Here is grassroots beer activism at its best.
A couple citizens in Takoma Park, Maryland (the neighborhood next to mine, and where my office is located) started a petition asking people to pledge support for what I’d call a “beer-positive” venue in the space of a closed-down restaurant in downtown Takoma Park.
Their Takoma Pledge website says:
If the community can attract a restaurant like Colorado Kitchen, Pizzeria Paradiso, or Franklin’s to Old Takoma, will you commit to eating lunch or dinner there 6 times in the restaurant’s first year? What about 12 times? Or 24 times?
Two of the three restaurants mentioned in the petition happen to specialize in beer. Franklin’s is a funky, locally-owned brewpub with a gag-gift novelty attached to it that also happens to be the best takeout beer store within miles of its Hyattsville, MD locale. Pizzaria Paradiso is an excellent pizzeria with two venues in downtown DC. The Dupont venue has an okay beer selection but the Georgetown location has a bar downstairs called Birreria Paradiso with a beer menu that rivals any of the best beer bars in DC. They also host beer and food pairing events on a regular basis. Colorado Kitchen is a quirky, attitude-driven restaurant with praise-worthy cuisine in the northern tip of DC. I’ve only visited once and I’m afraid it was at the end of a bachelor party weekend, so although I know they had beer, I don’t recall much beyond that.
Two out of three ain’t bad, but clearly the folks behind this petition have a penchant for the finer side of beer and enjoy drinking it in a unique, locally-owned restaurant. Who can argue with that?
So far, the petition has gathered the signatures of 340 people pledging to eat 13,450 meals!
Did I mention that the location of this proposed restaurant is about a one minute walk from my office? If you live in the area, please go take the pledge!
That would be a great addition for Tacoma Park.
I haven’t been in years. Is that music store still there that did the weekly drum circles?
Heath – The store is still there. I’m not sure if they’re still doing the drum circles but I wouldn’t be surprised. Interested in opening a brewpub? Come on down!
Cheers,
Chris
Let me keep working on this lottery thing and then I’ll be right down!