Hello there, Capitol Hill! This weekend, we had a whole arc of emotions with the news that Tortilla Coast would close permanently. You flooded us with some of your loveliest memories: Snippets from your first meal as an intern on the Hill, to marriage proposals, first post-baby outings, to everyday merriment and fond memories (or lack thereof) of margarita pitchers. Tortilla Coast has been a part of our shared Hill history. Today, our friend Barred in DC passed along the news that Chef Geoff Tracy will not close July 19, as originally stated, but on July 26. A $36,000/month lease makes keeping open very tough, according to the tweet. You know what to do, Capitol Hill: Looks like it’s queso for some, marg pitchers for some others, and Blanca’s tacos for me. You can also read a summary on WTOP.
What else is happening?
Antonio Gardiner, the man who was killed at the McDonald’s on 15th and Pennsylvania this past Fourth of July, was murdered by a 14-year old. Makes you wonder what resources could be better appropriated to prevent the series of decisions that culminated in this terrible moment. NBC Washington has more details.
Reader Emily sent along an email from Alia, formerly the head of East Side Yoga. Alia has given up her lease on the 10th Street studio and has rebranded her yoga business as Oak & Lotus Yoga. Best of luck to her, but the beautiful studio will be missed.
Co-owner of beloved deli Call Your Mother recently told the Washington Post what her dream day would look like. Indigo and Call Your Mother figure among her picks, obviously.
I spoke to WUSA reporter Delia Gonçalves about DCPS’s summer bridge program, and about how I don’t think our school system is ready to welcome students or teachers back to in-person learning.
Larry over at Capitol Hill Corner took a walk and chronicled the latest changes in the neighborhood.
WTOP focused on the new playground at Eastern Market Metro Plaza.
A well done piece by PBS on the contrasting opinions of several Black residents regarding the Emancipation Statue in Lincoln Park. It is definitely a foil to a more contrasting vignette as told by the Washington Post, featuring Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton. “Now we’re scrubbing. We’re scrubbing the country of remnants of racism,” she said.
Maybe all of DC is cursed? Anyway, WUSA-9 rounded up many, uh, “favorite” picks, including Capitol Hill Exxon, the Union Station food court, Dave Thomas Circle and many more.
If you thought Aniekan Udofia’s raised fist decorating Thamee’s storefront on H Street was just a cosmetic nod to the protest, you’re way off base. Tom Sietsema spoke to the mother-daughter duo behind the restaurant and their hunger for investing in Black makers, creators and producers, as well as for equitable representation and business practices that support and uphold them and each other. Washington Post
With so much pain and suffering, an item that purrs seductively about patios that feel like tropical escapes is just the thing we need. Cotton & Reed and Coconut Club in Union Market District, Bammy’s in Navy Yard and the brand-new Colada Shop at The Wharf rank among those places where you can pretend your mask is a chic bandana and that we’re all eating outside all the time because we’re on safari. Washingtonian
In a touching example of just how loudly money talks, the Washington Football Team no longer has a racist slur for a name. The future name is still TBD, but has anyone nominated the red fox as a possible substitute? Washington Post
Parting thought: Support your local small businesses, because they may be gone without our collective push. Kathleen over at Labyrinth’s Facebook page wrote a State of Labyrinth that is sobering in its frankness.
Did you watch my interview with Amir Lowery? He’s challenging Eleanor Holmes Norton for Delegate for the District of Columbia in this upcoming election. The Hill is Home