Today Eater reported on a rumor about a possible lawsuit brought against Spike Mendelsohn-owned Good Stuff Eatery in Capitol Hill by D.C. area-based burger chain Five Guys, as discussed on the blog Amuse-Biatch. Here's what they wrote:Spike’s dad stands at the door and loves to make conversation... He likes to talk to everyone and told me and my friends that the restaurant is being sued by DC chain Five Guys since the burger “Spike’s Five......

The winter holidays are a big time of year for family. You take photos, somebody always wears a dumb sweater with a reindeer on it, you eat together, shop together, and so on. It's also a big time for couples — do you go to one person's parents' house? Spend time together on the big days? Or purposefully avoid spending it together? And sometimes, even the smallest details take on a lot of symbolism. Quote......

The recent Kobe for Gilbert trade rumors (shot down yesterday by Ernie Grunfeld — not that that means anything) should give you an indication that the Washington Wizards are at a crossroads season in regards to the franchise's future. Gilbert Arenas has gone on record saying he will opt out of his contract at the end of the season and Antawn Jamison is in the final year of his deal. Something's got to give......

This weekend the Caps avoided a nasty mess next summer when they signed Alexander Semin to a two year, $9.2 million contract extension. The left winger finished last season second on the team in scoring, and has been the most creative puckhandler in Washington since before the lockout. If Semin had gone until summer without a new deal, he would have become a restricted free agent (RFA). As an RFA, Semin could have signed a......

Good morning, Washington. The weather-related headlines today are all generally pretty disappointing -- The Post proclaims that "Rain Likely to Dampen Area But Not Douse the Drought", and others have followed suit. But waving like a lone reed in the pessimistic sands of weather prognostication is CapitalWeather.com, who just minutes ago put up a prediction, based on a brand new model, suggesting that "several factors are finally lining up to bring the potential for......

As of this morning, The Red Derby showed very little evidence of its upcoming grand opening this evening at 6 p.m. The only thing separating itself from the laundromat and carryout on either side is a red logo painted above the doorway. The painting is so simple a child could have drawn it – is it a zit? A misshapen condom? Or perhaps the rear shot of a sleeping hippo? It’s actually a derby......

It's been more than two years since rumors emerged that Dr. Dremo's, the Arlington landmark famous for its beer selection and now-outlawed outdoor beer pong, was closing to make way for condos. Now, the actual date is confirmed -- as of January 2008, Dremo's will be no more. From their website: Dr Dremo's will close the doors at the current location on Sunday, Jan 27th, 2 AM. We are actively scouting for a new location.......

We had heard rumors that Apple had settled on purchasing 1229 Wisconsin Ave. NW in Georgetown, but the Washington Business Journal confirmed the news on Friday. The building, sold on Sept. 27 to Apple Inc., is currently occupied by French Connection. The manager at French Connection had still not been told about the deal as of the middle of last week. Initial rumors of a Georgetown Apple store had been focused on the space where......

Okay, so we've already given Brooklyn's Clap Your Hands Say Yeah a less than stellar live review and sufficiently curbed our enthusiasm when they announced two November dates at the Rock and Roll Hotel. Fortunately for the band, our lukewarm opinions hardly affected their ticket sales, as both dates have been sold out for weeks. Unfortunately for fans of the band (including some DCist staffers), the dates were so popular that both were actually oversold,......

We've known for the last year that famous Georgetown eatery Nathan's wasn't long for its current location. Owner Carol Joynt has been pretty open about her plans to relocate by April 2009, when her lease runs out. Since then, speculation as to what kind of business will nab the prime spot on what's seen as the toney neighborhood's most important intersection has been a popular topic. This morning, an alert tipster pointed us to this......

Jonetta Rose Barras: In a powerfully introspective column, Rose Barras details a recent trip to her destroyed family home in New Orleans. In recounting her visit to the site, Rose Barras writes of the struggles endured by her mother and sister in trying to return and rebuild, drawing comparisons to the District's own troubles. "Truth told, New Orleans looks and feels like Ward 8 circa 1985: few quality retail outlets, high crime, high unemployment, poor......

>> Are you ready for Papal Invasion '08? There won't be a Popemobile, but there will plenty of groveling for everyone to forget about all that molestation stuff. [WashTimes] >> Welcome to the blogosphere, WTOP. >> Wonkette blogger Alex Pareene and his girlfriend Ally Kearny laugh in the face of fake danger! [City Desk] >> Two D.C. police officers said a teenager driving a stolen Jaguar tried to run them down in Petworth last......

Bloggers across this fair nation thought they couldn't get a bigger gift from a Virginia senate race than they did last year, after the epic and appalling Macacaness of Sen. George Allen's eventual defeat to Sen. Jim Webb. But via Wonkette, it would seem we could all have been wrong. Rumors are flying that Pat "Homosexuality is Not Only Immoral, but Filthy" Buchanan is considering a run at the seat being vacated by Sen. John......

July 16, 2006 was a very sad day for the D.C. nightlife scene. After one final kick-ass party, the club known as Nation (and before that, The Capital Ballroom), closed its doors to make room for (sniff) more office buildings. Home to the industrial party Alchemy on Thursdays, the electronic party Cubik on Fridays and the gay party Velvet Nation on Saturdays, Nation drew in a very diverse crowd over the course of any given......

Sad but true: the Post has some great coverage of the closing night at Common Share on Friday. The bar, located on 18th Street NW south of the Adams Morgan strip and just north of Florida Avenue, was one of the cheaper places in the city, with beers going for $2. While there are rumors that the bar may reopen elsewhere, possibly the H Street NE strip, we'll sure miss the inexpensive brew and laid......

The Nationals have left their fans in quite a quandary this year. What criteria do you use to judge this team? One perspective says that this team has already exceeded expectations and found some quality pitchers in their system, so the season is a success. And yet, this team is currently the fourth worst team in baseball and has lost 10 of their last 14 games, and are in the midst of a 4-game losing......

While he worked the crowd last Saturday at Eastern Market's re-opening, Mayor Adrian Fenty again made it clear that he likes to keep connected to city affairs at all times. Hanging from his belt were his famous three Blackberries -- one for mayoral duties, one for personal responsibilities and one for immediate contact with Police Chief Cathy Lanier. Rumors have circulated that he may be in the market for a fourth. Photo by Martin......

UPDATE (4:10pm): Nuthin! Per Barry Svrluga, the Nats passed the trade deadline without making a move, despite a flurry of late rumors. While they might make minor moves in August (like last year with Livan), they decided against moving Rauch or Cordero. Let's hope Chief's feelings aren't hurt and he strikes out Dunn for the save tonight! UPDATE (2:35pm): The Red Sox, rumored to have sought after Cordero since last winter, have reportedly filled their......

It's happened before and it'll happen again: rumors of a Fugazi reunion began swirling around the blogosphere today. Rumors are all over the place that Fugazi will get back together for one final show to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their first show, which was documented in Instrumental. The show is supposedly taking place at the Fort Reno Park in Washington, DC on Monday, September 3, 2007. We even got caught up in the excitement......

News and notes surrounding Washington's loveable cellar-dwellers: Belliard Signs Extension: Though he was widely considered the Nats most moveable commodity, he and the team agreed to a 2-year, $3.5 million extension to keep big Ron in D.C. Belliard’s versatility makes Manny Acta’s job much easier for the next few years with his ability to play multiple infield positions, his willingness to be a bench player when needed, and his veteran leadership. In the meantime, his......

The pattern has become almost predictable -- if violence breaks out somewhere in Ward 1, you can bet D.C. Council member Jim Graham will find the closest bar or restaurant, call it a "magnet for --------- (enter violent incident here)" and try to shut it down. Sometimes Graham's crusades are welcome, other times they are excessive. Graham last focused his energies on Joe’s Steak ’N Eggs, an eatery on 9th Street NW that was the......

There are plenty of NBA trade rumors floating around out there with the draft less than 30 hours away, and while the Wizards are keeping a relatively low profile as a team, that doesn't mean the players aren't keeping busy. Above is one of the new NBA '08 Live commercials that feature our still beloved Agent Zero with Maryland native and future NBA superstar Kevin Durant. Angry T has the other two if you're......

It looks like that pilot program to ease parking congestion in Georgetown by allowing residents to park in front of their own driveways is set to kick-off this summer, but rumors of exorbitant prices for the permits to do so have a few folks seeing red. One man told WJLA the WashTimes he's heard the annual fee for a driveway-blocking permit could be as high as $180 -- a big step up from the $15......

We love it when local bloggers take it upon themselves to explore the nooks and crannies of our city and report back to us. Today we were introduced to a new blog by Lia Pendarvis with the promising (though hilariously unflattering) title, The Lavatory Lady. As a mother of two young boys who are not only always on the go but often have "to go," Lia confesses she spends an inordinate chunk of her daily......

Despite a show of some kind coming up, we haven't heard much from the Borf folks or John Tsombikos in awhile. It's probably best for young Mr. Tsombikos, since he is still not allowed to handle art supplies according to his probation. The last time we heard his name, we watched a "video communique" projected on a wall on 12th Street, in which some kids dressed like Zapatistas claimed Tsombikos was "purged." But while Borf's......

News on the DCist tip line and NBC4 is that the Georgetown Branch of the D.C. Public Library is on fire. The building, on the 3600 block of R St., NW, is currently under renovation. Beginning at 12:45 this afternoon, we could see the smoke from the western edge of Dupont. The library was built in 1935 and has a number of historical documents and paintings which fire fighters are trying to save. NBC4 reports......

By now you must know how much DCist loves our photographers who contribute through Flickr. You're probably sick of hearing us talk about them really, like your co-worker with the fabulous new millionaire boyfriend she keeps gabbing on about. But we can't help it -- we just adore these folks for offering up such great work to share with us. So you can understand why we've been so upset after reading the following discussion from......

>> As you can see in this photo submitted to the DCist Photo Pool, the building that houses Ruff N' Ready Furnishings, 1908 14th Street NW, has been condemned by city inspectors. The building was old and certainly not in great shape, though we've also heard rumors that the 911 call which prompted police and fire trucks to show up was reportedly made by a man well-known to the building's residents as a habitual drug......

Brrrrrrrrrr. We hope you've got some layers on this morning, D.C. It's the coldest day so far this winter, with a predicted high of only 29 degrees. Sure, we were wishing for some proper winter weather for a while, but frankly this may be going just a bit too far. The bitter temperatures won't last too long, though — Saturday's high will be back up toward 50. Small Fire in Metro: We're hearing there was......

The rumors had been swirling since December, but today WETA-FM officially announced that it will abandon its two-year old foray into news and talk radio in favor of returning to a classical music format. The move is unusual, though, in that the decision by the public station was made in conjunction with commercial WGMS-FM. The latter station, known as "Washington's Classical Station," will give up its format in favor of news and talk, effectively creating......