August 8, 2007
Capitol Lounge is on Fire. Again.
The 200 Block to 400 Block of Pennsylvania Avenue., SE has been closed since about 8 a.m. due to the two-alarm fire at Capitol Lounge. That's right, the same Capitol Lounge that burned almost completely to the ground just about exactly two years ago. Talk about bad luck.
NBC4 is reporting the fire started in an outside dumpster and spread to the Capitol Lounge building and four other buildings. The 2005 fire was set by a cigarette left by a Cap Lounge employee, and it took a little over three months for the bar to reopen later that year. Firefighters are still battling the blaze down there, so we'll update as we learn more about what caused the fire and how bad the damage is.
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I'm sure that Joe Englert is JUST THRILLED.
If at first you don't get enough insurance money, try, try again.
From what I could see on telly this morning, it looks like the Trover Shop was also damaged in the blaze.
Damn and dast.
Joe should just buy the Rib Tip on H Street and re-open Cap Lounge there. No feisty jarheads or wasted Hill staffers. And it's not like he doesn't already own that street anyway.
God's trying to tell you something, Joe.
What's the soldier's creed? Once is an accident, twice is an incident, third time is enemy fire.
And surprisingly the fire started where roof work was needed. Every rain, buckets were out. Now, new roof! Boy that's lucky. ?.
What was! lucky was the 13 propane canisters that didn't ingnite and take out half the block.
Hope someone takes a longer look at this one.
Guest [3]: Rats.
Could be worse, though. Cap Lounge is at 229 Penna Ave SE, so it's the Trover Card shop at 227 Penna Ave SE that is imperiled, not the book shop (221 Penna Ave SE).
imperiled! you're today's awesome vocab word user, mike.
- the english major
Not quite a bad omen yet, but too close for comfort. If it were ever to happen again, that bar should NEVER reopen... lest the whole block goes down.
Oh I hope they don't stay closed for long, I looked in about a half hour ago and the front part of the bar looked pretty fine to me.
the miller lite god strikes again!
they have a sign outside right now that says they'll be open tomorrow, and the inside looks ok. there's someone putting up glass in the door.
and the trover card shop WAS damaged, they dont look like anyone is doing work, but they have a piece of plywood over their door saying "keep out, fire damage" or whatever.
Just tell me Sonoma is okay!
Sonoma looked fine moments ago. Trover has plywood over the upstairs windows. Agree that Cap Lounge looks ok from the front.
I understand Cap Lounge's hamburger patty supply was totally torched, to the point that they were charred all the way through, totally void of any moisture or flavor.
Luckily, Hawk & Dove is right down the street, so they took the patties, cooked them a bit more, and are letting them sit at room temperature indefinitely. In a couple of days they'll be ready for serving as regular Hawk & Dove burgers.
Sonoma is fine. You could go there tonight and be overcharged for bad food and wine in a pretentious atmoshpere if you really wanted to.
BTW, I went to Sonoma once in my life, for lunch. I sat at the bar with a group of Louisiana State Troopers who were the security detail for Gov. Blanco who was eating at a table. The troopers were drinking iced tea while some hipper than hip bartender tried to explain to them why this "bar" served primarily wine (as one Tropper said "who drinks wine at a bar, maybe at a wedding, but not at a bar") and why Tapas were really not just overpriced appetizers.
I let them know that once their shift was over they could find several real bars that serve real drinks and real food on the same block. They looked quite relieved.