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This past weekend we stopped by Central Liquors (625 E St NW) to pick up a six pack (Czechvar, the original Bud) when we discovered that Central Liquors is under new management. More to the point, Central Liquors is no longer owned by the Wine Brothers; it was sold about a week ago and is now owned by Central Wines, a Limited Liability Company formed in November of 2010.
DC -> NYC Bus Stops Move From 9th & H St NW
Thanks to a tip from PQL reader Cheryl, we’ve observed that the Bolt Bus and Megabus stops are no longer at the super convenient spot in the City Center (old convention center) parking lot. The stops have migrated towards Union Station. Bolt Bus was able to secure a permanent pick-up & drop-off point at 90 F St NW, while Megabus has found temporary quarters in a parking lot at K and North Capitol Street. They are running a shuttle to and from Union Station.
While we’re excited to see the Center City development take shape, this bus stop move has put a damper on the mood. Many Penn Quarter residents have became accustomed to the easy access to NYC buses.
The only other question is, “Will you take the sketchy Chinatown buses or hoof it over to Union Station for the nicer Bolt Bus or Megabus?”
Pasta & Pastries
A sign has gone up in the window of 427 11th Street NW announcing a summer 2011 opening for Chef Enzo Fargioni’s new restaurant, Elisir, which was mentioned on this blog last week (noting a Washington Examiner article, which was itself noting an Elle article). We’re very excited not only to have a another Italian option in Penn Quarter, but also to open up that stretch of 11th street to more (we hope) weekend and evening foot traffic.
As much as we’re looking forward to the opening of Elisir, what we are really excited about these days is the progress at PAUL Bakery. They weren’t opened by December as we had initially heard, but work continues at the former D’Aqua space (801 Pennsylvania Ave). The PAUL website states an expected January opening (2010! — but we’re still making that mistake when writing the year too), which has come and gone, so hopefully we won’t have much longer to wait for cheese filled pastries.
Hill Country BBQ Kicking Open On March 12
Ed. Note (March 1): We learned that The Apple Core, a Beatles tribute band, will be playing at Hill Country on Saturday, March 12 at 9:30 pm. (March 6) We learned that The Apple Core is being rescheduled to a later date and won’t be playing on March 12.
A Tweet from WaPo’s resident food critic, Tom Sietsema, indicates that Hill Country, the Texas style barbecue restaurant that’s been under construction at 410 7th Street NW, will open on March 12. The limited space afforded by the Tweet added one detail to our knowledgebase…300 seats. Other digital footprints such as Craigslist help wanted ads, a date on March 11 for Ruby Jane (a country singer), and a March 19 date for Crown Vic (rock ‘n roll band with country sensibilities) are telltale signs that the opening surely is coming. This will bring the number of BBQ places in the Penn Quarter/Chinatown area to two and places to hear live music to three.
As we predicted, we will be noshing on ribs on 7th Street in March 2011. Gotta’ love this neighborhood!
Props to regular tipsters: FourthandEye & Cheryl