So – how does PoPville celebrate Valentine’s Day? Flowers? Dinner at a restaurant? Dinner at home? No gifts? Just a day like any other day?

Reminds me of “Real” falafel and “Fresh” Kosher Meats & Cheeses. From Casa Fiesta on Wisconsin Ave.

Be careful if you’re on a metal bike because there is a large magnet ahead?

Thanks to a couple readers for sending the great photos of the Howard Theater sign going up right now. Howard Theater is located at 7th and T St, NW and plans on reopening in April 2012. You can see what it looked like in Nov. 2011 here.

Thanks to a reader for sending this interesting marketing campaign from Allison St and Kansas Ave, NW.

Dear PoPville,

I was at 18th and Columbia Roads and I noticed a still extant painted sign on building next to Sun bank at Columbia Road west of 18th that says “Merrini’s Califlorida” as I recall seeing it about 30 years ago there, do you know anything about it?

sssdc1 writes on flickr that it is:

“Menchini’s Califlorida Fruit Shop Ghost Sign, Columbia Rd NW DC”

I couldn’t find any more info online. Anyone else familiar with Menchini’s Califlorida Fruit Shop?

At first I was just gonna point out how I’d never seen a fall out sign in front of a big federal building before but then I noticed the sticker:

From Zabb Modern Asian on 18th St, NW.

Last Friday we spoke about the strange Burger King in Van Ness and other quirky buildings around town. I have to say that the Barrel House Liquor Store located in Logan Circle at 14th and Rhode Island Ave, NW has to be one of the best in town. It’s got it all, in addition to the great door which we’ve noted before, it’s got one of the few awesome neon signs in DC:

And it’s old. A reader sent the following awesome ad from 1948:

Near U St, NW. I wonder why they don’t want it repaired?

I stared at these don’t walk signs on the 1300 block of Q St, NW for like 5 minutes before I got it. First one to explain why they’re there gets a PoP t-shirt.

Panda Express is located in DC USA at 14th and Irving St, NW (on Irving St.)

This is pretty odd, right?

Oct. ’11

“Dear PoPville,

While I miss their beat-up old sign a bit at the corner of Georgia & Quincy — the one with the words “Fried” still faintly visible despite their efforts to scrape it off — the new one’s pretty nice and still has that super-happy chicken. Now if only they were open after work instead of just breakfast and lunch…”

Eat Chicken is located at the corner of Georgia and Quincy St, NW across from the Petworth metro.

So what is the PL in the photo above? Chicken place? The new logo is pretty sweet:

Below is what it looked like in June ’08.

It was a sad day when this sign came down. I was overjoyed to see it displayed prominently once again at World Class Cuts (now located at 403 K St, NW).

Best sign in the city?