by Katherine Saltzman and Forest Hills Connection
The DC budget for the 2020 fiscal year includes funding to expand the Van Ness Main Street coverage area and establish a Main Street in Cleveland Park. Ward 3 Council member Mary Cheh, in her latest constituent newsletter, said she secured the additional funding for these and other projects city-wide. We’re pursuing more details, but it looks like Van Ness Main Street will have the funds to expand to the 5000 block of Connecticut Avenue, which includes Politics and Prose, I’m Eddie Cano, Little Red Fox and Comet Ping Pong. And the Cleveland Park Business Association has been working toward Main Street status for well over a year.
Where to eat
…and learn. Most Saturdays this summer, Sfoglina is offering classes at its Van Ness location on preparing, cut, cook and preserve traditional Italian pasta. Sfoglina’s sfoglina, Simonetta Capotondo, is teaching many of the classes herself. Check the schedule and purchase tickets ($75 per person) at sfoglinadc.com/shop.
Spring is in full bloom at today's pasta class with master sfoglina Simonetta Capotondo, where her sfoglini-in-training are rolling fresh flower petals and herbs into their dough with gorgeous results! 🌺 pic.twitter.com/QWwdofCnF8
— Sfoglina Van Ness (@SfoglinaVanNess) April 20, 2019
Capital Crab
“Crustacean with Representation” is the motto for Capital Crab, the DC-based crab catering truck that is unloading and moving into its very own brick and mortar restaurant in Chevy Chase DC. Tim Walsh, the owner of Capital Crab, Arucola Osteria and the Avenue, has closed Arucola and plans to renovate and update the space to accommodate Capital Crab (5534 Connecticut Avenue).
Eater DC reports the long-time Arucola chef will stay on board and continue to prepare some of restaurant’s popular seafood dishes, including lobster ravioli, linguini with mussels and clams, and pistachio-crusted salmon. But during prime crab season the menu may be limited. Seasonal crustaceans will also be on the menu, lobster will be served throughout the year and Alaskan King crab offerings will be available in the fall, according to Eater.
Tino’s Pizzeria
Be on the lookout for Tino’s Pizzeria opening in July next to the Uptown Theater in the space formerly occupied by Chipotle. CPBiz.org reports the owners and founders, Logan Griffith and Joe McCarthy, met while working at a Wegman’s kitchen and had discussed opening a restaurant together. Now, it seems their dreams are coming true. The restaurant will have a counter ordering system, but servers will deliver to tables indoors and out. Tino’s will be open daily for lunch and dinner.
Health and wellness
Stay strong and fit this summer and all year ’round at new and existing boutique fitness studios in our area.
In cooperation with Tenleytown Main Street, Tenleytown yoga and exercise studios are offering hour-long outdoor classes at Fessenden Park on Saturday mornings through July 27. The fitness and yoga classes are designed for all experience levels and led by instructors from Haute Bohdi, sport&health, CorePower Yoga and Washington Yoga Center. There is a $10 recommended donation for each class. Get more information about the outdoor classes and RSVP here.
Other upcoming yoga classes include:
June 1: CorePower Yoga (4600 Wisconsin Avenue), the boutique yoga studio which opened its Tenleytown location last December, is offering a foundational Vinyasa yoga class.
June 15: Washington Yoga Center (4000 Albemarle Street) is offering a Dharma-inspired yoga class. Dharma flow incorporates postures designed to build strength and increase flexibility with longer holds on each pose.
And Circle Yoga (3838 Northampton Street) offers classes for the entire family, plus yoga instructor training, one-on-one instruction and mindfulness sessions.
If you’re looking for other ways to be active under the guidance of the pros, additional nearby options include:
In Van Ness: Gold’s Gym has all the fancy gym equipment, free weights, group cycle classes and other classes including yoga and martial arts, and the option to work out with a personal trainer.
In Tenleytown: Sahara Dance (4433 Wisconsin Avenue), Washington DC’s Center for Middle Eastern Dance– offers belly dancing classes for beginners as well as opportunities to join a student dance company for events and performances.
The “top of the town” is also home to the only traditional Japanese jujutsu dojo in the Washington D.C. area. JTR Jujutsu (4631 41st Street NW) teaches the 400-year-old Japanese martial art focused on strategy and technique rather than an individual’s strength and size. JTR offers youth and adult classes as well as women’s self-defense workshops and private lessons. Prospective students are invited to try out a class before enrolling.
In Chevy Chase: Balanced Athlete Fitness Studios (5538 Connecticut Avenue) offers group classes ranging from cycling to High Intensity workouts, to yoga and Pilates to barre classes. Balanced Athlete also offers personal training options to customize your fitness and health needs.
In Cleveland Park: Foundation Fitness (3525 Connecticut) is part of a local network of gyms offering group classes, massage therapy, personal training and fitness consultation. In addition, Foundation Fitness offers on-site nutrition coaches to guide individuals through creating long-term goals, meal plan development, grocery shopping lists and even prepared-meal home drop-offs.
OrangeTheory, the boutique fitness studio chain, is opening a new studio soon in what was a long-time vacant building once occupied by a Ireland’s Four Fields pub and restaurant (3412 Connecticut). OrangeTheory Fitness offers classes with high intensity interval training that incorporates cardio and strength training.