Barred in DC

After Virginia Senator Tim Kaine was stranded on I-95 in the early January 2022 snowstorm for over a day (with scores of others), he went to dinner with his family to Bloomingdale’s The Red Hen and tweeted that he had their very popular rigatoni with sausage. This inspired Rob Flaherty, Digital Director for the White […]

The Union Market “District” is getting a brewery, Barred in DC has learned*. Crooked Run Fermentation, which first opened in Leesburg, Virginia in 2013 and then a second location in Sterling in 2017, is taking the long trip from the exurbs to the city, and will be opening a 3rd location (likely later in 2022) […]

Updated Jan 3rd following DC Health Guidance and DMPED Townhall As first reported/predicted/expected by Barred in DC Tuesday, on Wednesday December 22nd, DC finally announced the vaccine mandate many have been clamoring for since early August. This “city-wide vaccination entry requirement,” termed VaxDC by the DC government, will require customers, visitors, and patrons (but not […]

I’ve been told there will be “news” tomorrow from DC officials, though I don’t know what exactly the news is. My expectation is for DC to make an announcement of a vaccine mandate for indoor dining and other activities such as gyms, theaters, indoor events, etc. following the announcement of Chicago today, Boston yesterday, and […]

Tortilla Coast, the Tex-Mex institution, is closing for good after three decades on Capitol Hill, owner (through his restaurant group) Geoff Tracy confirmed to me today. The last day the spot will be open to the public is tomorrow, Saturday, December 18th (per another source), but Tracy tells me that they will be open to […]

The new $40 million Small Business Rent Relief Program is still stuck in neutral, as Mayor Bowser’s administration will be unable to open it up for applications in the “Fall 2021′ timeframe they had hoped due to what they claim is the complexity of the program as reflected in the legislation passed by DC Council. […]

Cava Mezze on Barracks Row, the second sit-down spot of the Rockville-born Mediterranean/Greek restaurant chain before it became a nationwide fast casual chain, closed its doors on Sunday, November 28th. The place opened in 2009 and instantly became popular, with long waits and a massively popular bottomless weekend brunch. According to a reservation cancellation message, […]

“What is a lovely place in D.C. to get a cocktail by yourself?“ An important question posed on Twitter by Rachel Kurzius, a reporter for DCist and WAMU, on November 1st yielded a huge number of responses with over 105 different bars and restaurants. Here’s the Barred in DC attempt to piggyback on someone else’s […]

Update: On Tuesday, November 16th, DC announced that the indoor mask mandate would end effective Monday, November 22nd, due to data showing that almost no fully vaccinated people have died or have been hospitalized due to breakthrough infections, even since Delta began being the predominant strain. Masks still will be requiredw Private businesses who require […]

Earlier this year, Mayor Bowser signed the Fiscal Year 2022 Budget into law. One major aspect of the bill (see page 54-56 here) was a new $40 million Small Business Rent Relief Program. This grant program, tweaked slightly from the original proposal considered by the DC Council, awards grants to restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and brick […]