More Info on Top Chef Mike Isabella’s New Georgetown Restaurant Bandolero

From a press release:

The architecture and design team at Bethesda, MD-based Streetsense has been selected to design the 5,000 square foot interior of Bandolero, Chef Mike Isabella’s new modern Mexican small-plates concept set to open in Georgetown (3241 M Street, NW in Washington, D.C.) in early 2012.

Mike Isabella, a former Top Chef contestant who opened the wildly popular Italian-inspired Graffiato restaurant in Washington’s Chinatown district in June of this year, was tapped by restaurateur Jonathan Umbel to bring his creative vision to the Georgetown location formerly known as Hook. Hook and its sister restaurant, Tackle Box, have been closed since last summer due to a fire. Isabella and Umbel are working closely with Streetsense, which also is designing new interiors graphics for Tackle Box restaurants in Georgetown and Cleveland Park.

The partners are teaming with Streetsense designers Rhena Saar and Sumaya Kaufman to create a “Day-of-the-Dead” interior, incorporating cemetery gates, tequila crates, reclaimed wood, mismatched furniture, and creative lighting schemes that provide a candlelit glow. Dining spaces on two levels will feature a chef’s table with views into the kitchen and a communal table overlooking M Street. Like Georgetown itself after sunset, Bandolero will be “dark, crowded, hip, high-energy, and fun, with amazing food and drinks.”

“My vision for Bandolero is a high-energy, high-volume restaurant to match the bustling vibe of the Georgetown neighborhood and feed the late-night appetite of its college students, said Isabella. “The menu will change frequently with my twist on classic Mexican dishes and a large cocktail menu.” The Bandolero menu will feature salsas, guacamoles, ceviches, tacos, vegetables, and “carbons,” some with untraditional fillings such as duck and goat meat.