Food can float a neighborhood, and anchor it in a storm. Restaurant, grocery and convenience establishments have influenced the living, shopping and dining habits of Glover Park neighbors since the beginning of the commercial strip on Wisconsin Avenue a century ago. Long have residents sought - through the influence of their Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners – to achieve that “Goldilocks Zone” which includes a balance of sit-down restaurants ranging from quick bite to fine dining; supermarket choices; fast/delivery food; convenience stores; bars and live entertainment.
Glover Park has shifted in and out of the Zone over the decades and when we stray too far, neighbors poke the ANC-3B to abandon the Invisible Hand of Adam Smith fame and exert their influence over business. While the ANC does not directly decide who comes or goes, they wield their power primarily in four ways: 1) their influence over ABCA in the issuing and renewal of liquor licenses, 2) influence over approving variances in hours of operation, 3) influence over ABCA in approving and extending live entertainment endorsements when they do not exist by right (in fact only one such license still exists in Glover Park), and 4) protesting zoning variance requests with the Board of Zoning, or not protesting if the change aligns with the desires of their constituents (the voters). Outside of that, the Invisible Hand (within the structure of DC law) tends to dictate who shows up in Glover Park and hangs a sign out front.
Below are six current events regarding Glover Park food establishments that might shift the landscape a bit in the near future. In addition, four restaurant properties remain stubbornly vacant, which at least is down by one since the last time I reported. Some interesting stats: Glover Park has 20 restaurants with only three continents represented (North America, Asia and Europe). The entire southern hemisphere of the planet is unrepresented in Glover Park, leaving a huge opportunity for those with South American, Australian or southern African restaurant ideas – though I’m holding out for that delicious Antarctic cuisine… Interestingly 8 of the 20 are of the Asian continent.
Bonjon Rumi
Bonjon Rumi is a new Afghan restaurant opening soon at 2444 Wisconsin Avenue, where Mario’s closed after a year, and where Surfside vacated prior to that. Restauranteur Hilal Rahim, with help from business partner Ahmad Zia Abbasi, will be leading the effort and she has a popular restaurant in Arlington named Kabobistan, which she opened in 2021 with a focus on Afghan breakfast. Chaikhana Breakfast is their specialty: scrambled eggs, honey, jam, nuts, samosa, Afghan tea and paratha – a fried crispy Afghan street dough. No word yet on the offerings at the Glover Park location. Hilal has applied for a liquor license, considering the rooftop bar that was popular in the olden days of Surfside. The license request is for serving alcohol until 2am or 3am, even though the restaurant stated hours are only until 11pm. The ANC has sought a settlement agreement before submitting a “no protest” to ABCA.
Ali’s Fine Uyghur
Ali’s has taken the place of Ilchi Uyghur at 2412 Wisconsin Ave, which was re-branded from Eerkins Uyghur. All three are still advertised as operating at this location, whether it’s signage onsite, or on google, or on various ordering services. Will the real Uyghur please stand up?? Nueraili Nuermaimaiti has stood up as the leader of Ali’s and I think it was a good marketing idea not to name it Nuerailinuermaimaiti's Fine Uygher. It appears Nueraili also has an Ali’s Uyghur Kitchen in Allston Massachusetts. In any case, Ali’s does have a modified menu, which reflects significant price reductions from the other Uyghur menus such as a series of $11 entrees, though all online ordering still seems to connect to Ilchi. It has headed in the direction of a more fast-food type of Uyghur establishment, which could boost traffic (and especially delivery service) at the restaurant.
Whole Foods
You might be one of the customers who has steered clear of Whole Foods in Glover Park since the nightmarish food inflation in the country and the eye-popping prices at Whole Foods. Well, come take another look. It appears Whole Foods quietly has been reducing prices, while prices at “typical” stores like Safeway and Giant have risen precipitously. The store is covered in yellow “sale” and “new low price” tags, maybe in a recognition of consumer pain, and a lot of items now are on par with those other stores. Plus, those hundreds of cameras tracking your every bodily movement have been removed because the public just wasn’t ready for the Just Walk Out technology it seems. Back to the old days of self check-out scanning. Though if you like the ticklish feel of a palm scan to pay, you do still have that option. Come take another look if you haven’t been inside in a while – traffic is picking up there.
Xiquet
Xiquet, the ultra fine-dining Spanish Mediterranean restaurant which opened in 2022 at 2404 Wisconsin, has hit a little financial trouble recently, and it is unclear if or how it will emerge. So far, it is business as usual in this highly rated Michelin star restaurant, though the establishment (which owns the building) was hit by a foreclosure notice in June. Sandy Spring Bank has sued the corporation for $2,221,688, the balance of its loan plus fees. In addition, a former partner had negotiated a confession of judgment of $439,383, for a subordinate loan to the business in Arlington VA Circuit Court in November of 2023. The former partner sued for a foreign judgment in DC in January 2024, I assume to get it on record in DC. This judgment also included an additional $63,255 for attorney's fees plus 24% interest for amounts unpaid (from a year ago, maybe $125,000 additional now). In March the confession of judgment was challenged in Arlington Circuit Court, which caused the DC Superior Court to put a stay on the request for foreign judgment. On top of all this, property taxes haven’t been paid since last summer and now total $66,100 including fees and penalties, and the balance rises daily. The waiting list of creditors is not finished yet - the Latino Economic Development Center has outstanding 3nd and 3rd mortgages somewhere in the range of $50K-$150K. They have taken no action to recover their loans. The company did attempt a sale of the building in the recent past, in the range of $4.5 million with a rent-back, though no takers then. My back-of-the-envelope math would suggest a minimum $4 million sale is needed to pay off all creditors plus fees, though that price would require a $200,000/yr rent back at a minimum to justify a cap rate to investors. I hope it works out, but the math is not encouraging. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on July 17th.
Maharaja
Maharaja House of Biryani opened in June to fanfare at 2414 Wisconsin Ave, next to Rocklands. Four months after opening, the restaurant has closed indefinitely due to personal reasons of management. No further details are available, so it is unclear when or if the restaurant will re-open. The owner Jaisimha Jaithirth’s other restaurant – Chaatwala in Herndon VA – still appears to be open.
The Deck
The Deck at the Glover Park Hotel at 2505 Wisconsin has undergone a major renovation, creating an inviting semi-outdoor dining destination (walls can roll down for weather), with regular live music every Friday night by Trio Caliente! The Deck is open every day for drinks and food from 4pm-10pm. Check out their scan of the new digs.
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