We know D.C. Get our free newsletter to stay in the know.

Unsubscribe any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

Who knew everyone’s interest in becoming chef for a day would mean a Logan Circle farm-to-table restaurant could rehire 50 percent of its employees? 

Let’s back up. Restaurants have had to reinvent themselves during the pandemic, or they risk shutting down permanently. Nina May on 11th Street NW found that selling meal kits was a surprisingly lucrative strategy—a strategy that just might get it through the winter months.    

“While any attempt to innovate amid uncertainty is worthwhile, the time to distinguish between half-baked pivots and fully executed pirouettes is now,” writes City Paper’s Laura Hayes for this week’s cover story. “Several strategies restaurants and bars have utilized have proven to be more successful than others, especially if success is measured in new and different ways.”

Restaurateurs, you are definitely going to want to read this week’s issue. 

***

In April, we stated our intention to keep printing weekly editions of Washington City Paper despite plummeting ad sales and lost event revenue in the face of the pandemic. Consolidating circulation provided a little relief, but five months later, it’s no longer enough. And so, in an effort to protect staff and salaries as best we can, we will be temporarily reducing our print publication schedule to once per month. Read the full statement here.

—Amanda Michelle Gomez (tips? agomez@washingtoncitypaper.com) 

To Safely Return To Campus, D.C. Schools Look To Outdoor Learning

At a private school on 16th Street NW, students are learning outside. A second grader […]

  • As of Sept. 23, D.C. reported no additional deaths related to COVID-19 but 56 new positive cases. The total number of infections is 15,106. [EOM]
  • Hundreds of D.C. residents protest after grand jury decision not to press charges against cops who killed Breonna Taylor. [DCist] 
  • Expanding rent control law could mean impacted landlords could win huge tax breaks. (FYI: The Council is holding a hearing on rent control today.) [WBJ] 

—Amanda Michelle Gomez (tips? agomez@washingtoncitypaper.com) 

Does Christina Henderson have a Chance to Win an At-Large Seat?

Christina Henderson is walking through the quiet streets of Brookland, where she knows some people […]

  • Email bickering ticks up as endorsements roll in for the at-large race. Vince Gray backs Marcus Goodwin; Elissa Silverman supports Ed Lazere. [WCP]
  • The Board of Elections might use the Entertainment and Sports Arena as a voting super center after all. [Post]

By Mitch Ryals (tips? mryals@washingtoncitypaper.com)

Mandu Taps New Chef, Punches Up Menu Despite Pandemic Pressures

If Mandu was going to reopen during the pandemic and for the foreseeable future, co-owner […]

  • Rose’s Restaurant Group has laid off 72 employees as of Sept. 15. [WBJ]

By Laura Hayes (tips? lhayes@washingtoncitypaper.com)

A New Poetry Collection Features the Work of Writers—Both Famous and Forgotten—From D.C.’s Past

Kim Roberts wants to talk back to the canon. That’s the point of putting together […]

  • The newest season of WAMU’s What’s With Washington podcast will center on D.C. statehood. [Kojo Nnamdi Show]
  • Learn all about the little brown bat. [Washingtonian]

By Kayla Randall (tips? krandall@washingtoncitypaper.com)

Roller Skating Has Surged in Popularity. Local Skaters Hope It Leads to a Rink in D.C.

When Saletta Coleman puts on her roller skates, she’s transported to another reality. No matter […]

  • Dwayne Haskins Jr. expressed his disgust and anger after the Kentucky grand jury did not charge any police officers for the shooting death of Breonna Taylor. [NBC Sports Washington]
  • The Nats were officially eliminated from the playoffs last night. But exactly one year ago, Brain Dozier and the team clinched a spot in the 2019 postseason and began dancing their way to a historic, championship season. [MASN, WCP]
  • Why is soccer so White in America? The answer, in short, is because of systemic racism. [Yahoo]

By Kelyn Soong (tips? ksoong@washingtoncitypaper.com)

City Lights: Attend the National Book Festival or Learn the Basics of DJing

There might have been a less destabilizing way for the National Book Festival to commemorate […]

By Emma Sarappo (tips? esarappo@washingtoncitypaper.com)