A military parade in front of the Trump International Hotel during the presidential inauguration festivities. A Washington, DC, wine bar is suing President Donald Trump over his nearby hotel, which it claims has an "unfair" competitive advantage that violates the hotel's lease with the federal government. The owners of Cork Wine Bar, located 1.5 miles north of the Trump International Hotel, announced at a press conference this morning that they have filed a lawsuit alleging that the power of Trump's public office and simultaneous ownership of the restaurants at his Pennsylvania Avenue hotel are hurting other restaurants and bars in Washington for his personal benefit. "We all know that Washington, DC, is a company town," said Khalid Pitts, who owns the wine bar with his wife, Diane Gross. "It's the center of business and the government, with the president being the principal focus of attention." Pitts noted that the many lobbying and interest groups in town, including foreign governments, are constantly vying for advantages with top US officials.

"They have a choice on where to dine and where to hold events. best wine delivery londonWhy wouldn't they go to a place that most pleases the president of the United States or where he's known to frequent?"best sweet red wine under 50 Pitts and Gross declined to put an exact dollar figure on their losses attributable to the Trump hotel, which opened in September but only since Trump's inauguration has seemed to thrive. buy wine on sunday in txBoth said they have noticed a decline, however, one that was significant after 10 years of restaurant ownership and couldn't be traced to normal competition from other restaurants or seasonal changes. beer and wine good mix

Since Trump's election in November, multiple foreign diplomatic events have moved to the Trump hotel, and the lobby bar has become a regular hangout for lobbyists looking to connect with members of Trump's inner circle, including chief of staff Reince Priebus. best wine to cook seafood withAccording to the Associated Press, several Trump Cabinet members are living at the hotel. best wine lists in san franciscoDuring the inaugural festivities in January, the Trump hotel was ground zero for VIPs attending the ceremony, and Trump's children mingled there with big donors and Trump's foreign business partners. Trump has dined at the hotel numerous times, and his aides have touted it as a destination for those visiting Washington. The lawsuit is not related to a lawsuit filed in New York City in January alleging that Trump is violating the Constitution's Emoluments Clause, which prohibits federal officials from recieving financial benefits from foreign governments.

The new suit does not seek any monetary damages, just a court order mandating that the unfair competition be halted. "That could be divestment, it could be the president resigns, or it could be the hotel or restaurant stops functioning," said Mark Zaid, one of the attorneys for the couple and their restaurant. A key aspect of the lawsuit is Trump's continued ownership of the hotel, which occupies a government-owned building that Trump leases from the federal government. That lease appears to prohibit any elected federal office-holder from benefiting from the lease, a clause which Cork's attorneys say was put into the contract to help avoid this very type of situation, where a government official could be giving the business a boost. "Whether it was at a press conference, whether it was in a meeting with a member of the House of Representatives, the overall promotion of the business enterprises is steady, unrelenting, and unapologetic," said Steven Schooner, a George Washington University law professor and another attorney for the couple.

Although Trump pledged to remove himself from the daily operation of his businesses, he is still the majority owner of the hotel—his adult children have a small stake in the operation—which means he is also named personally in the lawsuit. Presidents are shielded from lawsuits against actions they have taken in their official capacity but can be sued for activities undertaken as private citizens. For the case to proceed, Trump will have to be served with the lawsuit personally. Alan Garten, an attorney for the Trump Organization, told CNN that the Cork lawsuit was "a wild publicity stunt completely lacking in legal merit." Asked about the criticism, Zaid cracked that "everything he seems to do is a wild publicity stunt, so we're in good company." Pitts, who has previously worked for the Service Employees International Union and more recently as the political director for the Sierra Club, acknowledged that there will be blowback and accusations that the lawsuit is politically motivated.

"When we walk out of here there's going to be a bit of political theater...but that's national DC," Pitts said. "This is about local DC. This is about a local business and other local businesses that are trying to make it here in the city, and we feel the president of the United States owning restaurants, promoting restaurants, is unfair and to the detriment of other restaurants." Read the full complaint below: The place is nice and atmosphere great. Food is good but not outstanding. Prices are too expensive. More a place to be than a good place for food. The sangria here was delicious!!! My sister and I stopped here for a small bite after exploring the city. We were very pleased with our service and overall experience. I would highly recommend Barcelona if you like variety, and are looking for somewhere to share a few small plates with others!! I love Barcelona during the summer. The outdoor seating area is great, the tapas are delicious, and the drinks are fantastic.

I love their homemade gin & tonics. Tapas are all delicious, the jamon is particularly good. If you're trying to enjoy a night talking it up with friends or family, this might not be the place for you. The food and the pricing are decent but, between the speaker volume turned up to 11, tight seating and shrieking people, you'll hear about 30% of whatever the server is explaining about the menu - or anything else... Thank you for your feedback regarding your recent visit to our restaurant. We appreciate your comments regarding the volume and how it can interrupt conversation. We will pay closer attention to ensuring our guests can be social with those they are dining with. Please ask for me on a return visit as I'd like to say hello. The food, I couldn't get enough. We sat at the bar and the athmosphere is super nice. When they switched us to a table, however, it felt a little lazy, more adequate for lunch than for night.The tapas is amazing!!! You can smell the savoury tapas just as soon as you get near the restaurant.

Its a large place. The atmosphere is chic,kool & relaxed amoung the ADULT guest. Crowd seems to be the over 30's established & of course, good looking peeps. Most of the guyz had on a sports coat or... Thank you for taking time to review your experience at Barcelona. Please let me know the next time you are in the restaurant so that I may share with you our expanded spirits selection. I ate here for a birthday brunch this weekend. We decided to each go with the $45 all you can eat Tapas, which meant we got to eat our pick of tapas from the menu as many times as we wanted. To be quite honest it was more food than the 9 of us could manage. But it's great if... Thank you for allowing us to host your birthday group. We appreciate the feedback and look forward to an opportunity to entertain you and your friends in the near future. Nice assortment of tapas, we ordered six different ones and shared between four of us. They arrived in a timed fashion such that we would just about be finishing one and another would be served.