RSS FeedGraffiato’s Online Presence Up And Running
Back in late September we mentioned Mike Isabella’s new restaurant project, Graffiato, at 707 6th St NW. We knew that the building formerly housing a printing operation would find a higher use one day and Isabella is the one to give it that higher use in the form of an Italian inspired eatery. Even before accomplishing substantial progress on the physical space, Graffiato is well constructed in cyber space with a website, a blog, a Twitter account, and a Facebook account promising a Spring 2011 opening. This seems to be the trend in restaurant public relations these days as we’ll get to watch the concept gestate without leaving our living rooms (or smartphones). Interior photos of the raw, unfinished space are up already.
Quest For Fire[Water]
It seems like only yesterday we were on our honeymoon in Portugal, sipping the fine wines and ports produced by Quinta de la Rosa.
Maybe that’s because yesterday we were sipping a wonderful Douro D.O.C from Quinta de la Rosa in the comfort of our home. Unlike Sandman, Taylor, or Fonseca, Quinta de la Rosa isn’t readily available throughout the US. Still, how hard could it be to get a case of vintage port? The answer to that question involves a nine month odyssey spanning three liquor stores (and one importer).
Our first stop was Central Liquors, but that didn’t work out as well as we’d planned. We contacted the wine brothers back in January since they’d never let us down on a special order before. After a few months it became clear Central couldn’t help us this time, though they were in the middle of scheduling their move to 6th & E St NW.
The second liquor store we tried, Schneider’s of Capitol Hill, didn’t come through either. It was Schneider’s who informed us that the hold up was courtesy of the importer, William-Harrison Imports out of Manassas, VA. Schneider’s was great with email updates; they’d send regular emails noting that William-Harrison didn’t have the wines yet.
And check back we did. Month after month we emailed Schneider’s and each time they responded “check back.” So it came as quite a surprise to us (and we suspect, Schneider’s) when Mrs Columbo walked into Bell Wine & Spirits (18th & M St NW) on an unrelated task and what did she find? Wines and ports from Quinta de la Rosa, all of them stamped as having been imported by William-Harrison, sitting on the shelf. Mrs Columbo placed an order for what we wanted, and within a week Bell delivered the wine right to our condo (they even waived the $20 delivery fee).
We have no hard feelings against Central or Schneider’s, we still shop at both. But Bell is just a few metro stops away and they came through for us in a big way. And hey, in just 20 years we can open a bottle of vintage port to see if it was worth the hassle.
DC Link Roundup: Heard In The ‘Hood
Follow PQ Living via Facebook here and Twitter here. Our Flickr tag is pqliving.
Here’s what we were reading last week about neighborhood news in DC. Have neighborhood thoughts? Leave them in the comments!
Columbia Heights – We’re not sure if we’ve been transported to some cartoon netherworld but these photos of Mayor Fenty dancing with a pancake and a few Councilmembers in IHOP uniforms are a hoot! (This was for the opening of the new IHOP in Columbia Heights.) [New Columbia Heights] & [Washington CityPaper: Loose Lips] & [Washington City Paper: Housing Complex]
Downtown – More opinions on what to do with the Franklin School building at 13th and K St NW. [Greater Greater Washington]
Mount Vernon Triangle – Bicyclists can cause hit-and-runs too. [Washington City Paper: City Desk] & [Greater Greater Washington]
NoMa – The new Harris Teeter at Constitution Square (1st and M St NE) opens on Tuesday, December 7 with the ribbon cutting happening at 5:30 pm. Will it give the CityVista Safeway a run for its money? [Harris Teeter corporate website]
Capitol Riverfront – Speaking of Harris Teeter…more signs that the HT at 5th and M St SE is on its way. [JDLand: Ballpark and Beyond]
14th Street NW & H Street NE – We love visiting jazz bar HR-57 but now we’ll have to go east to H Street NE instead of west to 14th Street NW to get our music fix. Why? It’s moving. [14th & You] & [Frozen Tropics]
Logan Circle – It’s time for one of our favorite home tours…the Annual Logan Circle Community Association Holiday House Tour. [GregsListDC]
http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/8277/will-walmart-be-urban-part-3-new-jersey-avenue/
http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/8202/downtown-needs-a-school-more-than-a-boutique-hotel/
http://thomsonelementary.org/
http://www.jdland.com/dc/index.cfm?id=3375
http://frozentropics.blogspot.com/2010/11/hr-57-relocating-to-h-street.html
http://14thandyou.blogspot.com/2010/11/hr-57-moving-to-h-street.html
http://newcolumbiaheights.blogspot.com/2010/11/fenty-with-dancing-pancake-ihop-grand.html
http://dcmud.blogspot.com/2010/11/stonebridge-to-start-phase-2-in-noma.html
http://www.harristeeter.com/about_us/press_room/press_releases.aspx?article=697
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2010/11/26/bmx-style-bicyclist-strikes-two-pedestrians/
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2010/11/23/short-stacked-how-ihop-qualified-as-a-small-business-in-columbia-heights/
http://emilyhaha.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/13a-13b-13f-13g-washington-national-airport-pentagon-dc-line/
http://emilyhaha.wordpress.com/bus-lines-so-far/
http://emilyhaha.wordpress.com/train-station-so-far/
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2010/11/23/photo-politics-and-pancakes/
http://gregslistdc.com/spotlight/2010/november/home-logan-circle-holiday
http://www.borderstan.com/11/shaw-artist-chuck-baxter-trash-to-treasure/
Downtown Holiday Market Starts Friday, Dec 3
Hear ye, hear ye, all Penn Quarter residents, workers and visitors! It must be the holiday season in downtown DC as the Downtown Holiday Market commences this Friday, December 3 running until Thursday, December 23 staying open from Noon to 8 pm each day. Along with prepared food vendors and a musical stage, independent artisans will line the National Portrait Gallery side of F Street from 7th Street to 9th Street NW offering items such as art, crafts, jewelry, photography, pottery, clothing, accessories, and specialty foods in a festive outdoor market atmosphere.
An interactive Market guide can be found here and all the trappings for following the Market are available via Twitter, Facebook, and the web.