12 Nov 2009

Coming Soon: H Street

Originally uploaded to flickr by TakomaBibelot

Originally uploaded to flickr by TakomaBibelot

I saved the most daunting Coming Soon update for last.  If you thought there was a flurry of new restaurants and bars going in on Barracks Row and Pennsylvania Avenue SE and Eastern Market, well, just wait until you hear what’s coming to H Street NE.  Pour yourself a drink (I’m certainly going to), have a seat and dig in.

In no particular order, let’s get started with Dangerously Delicious Pies.  At 1339 H Street NE, this will be the second outpost of the Baltimore pie shop that will give you a lifetime discount if you get their pie and crossbones logo tattooed somewhere on your body.  DDP is already active in the community, showing up at events like the H Street Festival and at Tuesday night’s Washington Project for the Arts (WPA) FotoWeek 2009 opening reception at Gallery O.  Rumor has it they’re opening any day now, so keep an eye out and maybe you can pick up a selection of savory and sweet pies for the holidays.  (Perhaps you enjoy my posts so much, you’d like to get me a holiday gift.  I’m partial to the Coconut Chess Pie.  It goes quite nicely with a bottle of 2005 Kluge Estate SP Blanc de Noir.)

Pies not your thing?  Well, then check out your other options after the jump…

How about a pint of Guinness and a reuben?  The Star and the Shamrock is looking to serve up just that at this Jewish Irish Pub going in at 1341 H Street NE.  I have no information regarding an opening date, but I’m keeping my eye on this spot.  Some of the guys over at Trusty’s are involved, so the next time I’m in, I’ll ask and report back.

Let’s talk Vendetta.  No, not the horse head in your bed type, but rather the southern Italian place being brought to 1352 H Street NE by Joe Englert and Teddy Folkman.  I have it on good authority that those involved are actively doing research in Richmond, VA as I type this and that we can look for Vendetta to open up sometime in the spring or early summer.  Oh, and did I mention the indoor and outdoor bocce courts?  And the dessert bar upstairs?

Upstairs from the Pug, Toki Underground is moving in. (See what they did there, a place called “Underground” going in ABOVE the Pug.  These folks are clever.) Erik Bruner-Yang (formerly of Sticky Rice) is a street food afficianado and is going to bring dumplings and ramen to 1234 H Street NE.

Andrew Agak is bringing Drew to 1245 H Street NE.  Agak will be bringing African, South American, American and (of course) a fusion of all three to a pretty large space that will also have room for private parties.  Not sure when this spot is slated to open, and there have been some issues with Mr. Agak’s liquor license, so this is another spot to keep an eye on.

By now you’re probably aware that I love beer.  So the instant I heard about Biergarten Haus I emailed Aaron McGovern and asked what the story was.  Aaron is the owner of Russia House and is opening the District’s first beer garden at 1355 H Street NE.  The outdoor space is huge and in addition to beer, they’ll be serving sausage and schnitzel and other German fare.  Rumor has it they’re planning a winter opening – less than ideal for a venue whose main draw is going to be their outdoor seating, but exciting nevertheless.  If this joint is anything like the Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden in Astoria, I’m going to be here a lot.

Lest you think there’s only one new Joe Englert spot on the horizon on H, let me tell you a little bit about Joe’s Coal and Ice House which will be located at 1358 H Street NE.  This one is a ways off (Vendetta is up first) and will be bringing the neighborhood steaks, ribs and gospel music.

If there’s one “ethnic” food that you don’t have to hit the ‘burbs to get the best of in DC, it’s Ethiopian.  However, up until now, you’d have to head to Northwest for your fix.  Ethiopic to the rescue.  This spot is set to open soon on the less crowded west end of the corridor, at 401 H Street NE. Their samples were a big hit at the H Street Festival.

The Liberty Tree is setting up their brick oven at 1016 H Street NE.  I met these guys at the H Street Festival and they were hoping to open this fall.  They gave me a sample of their menu, which includes entrees like lobster and scallop pot pie in addition to brick oven pizzas and sandwiches.

We’ve mentioned the upcoming Angelico la Pizzeria on this blog before, though mostly with regard to reports of squatting in their property at 1387 H Street NE.  I hope that this spot opens soon, not only because I want to see that corner lit up and with more eyes on the street, but also because the Hill is really lacking for delivery pizza options.  I’ve had Angelico’s pizza from their Old Town and Mt. Pleasant locations, and it’s solidly decent.  If that doesn’t sound like a glowing recommendation, that’s because it isn’t – but it’s better than most of the other delivery pizza options in the neighborhood.

Speaking of pizza, I want to take a few seconds to talk about something that is NOT coming to H Street.  The folks who own Tonic had originally purchased the Ohio at 1380 H Street NE with the intention of opening a second Radius location.  After they purchased the property, they decided the space was more appropriate for a third Tonic, this one more closely resembling the Tonic at Quigley’s at GW rather than their original Mt. Pleasant location.  Well, in the meantime, Tonic sold the original Radius location in Mt. Pleasant, and this project on H Street is on hold indefinitely.  Do not look for any movement on this front in the immediate future.

Not technically H Street, but close by, Capital City Diner is getting ready to open in the next few weeks.  Matt Ashburn and Patrick Carl are opening up this spot at 1050 Bladensburg Road NE.  DC bloggers have been following Matt and Patrick’s saga with the DC government, which has not made the process of bringing their original 1940s diner down from Upstate NY. (For background, check out the Diner’s twitterfeed, where the guys have done a pretty good job of sharing a play by play of their tribulations with DCRA.)

The last little bits of info I have for you are that Little Miss Whiskey’s (1104 H Street NE) has started serving food and  Souk is now open at 1208 H Street NE (and according to reviews is fantastic).  I’ve heard a few more rumors about H Street businesses, both new and existing, and as soon as I can get confirmation, you guys will be the first to know.

So there you have it.  Your complete guide to what’s coming soon to the Hill (and gift ideas for yours truly).  If you have any scoop or rumors you’d like me look into, please email me at NicholeTheHillisHome@gmail.com.  In the meantime, you can find me on a barstool near you.

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3 responses to “Coming Soon: H Street”

  1. Mark says:

    Great updates. thank you. I believe I have been to the Bohemian beer garden in Astoria and it was awesome..hope this one is just as good.

    What about Englert’s new place where the old convenience shop used to be at Potomac Ave?

  2. @Mark, I talk a little about the new Annie and Teddy’s Po’Boys in my previous post about what’s coming soon to PA Ave and Eastern Market. http://www.thehillishome.com/2009/11/coming-soon-pennsylvania-ave-se-and-eastern-market/

    The Astoria Beer Garden is one of my favorite places on earth. I am not kidding when I say that if the new Biergarten Haus is even a tiny bit similar I will be there all the time.

  3. Ryan says:

    Thanks so much for this update! THIH is providing a real value to the community, especially those like me who get their news from blogs. So much is happening that it’s hard to get a pulse on the neighborhood; posts like this are going to have me mentally mapping my future dining outings for the next year! I am incredibly excited about Biergarten Haus, though I hope it’s not remotely like Russia House.

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