Valanos, the owner, closed his doors just before Christmas, when a surge in coronavirus cases caused a brief shutdown of indoor dining. ADInstead, on Jan. 6, a friend alerted Valanos to the insurrection at the Capitol as he and his wife traveled out of town. One group formed, Don’t Fence the Capitol, to protest the blight on a neighborhood that prides itself on being part of history. With very little outdoor space, the restaurant closed outright for most of last spring and summer, reopening when Congress returned from its summer break. ADHis first day he got back to Capitol Hill, troops for the National Guard would not let him through the security gate.

Source: Washington Post March 20, 2021 18:45 UTC