October 13, 2006
The Weekly Feed: Support Your Community Edition
Benefit for Argonaut Bartender Tonight
As you may have read in this morning's weekend picks, Argonaut and the Englert family of bars are having an event tonight to benefit one of their bartenders who was seriously injured by a gunman when walking to his girlfriend's from work. Luis "Quike" Morales was shot on September 30 in an apparent robbery gone awry, and has only recently come out of his coma. Unfortunately, our ass backwards health care system results in astronomical hospital costs, and bartending wages without insurance doesn't cut the mustard. Quike's mother is in town from Panama as well, so transportation and support costs are also an issue.
In an effort to provide help to someone who truly needs it, Argonaut is hosting a benefit for Quike by collecting a suggested $20 donation at the door, donating proceeds from drinks and food, and having a silent auction. Argonaut is one of my favorite bars in D.C., so it's worth the short ride on the X or D Buses, or a short cab from Union Station or New York Ave Metro stops. Please come out starting at 7 p.m. tonight and donate all you can.
Too Bad They Don't Have Carafes of Soy Milk…
Call it a ghetto latte, call it bootleg latte — the real question is whether or not ordering a cheaper Starbucks item and then jazzing it up at the condiment station is right. Does it break the social contract, or is merely the invisible hand at work? The topic has been debated on Starbucks Gossip, after a reader noted that a customer managed to turn her iced grande and venti Americanos with shots into an "Iced Quad Venti Breve Latte and an Iced Triple Grande Breve Latte," saving almost $5! People have most certainly encountered empty milk and cream carafes — now we know what's afoot!
Starbucks issued a statement that was basically a blessing for milk hogs:
"Customization is a fundamental attribute of the Starbucks Experience. We provide condiments to our customers so they can make their drinks to their liking and we appreciate their patronage. We trust our customers to make the choices that are right for them." That's a very Howard Schultz approach. At any rate, given that the stores are making bank on regular coffee drinks, a little condiment station over-indulgence isn't that bad. Just remember to tip your barista with some of your savings. (Melissa McCart)
Photo by furcafe.
Quick Bites
Changes at Domku
Petworthian scandibistro Domku is shaking up the kitchen. Young & Hungry uncovers the gossip on the "no big gossip," that owner Kera Carpenter and chef Eric Evans have parted ways. According to Carpenter, Evans' departure has been hardly noticeable, but I remain a little skeptical. A bright spot in the somewhat rough neighborhood, Domku meals and infused vodkas have been consistently good; it would be good to know that hasn't changed, but it sounds like time for another trip up the Green Line.
Comet Opens; Not a Dirty Snowball
The long awaited "New Haven Style" pizzeria from Buck's Fishing and Camping owners Carole Greenwood and James Alefantis has opened! Complete with ping-pong tables, the place seems to be headed for casual and fun, but I hope it doesn't descend into being a vortex for screaming children of frazzled northwesties. Anyone been yet? PS: No pictures sans permission, please.
Taste of Georgetown Set For Tomorrow
Ever wonder what Georgetown tastes like? I'm guessing a mix of locker room, ashtray, and communion wine. If you're looking to find out for sure, Taste of Georgetown is tomorrow between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m, courtesy of the Georgetown Business Improvement District (as if they needed one). Georgetown venerables like 1789, Café Bonaparte, and Mendocino are participating, as are more emblematic places like Starbucks and Smith Point. $5 a tasting or 5 for $20 will get you in the gate. Head over to Wisconsin Avenue south of M Street tomorrow to get your grub on.
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Prayers with Quike. I bet Joe has health insurance.
It was good to see so many people out in support of Quike.
It was really great of the argonaut to do this.
Starbucks wouldn't even be worth discussing if there were any good independent coffee shops here. You can't walk one block in San Francisco without passing a non-Starbucks cafe, whereas in DC you would be hard pressed to name more than 5 in the entire city.
Food and Drinkist question- not sure where else to post:
Has Bohemian Caverns closed for good?
You'd be hardpressed to pass a DCist comment by DC1974 without seeing him make reference to California.
They still have performances scheduled. Here's the webpage.
Comet is really, really hip. Cool employees, excellent music. Decor is truly unique. If it was in Columbia Heights, it would draw the Wonderland crowd, but I doubt many people want to hike out there- it's about half a mile from any metro station.
On Bohemian Caverns: I've gone to the downstairs recently to see Young Lions-- they were great. I'd have to confirm, but I'm pretty sure that some Howard grads opened the place after a brief hiatus.
Where is this new Comet place you speak of?
Comet is at 5037 Connecticut NW (CT and NE Ave), next to Buck's Fishing and Camping and on the same block as Politics and Prose. It's a little less than a mile from both the UDC/Van Ness and Tenleytown Metro stops.
You can't walk one block in San Francisco without passing a non-Starbucks cafe, whereas in DC you would be hard pressed to name more than 5 in the entire city.
DC1974 - That's a patently ridiculous statement. Off the top of my head I can think of four in my neighborhood; the coffee and service at these joints vary from almost perfect (Murky) to so horrible that I refuse to go there even though it's only two blocks from my crib (Jacob's), but the point is they are there. Is the coffee "scene" in DC as mature or ubiquitous as it is in San Francisco? Of course not, but we also have a lot fewer smelly hippies here; a fair trade IMHO.
Dude, you're always jockin' the Bay Area of Cali as if it's the best place in the world and it's the place the rest of the US should aspire to be like. If it's so great (and I'm not saying it's not, I've never been there), then why did you leave for dreary ol' DC?
You label his statement ridiculous, but you were unable to name more than five, thus proving his point.
So I'm not the only person to order a regular iced coffee (I refuse to use the term "Americano" or whatever) at Starbucks and make it into something like a latte by adding my own large amount of milk -- skim, whole, or half 'n' half. Why pay extra when the milk is free? If you want to call me on it, go ahead. I'm not dumb enough to pay $5.00 for a cup of coffee.
You label his statement ridiculous, but you were unable to name more than five, thus proving his point.
Wrong, I said there were four in my neighborhood not the whole city. Apparently it's necessary for me to rattle off a list of names, so here: Murky Coffee, Jacob's, Rythm & Beans, Ebeneezer, Tryst, Politics & Prose, Sparky's, Love Cafe. I could go on, but I think I've made my point.
Anne: at that point, it's not a cup of coffee. It's a bit of coffee and a lot of milk. Now, if you go down to the grocery store and buy milk, you'll notice that it's far more expensive than tap water (which makes up 98% of true coffee). I don't particularly care if people are taking advantage off starbucks' lax policy, but don't fool yourself into thinking that you're drinking a cup of coffee. Just curious.. how do you fit all of that milk in the cup? Don't they fill it to near the top?
Hill Rat: There you have it.
Anne, do you also steal all of the sugar and sweetner from the table at restaurants?
One of the best on-the-fly cocktails to carry around with you in the summer is a Starbucks frappucino spiked with an airline bottle or two of rum (or vodka, if you're going for the stealth buzz)...very refreshing!
Nope, they don't fill the iced coffee all the way to the top, thus it's easy to put 3-4 tablespoon's worth of milk in the cup. Why does it bother anyone that I do this? If Starbucks wants to start charging for extra milk and sugar, they can. Otherwise, it's there and you are allowed to help yourself. How much milk and sugar would you *allow* me to use? I've seen people put four packs of sugar in their coffee -- I don't use any. What's wrong with the way I do it, really, and why does it bother you? Do you own a Starbucks? I actually like the taste of my concoction much better than the lattes they make.
Anne, I think all of that free milk has damaged your sense of humor. Simmer down.
Anne - It's not so much that anyone "cares" about what you do at Starbucks, it's just fun to heap scorn and mockery upon cheapskates.
So what's wrong with screaming kids and frazzled Northwesties? OK beside the obvious. But, keep in mind, this market helps really dumpy and not so dumpy places stay alfoat...I think there's room for everyone. Are people with no kids really eating out between 5 and 7? when most frazzled northwesties with kids are?