) Opens New Office (711 D St NW)
The Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) (Twitter: @KeepitMadeinUSA) reached out to Penn Quarter Living to let us know that they recently moved in to two stories of 711 D Street NW, the former Union Hardware building across from Market Square’s easternmost building. The Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) is a partnership of several leading U.S. manufacturers, plus the United Steelworkers (USW). This means that they’re one of the rare organizations that joins business and labor together and their fight is a dedicated one — to see U.S. manufacturing make a big comeback. We’re big fans of “Made in USA” branding and were interested to learn how the AAM put their office together.
When it comes to putting their money where their office is, AAM made sure to stay true to their roots. AAM gave themselves a simple challenge: to outfit their office as completely as possible with “Made in USA” components. The result? The products in their new office come from 23 states and 40 companies. Some came from small mom-and-pops, but many major manufacturers still have plants in the United States. The office’s energy star refrigerator was made in by Whirlpool in Iowa. The Benjamin Moore paint on the walls comes from New Jersey. The Pella windows are from Ohio, and InSinkErator produced the garbage disposal in Wisconsin. The group produced an infographic map that shows exactly where AAM sourced their purchases.
Some pieces were relatively easy to find: trash cans, light switches, floors, chairs, and furniture were all readily available from well-known domestic companies. But some items, like a microwave and a dishwasher, proved more expensive. “Our goal was simply to show how easy this can be,” said AAM President Scott Paul. “If you look hard enough, you can find the American-made products you need. If you shop at Brooks Brothers, for example, you can find some American-made clothes. It’s not always easy to do, and you’re not going to find them at Walmart. But we found appliances, like our microwave, for instance, that were made here.”
The resulting office maintains the exposed beams, brick, and hardware of an industrial warehouse but added more contemporary lines and open spaces. Paul describes the office as “hipster industrial.” Architect Bill London said the overall job proved more difficult than most in his career, but very rewarding. “I was a little nervous, thinking, ‘Oh, this is going to cost you an arm and a leg,’ or ‘We’re only going to be able to get really ugly things,'” he said. But in the end, London says he loves the result and plans to submit the design to several local and national award contests this year.
In the end, Paul is thrilled with the final office, which he said didn’t exceed the organizations’ budget. For him, it simply proves what AAM has been saying for more than five years: It’s still possible to “Keep it Made in America.”
No Thanks, I Gave At The Office
You’re walking down the street minding your own business when you spot trouble at the end of the block; a group of young people harassing passersby. Do you pretend you don’t see them? Grab your phone and pretend to be on a call? Go an extra block out of your way to avoid them? Or just charge through, eyes straight ahead, pretending you can’t hear their calls?
“Do you have time for sick kids?”
“Let’s talk about how you can save the environment!”
“Will you help our push for equal rights?”
The 600 block of 11th Street NW appears to be a particularly active spot for these direct solicitations. It’s a corner with a lot of hustle and bustle between trains and buses at Metro Center, and slew of retail options. If you live and work in PQ and this is a main route for you, it is possible to run into various groups looking for your support two or three times a day.
We thought perhaps the painfully cold weather of late might have kept them at bay, but their convictions must keep them warm. We’ve continued to fend off requests for our time, signature, money throughout the week.
With all that’s wrong in the world maybe we shouldn’t feel so put out at having to say “no thank you” to eager young people. It’s all part of the fun of living in a popular neighborhood in DC.