Early voting runs through this Saturday, September 11 at Hine Jr High (335 8th St SE)

Reminder that the DC primary election is fast-approaching on Tuesday, September 14 and that early voting is available at the old Hine Junior High School across from Eastern Market at 335 8th St SE through this Saturday, September 11. 

This election will determine if Mayor Fenty will be able to continue his push to further lower crime and improving DC's public schools, whether Tommy Wells will continue on as Ward 6's Councilmember in his relentless efforts to further livable, walkable communities.  It will also determine the new Chairman of the DC Council (Kwame Brown seems like the obvious choice and not just because his campaign office is on H Street), and who will serve for one of the at-large Councilmembers for the seat currently held by Phil Mendelson (who is best known for being "softer than soft on crime" and is opposed by one very credible opponent -- Clark Ray -- and one individual who has no business receiving votes, but appears to be getting many solely because he shares the name of another Councilmember Michael Brown).

Whatever you do, do not forget to vote.  Early voting ends Saturday.  Polls open at your designated voting location Tuesday morning.

Queen Vic at the H St Festival

One of the fun things about the H Street Festival is that it often provides a preview of exciting things to come.  Last year, folks enjoyed food from Biergarten, Ethiopic, and more even though those spots had not yet opened their doors.  The same will be true this year, with Queen Vic (1206 H St), the Atlas Room (1015 H St), Smith Commons (1245 H St), and Toki Underground (1234 H St, 2nd floor) all expected to be on hand to participate in advance of their coming openings. 

Here's what Queen Vic plans to serve at the Festival.  Anyone who visited Little Miss Whiskey's Golden Dollar for their Beer Week pairing event -- or how saw Ryan Gordon's recently aired performance on Chefs v. City -- knows that Queen Vic's food will be as delicious as it is interesting.  They are in the midst of their buildout, so look for them between Philadelphia Water Ice (1204 H St) and Souk (1208 H St) later this year.

H St. Festival Menu for The Queen Vic

Assorted Pasties
Cornish, Chicken & Ham, Curried Potato & Pea

Mini Steak & Ale Pies
Pineland Farms All Natural Beef & Guinness

Lamb & Beef Sliders
With three onion jam

House Made Pork Sausage
With our English mustard & fresh pickles

Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken)
Tandoori style chicken with pureed tomato, cashews, ginger & garlic

GaGa is gaga for H Street's Bikram Yoga Capitol Hill

Reliable Source has the following report that Lady Gaga visited Bikram Yoga Capitol Hill at 410 H Street today after her performance at the Verizon Center last night.

Start the countdown

10 days until the H Street Festival.  Bigger and better for 2010.  Saturday, September 18, starting at 12:00 p.m.

Hilly Awards: November 19, 2010, nominations being accepted now

The Second Annual Hilly Awards will occur on November 19.  Nominations are being accepted for restaurant of the year, bar/tavern of the year, coffee shop of the year, best new business, and more now.

The top five businesses with the most nominations will appear on the official ballot. Voting runs from October 4 through November 4 and the winners will be announced at the second annual HILLY AWARDS on November 19, 2010.

Last year the winners were mostly from the south side of Capitol Hill, including Frager's Hardware, Cava Mezze, and Hill's Kitchen. Indeed, Sharee Lawler (candidate for ANC6A05 and owner of Black Lab Advisory) who keeps an office on H Street may be the only H Street winner from 2009. Hopefully some of H Street's great businesses will be nominated and take home awards this year. Who are you nominating? Sidamo or SOVA for coffee shop? Which of our many new businesses is the best new business from the past year? Is the Argonaut your favorite tavern?

Neat event at the Atlas: Sunday, September 12, at 3:00 p.m.

Sunday, September 12, 2010 at 3:00 p.m.

Anna Shulman: Queen of H Street
This one-woman show tells the entertaining and true life story of Anna Shulman, a Russian-Jewish immigrant, her arrival in the U.S. and Washington, and her impact on the H Street neighborhood, where she was one of many Jewish merchants and shopkeepers during the 1920s and 1930s and the Great Depression.

Don't miss this one-time free public performance at the Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St)--one block from the location of Shulman's dry goods store--funded by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

Registration required online, to rsvp@jhsgw.org, or (202) 789-0900.

Link roundup

The Examiner interviews Argonaut's Shareen Pine about their experience recovering from the fire and their current operations and plans for rebuilding the kitchen and downstairs.  The Argnonaut recieved and shared some good news this week on their website:  they were informed that both insurance companies have approved their estimate and they can start building in less than in two weeks.  They are hoping to reopen better than ever and plan to move the bar to the back of the restaurant and hope to obtain permission to use additional public space on Maryland Ave (where there were various games available) and elsewhere.  They also intend to have a wide selection of rums available and are taking suggestions.  How about 10 Cane, Flor de Cana 4 yr, and Zacapa 23 yr?

DCmud reported on the ALDI opening near the Safeway at the Starburst intersection on the eastern end of the H Street corridor.  According to the post, they will break ground today with Ward Five Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr. 

Gallery O on H announced that they will once again sponsor artcars at this year's H Street Festival which is coming up on Saturday, September 18. 

WP Food Critic Tom Sietsema likes the Biergarten, but was less than enamored with their food.

City Paper's Tim Carman checks in with Teddy Folkman at Granville Moore's with an update on their expansion plans.  They are unclear on whether they will dig down or expand the first floor into the building to their east (historically this building owner has been hesitant to make his first floor reasonably available, but has escaped vacant property tax rates because he lives in its second level).  Either way, they'll add 26 seats and expand their tiny kitchen.  Good news.  On recent visits, we've found the food better than ever and have been lucky to avoid the lengthy waits.

The Washington Post spent 24 hours on Bladensburg Road at the Capital City Diner and Jimmy Valentines.