A few weeks ago I wrote about the sudden closure of Three Salsas, the taqueria at 3439 14th Street NW. The place was very good so the rapid end was a bit of a surprise. It turns out there was more to the story: Washington Post food writer Tim Carman, who was a big fan of the place, found out the closure was due to a dispute with the landlord.
The owners of Three Salsas, brothers Marco and Luis Gonzalez, wanted to apply for a liquor license, and landlord Ana Maria Da Cruz refused to help. The landlord has to provide an affidavit for the license, and she did not. The Post article also mentions other unspecified disputes with Da Cruz.
The brothers are now looking for another location in the neighborhood, whites great to hear. Carman notes their food is based on that of their grandmother, who was from Puebla, Mexico.
As I can recall, this is the second time a good place has closed due to a dispute with an apparently uncooperative landlord. If you recall a few years ago, Tegeste Ethiopian at 3521 14th Street NW closed due to some dispute with the landlord — who other previous tenants claimed was a scammer. Since then, Juanita’s Restaurant has opened in that space.
