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DID YOU KNOW?
The historical significance of jazz in places like Shaw led to the passage of Bill H.R. 57 in 1997, recognizing jazz as a national treasure.

Shaw Main Streets’ service area is served by the Mount Vernon Square/7th Street-Convention Center Station on Metro’s Yellow and Green Lines, and the Shaw-Howard University Station on the Green Line, as well as numerous MetroBus routes and the DC Circulator. For more information, visit www.wmata.com.

Come Taste What’s Cooking in Shaw, as Featured in "DC North"

AMBASSADOR BAR & RESTAURANT, 1907 9th Street, NW, 202-328-1907. Amanuel Kiflu and wife/co-owner Lella Tsehaye named their new Eritrean restaurant after a hotel back home that was popular for special events. Their signature dish, spaghetti with tibs, is typical of the fusion of African and Italian flavors and ingredients that Eritrean cuisine is known for. Breakfast menu includes fritatas, mortadella sandwiches, vegetarian options, and fruit smoothies.

ASEFU’S YEGNA RESTAURANT, 1920 9th Street, NW, 202-421-5868. Renowned Ethiopian singer Asefu Debalke is a star behind the bar, in the kitchen, and on the stage at her Little Ethiopia restaurant. Yegna means ‘ours’ in Amharic. A laquered wood and mirrored bar is the centerpiece of the small first floor dining room (additional seating upstairs), with entertainment on the weekends. Ethiopian and Mexican dishes are served, including specialties like shiro (chickpea powder stew) and fajitas (shrimp, chicken, and beef).

CHATMAN'S D'VINE BAKERY & CAFE 1239 9th Street, NW, 202-249-3258, www.chatmansbakerycafe.com. At long last, fresh baked goods made on premises come to Shaw. Highlights include key lime cakes and pies from owner Debra Chatman’s own recipes, several varieties of bread pudding, and sweet potato pie. All items available for takeout by the slice or full cake, pie, or loaf, or enjoy these treats in the cafe with a cup of Seattle Mountain coffee.

CORDUROY RESTAURANT, 1122 9th Street, NW, 202-589-0699, www.corduroydc.com. Star chef Tom Powers’ New American cuisine featuring the freshest seasonal ingredients has drawn rave reviews. Now showcased in a new, larger art-filled space featuring blond wood and an open kitchen, a visit to Corduroy is a feast for all the senses. Every dish is elevated to new heights, from the familiar (Roast Rack of Lamb with Garlic Creamed Spinach) to the more adventurous (Peekytoe Crab and Egg Custard Soup). Pistachio Bread Pudding for dessert? Mmmm.

EL SOL DE AMERICA, 1930 9th Street, NW, 202-328-1490. Chef-owner Roberto Gomez, formerly corporate chef for Andy Shallal (Busboys & Poets, Luna Grill & Diner) bills his first solo effort as a Mexican American diner, but the food is much more than that. It ranges from seafood dishes like ceviche, to authentic tacos, enchiladas, and pupusas, as well as daily comfort food blue plate specials. Try the wonderful specialty drinks, like the Salvadoran Yellow Cherry Mojitos, and the great margaritas and sangria.

ETETE ETHIOPIAN CUISINE, 1942 9th Street, NW, 202-232-7600, www.eteterestaurant.com. Thanks to expanded seating on the second floor, the long lines in front of this widely-praised, moderately priced Ethiopian standout are a thing of the past. Co-owner Henok Tesfaye’s mother, the restaurant’s namesake (‘Mama’ in Amharic), knows her place is in the kitchen, and so do the fans who’ve made Etete the star of Little Ethiopia.

EUPHORIA BAR/LOUNGE, 1914 9th Street, NW, 202-758-0847. With Miranda Smyre’s signature drinks, like Euphoria (vodka, pineapple, and OJ) and Razzle Dazzle (champagne and grenadine with a cherry on top), and six-hour happy hours seven days, this new lounge on the second floor of Ras Dashen Restaurant is sure to put a smile on your face. Features a soul food menu, jazz on Friday nights, and a DJ on Saturday nights. No cover charge.

FIRST CUP CAFE, 900 M Street, NW, 202-289-4601, www.first-cupcafe.com. Husband and wife entrepreneurs Alem Abebe and Simeret Mega have bought and renamed Breakwell’s Coffee and Tea, one of Shaw’s favorite businesses. They’ve kept the great menu featuring egg breakfasts, coffee, fresh sandwiches and soups, and a large selection of pastries and desserts. For a refreshing treat, try a green tea smoothie or a mixed fruit smoothie: you choose the flavors.

LA CARBONARA ITALIAN RESTAURANT, 1926 9th Street, NW, 202-232-7505, www.lacarbonara.net. The place to go for great pizza and pasta in Shaw. Thin crust pizzas straight from the brick oven. Delicious Lasagna Bolognese, veal, seafood, and fish dishes, and the signature Fettuccini Carbonara. Everything except some imported pastas are made fresh on the premises, including breads and desserts, like tiramisu. Open for lunch and dinner.

NELLIE'S SPORTS BAR, 900 U Street, NW, 202-332-NELL, www.nelliessportsbar.com. Latin items highlight the menu, including empanadas, Cuban sandwiches, quesadillas, and tres leches cake for dessert. Dinner only weekdays; lunch and dinner weekends.

CHAN'S MONGOLIAN GRILL & TOKYO SUSHI BAR, 1207 9th Street, NW, 202-289-7266. Fresh and exciting special rolls, like Godzilla (spicy tuna inside, avocado and flying fish roe on top) and Rainbow (California roll wrapped with tuna, salmon and whitefish, topped with avocado), attractively presented. So tasty, you won’t need wasabi. Excellent Sake selection. Open for lunch and dinner.

Shaw Main Streets features neighborhood businesses in ads in every issue of "DC North." Watch for news of exciting additions to central Shaw's commercial corridor in each month's newspaper!

"AND THE WINNER IS..."

Nellie's Sports Bar, located at 900 U Street, NW, won the award for Best New Shaw Business of 2007. The announcement was made at the fifth Shaw Main Streets Annual Meeting on Tuesday, March 18, 2008. The sports bar, which features Latin and American food and hosts a variety of weekly events, opened as a 'straight-friendly' venue and has subsequently become a much loved neighborhood institution. Housed in the historic building that was once the domain of the Scurlock family of African American society photographers, the bi-level bar and its popular roof deck attracts patrons from the neighborhood and beyond looking for a convivial environment for watching sports on the many flat screen TVs there. Owners Douglas Warren Schantz and Rocio Anzola have a winner on their hands, in more ways than one. For more information on Nellie's, visit www.nelliessportsbar.com.

The first runner up was Convention Floral, a florist shop in the basement of 1920 9th Street, NW. Owner Nubia Fasil invites the community to stop by to order flowers for delivery locally or nationwide, or order online at www.conventionfloral.com.

The second runner up was Old Dominion Brewhouse, another sports bar, at 1219 9th Street, NW. Featuring a wide range of beers, including many of the Virginia brewery's products that are only available on tap, ODB hosts weekly poker tournaments and with its 20 flat screen TVs, is a great place to watch a game. ODB's Hanny Chan also owns the adjacent Chan's Mongolian Grill and Tokyo Sushi. Visit www.olddominionbrewhouse.com for more details.

Congratulations also to Shaw Champion Award winners Councilmember Jack Evans (Ward 2) and Councilmember Kwame Brown (At Large).

Welcome to Shaw Main Streets

Members of the Shaw community in Washington, DC created Shaw Main Streets to help stimulate the commercial revitalization of 7th and 9th Streets, NW between Mount Vernon Square and Florida Avenue, NW. Shaw Main Streets wants to:

Support and strengthen neighborhood businesses
Keep dollars in our neighborhood
Recruit new businesses that create jobs
Attract retail to provide the goods and services our neighborhood wants
Promote and preserve our historic neighborhood and its historic architecture

Our economic revitalization efforts are community driven. We’re organizing everyone with a stake in our community to work together to help ensure that the type of businesses that move into Shaw reflect the wishes of the community and benefit its members.

Become a part of this volunteer-driven revitalization effort. Volunteers work on a variety of tasks in committees, based on their interests and expertise. The committees include organization, design, promotion, and economic revitalization. You can learn more about the committees by clicking on the “Committees” link at the top of this page.

If you’re interested in participating in Shaw Main Streets' work but can’t commit to serving on committees, you can still have a voice in revitalizing Shaw by attending public meetings, responding to surveys, working on individual projects and volunteering in other ways. Ask to be added to the Shaw Main Streets mailing list to keep up to date on organization's activities and progress. You can also make financial contributions to support these efforts, as only a small part of the organization’s funding comes from the District government.

The key to the Shaw community’s future is our ability to learn to work together, to recognize that the Shaw commercial district needs the rest of the city in order to succeed, and to recognize that we are linked as a community and that all of us deserve to have the opportunity to reach our full potential. Working together, everybody wins.

Thank you for your interest in Shaw Main Streets – check our website frequently for the latest news on our progress!

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Help Decide What Types of New Businesses will be Attracted to Open in Shaw...Click Here to take survey

Show Your Support: Become a Shaw Main Streets Member!…Click Here for Details.

See Who Won the Awards for Best New Business of 2006… Click Here for Details.

Have You Walked the Shaw Heritage Trail Yet?...Click Here for Details.

Check out photos from recent Shaw Main Streets events in our Photo Album.

Check out the Latest SMS Newsletter ... download it.

New Businesses on 7^th and 9th Streets, NW…Read More Here.

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1426 9^th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001-3330 ---- Phone: (202) 265-SHAW ---- Fax: (202) 265-7529 ---- info@shawmainstreets.com

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