Have a drink, help the Argonaut

As you may have read, a fire destroyed the Argonaut's kitchen and damaged the H Street tavern's bar area in the early hours of Sunday morning, though the owners report that most of the interior seems to have suffered only smoke and water damage. (You can see photos on the Argonaut's blog.) There's no word yet on when the building will reopen -- there are all sorts of insurance and license details to work out -- and in the meantime, the Argonaut's employees are out of work.

The Rock and Roll Hotel's kitchen was created by the Argonaut's staff, and now they're paying them back by organizing a fundraiser next Wednesday, June 30. Admission is $20, and includes free cocktails from 5 to 11. Rock and Roll Hotel co-owner Steve Lambert says "100 percent" of proceeds will go to the employees and management of the Argonaut to help make up for lost wages and also "small repairs" that can help get the bar up and running.

"Insurance money -- who knows how long that's going to take to start coming in,"Lambert says. "They want to get going as soon as they can."

Some of the displaced employees will be working in the Rock and Roll Hotel's kitchen, "helping us expand the menu," Lambert says, while others will be taking shifts at other bars and restaurants in the neighborhood.

-- Fritz Hahn