Cereal Bowl Closes in Cleveland Park

Cleveland Park's Cereal Bowl restaurant, located on Connecticut Avenue between Ordway and Newark Streets, NW has closed. The restaurant, which specialized in cold, mixed cereals succumbed to what many neighbors regarded as a limited and over-specialized menu. As one patron posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv, "The proprietors of the Cereal Bowl always seemed like such nice folks that I wanted to patronize their store -- it's just that I virtually never needed a bowl of cereal, nor did anyone I know."

Cleveland Park has long had a schizophrenic --sometimes combative-- relationship with restaurants. Some restaurants are desirable to some neighbors. Others have met fierce opposition, including a Cosi, which was beaten back because of opposition by some neighbors to "chain restaurants," and Divino, an Argentine restaurant/tango hall, which some neighbors opposed because it would bring more late-night traffic into Cleveland Park.

But the restaurant scene has been hopping in Cleveland Park: Palena and Ardeo have recently expanded,.  Ripple is planning an expansion as well, and the Tackle Box will be opening in early 2011. Cleveland Park's newest culinary venture, Cacao, a chocolate shop, has lunch and dinner -- eat in or take out.