Summertime, and the grilling is easy; Capitol Hill’s cookout season is in full swing.
But first, coming up July 27: Gospel Brunch by Genesis 2, upstairs at Mr. Henry’s, 601 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Now performing on the fourth Sunday of each month, Genesis 2 Revelation was founded in 2015 by Minister Dewayne Morgan. His idea was to “spread the gospel” through music. At Mr. Henry’s, Genesis 2 Gospel Brunch tickets are just $10, plus a small service charge. Upstairs doors open at 12:30 p.m., the show starts at 1:30. 
Since its founding in 1966, Mr. Henry’s has been a neighborhood institution with its cozy Victorian décor, spacious patio and tasty standards. Larry Quillian reportedly won the popular watering hole from Henry Yaffe in a 1971 poker game. (Yaffe, who died in 2006, once operated four restaurants. “Our” Mr. Henry’s was Yaffe’s first—and only surviving—enterprise.)
Quillian’s daughter Mary took over Mr. Henry’s in 2014 and still runs it today. Lots of history here: Grammy-winning Roberta Flack got her start upstairs in the 1960s, and many celebs—whose photos line the downstairs wall—have visited. Wednesdays bring jazz “jams” upstairs and other evenings offer other live music.
Oh yes, the food. We love Mr. Henry’s burgers (especially topped with bleu cheese!), offered half price on Monday nights. The eclectic menu also includes an extensive brunch listing with breakfast wraps (and quesadillas), steak and eggs, buttermilk pancakes. Nightly specials include dogs and fries (ideal for summer), London broil, spaghetti night. In the sandwich lineup you’ll find pulled pork barbecue with tangy sauce on a toasted bun.
For more information, hours, and gospel brunch tickets visit www.mrhenrysdc.com.
Summer Barbeque
This brings us to summer barbecue and outdoor grilling. To get ready, fire up that grill. But first: check out Frager’s new grilling department at 1115 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. There, you’ll find an array of outdoor grills (we like the old-fashioned Weber), charcoal (we prefer Kingsford Original), and a “Flavor Station” featuring shelves lined with more barbecue and hot sauces than we could consume in a decade. We purchased a bottle of Pig’s Ass sauce to join our Memphis-style dry rub, TJ’s organic Kansas City sauce and my decades-old hot sauce collection.
Among our favorite BBQ eateries on the Hill are Mr. Henry’s and Market Lunch at the north end of Eastern Market. Both eateries offer better-than-decent pulled pork sandwiches with a tiny side of coleslaw. We prefer the Market’s $9 crispy NC-style BBQ sandwich. At the other end of the Market, Canales Deli sells homemade pulled chicken BBQ at $11.99 per pound and pulled pork for a dollar more.
For special occasions, we order delicious pork ribs and chicken from the famous “Peterbug” (his real name is John Matthews), whose outdoor grill smokes up the corner of 13th and E streets SE on weekends. For the past half century, Peterbug has operated his Shoe Repair Academy at 1320 E St. SE. By fixing shoes and teaching the craft to local kids, Peterbug’s goal is to “save souls and heel people.” For more information visit www.peterbug.com.
I grew up savoring barbecue in Tennessee and North Carolina, where BBQ is pork. In Texas. BBQ is beef; in Maryland and Delaware, BBQ may be chicken, in Kentucky, it can be mutton, and in California, barbeque is a verb—it might be tofu or a veggie burger. Real barbecue is meat grilled slowly with or without a smoky, tangy sauce.
Coming Soon
ZomTum, a Laos-Thai bistro, 660 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Slated for a July opening, the spicy Asian restaurant will replace the popular Spanish Joselito Casa de Comida, which departed late last year. ZomTum, which translates to “papaya salad,” is the creation of Charles Kia. He operated the popular Haad Thai downtown, which closed last October after 30 years in business.
And, coming soon to Barracks Row, The Flying Mexican, 514 Eighth St. SE, previously home to several tropical restaurants. Look for updates.
How Sweet It Is
Pasha Castle has arrived at 615 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. The latest offshoot of a local Turkish-style group, the bakery dispenses Mediterranean and Lebanese sweets including umpteen ice cream flavors, sweet and savory kaake (Arabic biscuits), sweet and savory crepes, all kinds of baklava, and hot and cold coffee, including Turkish. Pasha’s gleaming, spartan interior has a few tables and chairs. For more information visit www.pashacastle.com.
New Market
Good news: the neighborhood welcomes a new supermarket. Last month, Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen cut the ribbon for the grand opening of ALDI, 801 H St. NE. After parking in the cavernous garage, we checked out ALDI. We found the sprawling, no-frills store somewhat overwhelming; we’re used to cozy, welcoming Trader Joe’s. But prices are amazingly low—85 cent avocados! ALDI is open daily; for exact hours and more information visit www.stores.aldi.us.
Gone
Late last month, the H Street corridor bade farewell to Hiraya, chef Paolo Dunaga’s casual Filipino palace and its fancier upstairs tasting room Kayu, at 1248-1250 H St. NE. Both closed June 30. But hopefully, later this month, look for Double Up, at the same address, specializing in wagyu smash burgers, “loaded” fries, breakfast burritos.
Pizza Here
As our readers probably know, Peter and I love pizza, especially our neighborhood’s numerous options. But sometimes we like to make our own. So, we were delighted to learn that Frager’s now sells pizza dough mix, along with pizza ovens, serving boards and other accoutrements. Priced at $16.99, the 23.8-ounce bag makes several crusts and/or dough balls. Customers may choose between New York, Detroit or Neapolitan styles. Top seller? New York, by far, we’re told. We’ve purchased the Big Apple version and will let you know how it comes out.
