Sprig & Sprout to add art exhibits

From the December 2014-January 2015 edition of the Glover Park Gazette:

 Attention artists and art lovers: In January, the upstairs dining room at Sprig & Sprout (2317 Wisconsin Ave.) will start doubling as a gallery. Each month, the restaurant plans to display the work of one local artist. First Mondays—beginning January 5—will feature a public art opening with specially priced drinks and finger foods. The restaurant is actively seeking submissions from interested artists.

The artwork will be for sale directly from the artists, and the restaurant will not take a commission on any sales, says co-owner Jennifer Hoang. “We believe the relationship is already mutually advantageous, and we want the artists to benefit as much from their work as possible,” she explains.

The restaurant’s Supper Club tasting dinners are “still going strong,” Hoang adds. These prix fixe meals are usually scheduled for the third and fourth Mondays of the month, though in December, the supper club will be held on December 8 due to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

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Glover Park newcomer offers group adventure

From the December 2014-January 2015 edition of the Glover Park Gazette:

 A new Glover Park business brings its clients together to solve a puzzle: how to get out of the place. At Escape Room DC (2300 Wisconsin Ave., Suite G-102), up to eight visitors get locked in a room together; the group has 45 minutes to figure out the combination to the safe that holds the key. (Co-owner Ginger Flesher watches the proceedings on closed-circuit video and provides hints if the group gets stumped.) Escape Room DC opened on October 16.

Flesher, a retired math teacher, and her husband, Darren Sonnier, got the idea for the business during a trip to Europe over the summer. “In each of the cities we visited, we found that there were live escape rooms,” Flesher recalls. “We thought we’d try one when we got back to DC and discovered that there weren’t any,” apart from one in College Park, Maryland, that locks its clients in a room with an actor playing a zombie.

The couple, who live in Chantilly, hunted all over the region for an appropriate spot for their business. They needed somewhere their clients would feel safe walking after dark. “When I drove into Glover Park, I said ‘This is the place’ before I even saw the building,” Flesher recalls. “It’s a very friendly neighborhood.” Escape Room DC costs $28 per person. Entry is on Hall Place, around the corner from Starbucks. For more information visit escaperoomlive.com.

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Locked bike stolen from GP rack

From the December 2014-January 2015 edition of the Glover Park Gazette:

On November 9, a black Nishiki bicycle valued at $300 was stolen from a rack in front of the Salvadoran Consulate (2332 Wisconsin Ave.), according to a police report. The bike was locked to the rack while the owner worked out across the street at Washington Sports Club (2251 Wisconsin Ave.) around 9 p.m.

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Columbia Mirror & Glass moves, Georgetown Carpet expands

From the December 2014-January 2015 edition of the Glover Park Gazette:

Columbia Mirror & Glass of Georgetown (2212 Wisconsin Ave.) will close its Glover Park location by the end of this month after 34 years. A planned rent increase was the reason, according to an employee. The business has found a new home in Springfield, Virginia.

The storefront won’t remain empty, though. Next door neighbor Georgetown Carpet (2208 Wisconsin Ave.) will be expanding into the space, its manager tells us. Both buildings are owned by KBK Associates of Potomac, according to city property records.

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Mason Inn launches roof deck fund drive

From the December 2014-January 2015 edition of the Glover Park Gazette:

The Mason Inn (2408 Wisconsin Ave.) is looking to crowdfund the construction of a rooftop deck. An online campaign launched on October 7 offers rewards in exchange for investment. Anyone who donates $20 will get a $20 credit towards his or her Mason Inn bar tab. Donate $100 and get a $100 bar credit plus a “sweet T-shirt.” Any funds raised will go towards building “a spectacular rooftop that will over look Wisconsin Avenue and Guy Mason Park,” the campaign’s page states. Last year, Mason Inn secured permission from the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to serve drinks on a future rooftop deck.

Donations were not exactly pouring in at our press time in mid-November: only $90 had been pledged towards a goal of $150,000. The campaign runs through December 6 at indiegogo.com/projects/glover-park-rooftop.

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Masseur accused of assault fled to China, authorities believe

From the December 2014-January 2015 edition of the Glover Park Gazette:
A masseur charged with a sexual assault at Massage Escape Spa (2352 Wisconsin Ave.) is believed to have fled to China, court documents show. X* was arrested on October 4 after a client called police to report that he had violated her digitally during a massage. Two days later, X was charged with felony sex abuse and released on his own recognizance. He was ordered to surrender his passport to authorities, but instead used it to flee the country around October 9, court documents state.

News4’s Shomari Stone interviewed the client. When the massage became invasive, she told Stone, “my first thought was, ‘Am I going to die here?’ I felt that literally nobody knew where I was.” The client yelled for X to stop, but he held her down on the table and told her there was still time left her the massage, according to the criminal complaint. After she was able to free herself, X told her, “It’s OK. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” the complaint states.

On October 27, the client filed suit against the spa and Groupon, through which she had received a discount for the massage. The suit alleges that X was not properly licensed and that spa management failed to take corrective action after a prior customer posted a warning about inappropriate sexual contact on the spa’s Yelp page. At press time, neither defendant had filed a formal response to the suit. An initial conference in the case is scheduled for January 30.

* Name removed 12/19/18

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Arcuri now offers express lunch Mon-Fri

Arcuri (2400 Wisconsin Ave.) has added speedy lunch service Monday through Friday from noon to 2:30 pm. Order and pay at the bar, then take a seat and a server will bring your meal over when it’s ready.

“We wanted to make our lunch more fast-casual,” explains co-owner Adam Hiltebeitel. “It’s a trend that seems to resonate on the block for lunch.” Choose a wood-fired pizza, a salad, or sandwiches including prosciutto with coppa and aged provolone or pepperoni with capicola and mozzarella.

“There’s more to come as we roll out our new lunch service—soups, sandwiches and other Italian specialties,” Hiltebeitel adds. “Please stop by and try our lunch special: two slices and a salad for $8.”

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Champagne tasting at Pearson’s on Friday

Pearson’s Wine & Spirits (2436 Wisconsin Ave.) will host its annual Champagne tasting on Friday, November 14, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. “We will be tasting over 40 small growers, estate, and big champagne houses,” the invitation states. Bottles of Champagne will be available at discount prices. “Can’t make the Grand Tasting?” the invitation continues. “Don’t worry—our special Champagne sale starts the same day.”

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CorePower to host free yoga class for Hyperlocal GP readers (i.e., you)

CorePower Yoga (2233 Wisconsin Ave.) will teach a free yoga class for readers of Hyperlocal Glover Park on Sunday, November 16, at 2 p.m. “Whether you’ve been to CPY or not, you are welcome to practice a 60 minute C1.5 Vinyasa Flow, suitable for beginner and intermediate yogis alike,” the studio’s invitation states. “This is a great opportunity to meet and mingle with your neighbors doing something smart and healthy and fun!” You can bring your own mat or rent one there, and the studio is offering discounts on items from their boutique both before and after class.

RSVP to Sandy, studio manager of Glover Park CPY at sandy.florian@corepoweryoga.com or simply show up on the 16th ready to flow! The studio asks drop-ins to come a little early so they can register before the class.

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Sexual assault reported at Massage Escape Spa

From the November 2014 edition of the Glover Park Gazette:

 On October 4, a female client of Massage Escape Spa (2352 Wisconsin Ave.) reported a sexual assault by her male masseur. She told police that the man had touched her inappropriately and invasively during a massage. The man was arrested, and an investigation of the case is ongoing.

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