The ShopHouse coming to the former Furin’s space in Georgetown is now hiring and looking close to opening. Here’s how the space looked in 2010:

2010

ShopHouse’s first location opened in back in Sept. 2011 at 1516 Connecticut Ave, NW in Dupont. You can see their menu here.

Washington Business Journal reports that ShopHouse will be opening a third location in part of the former Ruby Tuesday’s which recently closed at 710 7th Street, NW:

A few weeks ago we learned Hill Country’s Backyard BBQ was coming to the west lawn of the Building Museum at 4th and F St, NW. The BBQ operates Wednesday through Friday from 4–11 pm, Saturdays from Noon–11 pm and Sundays from Noon–9 pm. I was able to attend the kickoff last Friday. As a fan of the brick and mortar Hill Country located at 410 7th St, NW – I love this new outdoor option. For me, this is all about drinking cold beers and listening to live music outdoors (note – I believe the live music will only be Friday and Saturdays.) For those who work in the area this is going to be a phenomenal happy hour spot. Anyone else stop by yet?

Lots more photos after the jump.

Nopa Kitchen + Bar is located in the former Zola space at 800 F St, NW:

You can see their menu here.

Their website says:

nopa Kitchen+Bar, a new 160-seat American brasserie in the heart of Penn Quarter. This is the awarding-winning restaurateur’s eighth restaurant in the nation’s capital. The name represents nopa’s location just north of Pennsylvania Avenue and it welcomes guests for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

Greg McCarty is the executive chef for nopa Kitchen+Bar. A graduate of The George Brown Chef School in Toronto, Canada, McCarty’s culinary career began in the New York City kitchen of Jean Georges. He cooked under Chef Vongerichten for six years, working his way up from line cook to executive sous chef of Dune in the Bahamas. In 2005, McCarty returned to Manhattan to open Nobu 57. McCarty worked with renowned restaurateur Drew Nieporent on various restaurant projects, and has also managed his own consulting business, before accepting his new position in Washington.

Ashok Bajaj worked with James Beard Foundation’s award-nominated restaurant designer Martin Vahtra of Projects Design Associates of New York to create nopa. Its striking interior is light-filled, and sports a rustic industrial style. The décor features whitewashed exposed brick, rough sawn wood paneling, steel accents and metal task lighting. These strong elements contrast dramatically with the plush fabric on the red banquettes and camel leather arm chairs, which provide comfortable seating around sleek wooden bistro tables.

For private dining, nopa Kitchen+Bar offers three exclusive spaces: a 40-seat dining room with a working fireplace, expansive views and AV capabilities; a 24-seat dining room next to the bar, which also have floor-to-ceiling windows, and a cozy 14-seat dining room for smaller parties.

@verizoncenterpr tweeted this morning:

“Just announced! @RollingStones add final show to 50 & Counting tour 6/24 @verizoncenterpr Tiks on sale 5/13 at 10am“

Last week Del Campo opened in the former PS7′s space in Chinatown. They are launching their happy hour Wed. May 1st – from a press release:

In honor of the restaurant’s location at 777 I St. NW, $7 drink specials will be offered seven days a week from 5 to 7pm.

Del Campo Happy Hour Drink Specials
Available 5-7pm in the bar area
$7

Margarita
El Jimador Silver Tequila, Luxardo Triple Sec,
Lime Juice, Agave Nectar

Mojito

Bacardi Superior Rum, Lime Juice,
Simple Syrup, Mint, Carbonated Water

A Las Once

Cristal Aguardiente, Chicha Morada Syrup,
Lime Juice, Pineapple Juice

Viñedor

Strawberry Purée, Torrontes Syrup,
Grilled Lemon Juice, Biutiful Cava Brut

Draft Beer
Brooklyn IPA
Peroni

Wine
Biutiful Cava
Bodegas Lurton Pinot Gris
Nieto Senetiner Bonarda

You can see the full bar menu here and regular dinner menu here.

Lots of changes coming to 7th Street in Chinatown. We knew the Potbelly was becoming a Lime Fresh but now a liquor license has been posted for a new Tavern coming to the basement of 726 7th St, NW:

Jackpot

Tavern serving light food with a seating capacity of 47 for patrons and total load of 160. Request an entertainment endorsement for occasional entertainment.

CityPaper reported:

“Iron Horse Taproom and Rocket Bar co-owners Curt Large and Geoff Dawson are opening a bar called Jackpot in the basement space below Lime Fresh (formerly Potbelly) at 726 7th St. NW.”

712 Seventh Street, NW

And Washington Business Journal reports just down the block that Ruby Tuesday has closed as of Sunday night:

Ruby Tuesday plans to close its doors at the end of service Sunday, making way for at least two new retailers to come into the space. Fast-growing self-serve yogurt chain FroZenYo will lease space there and open there by the third week of June.

WBJ also reports that a “a candy store and a fast-casual Asian joint” could take over the remaining spaces that formally made up Ruby Tuesday. Stay tuned.

Jose Andres’ Oyamel is expanding into the former half price ticket place space at 401 7th Street, NW.

From a press release:

Douglas Development announced that it has purchased a new mixed-use property in Chinatown DC, located at 700 5th St., NW, behind the Verizon Center. The 10,000 SF building includes 3 levels of office space and 4,000 SF of street level retail.

Douglas Development purchased this property from the DC-based law firm, Wingfield & Ginsburg, PC. The law firm has since leased back all of the office space from Douglas Development.

Burger King is located currently on the ground floor, but will relocate once its lease expires in early 2014. Douglas Development is in the process of selecting a new retailer to add to its portfolio of trendy Chinatown restaurants that include Graffiato, Sixth Engine, Legal Sea Foods, Matchbox, District of Pi, and new restaurants, Lime Fresh Mexican Grill and NoPa Kitchen + Bar, opening later this year.

The former Cafe Atlantico space in Penn Quarter officially opens as Azur today. Check out their menus here.

From a press release:

On April 18, Chef Frederik De Pue will open Azur, his second new restaurant of 2013. The upscale casual contemporary seafood spot is located at 405 8th St., the Penn Quarter building long occupied by Jose Andres’s Café Atlantico and Minibar. De Pue and his partner purchased the space in September, 2012, and have transformed it into a 135-seat ode to the sea, complete with subtle ocean hued accents and hand-made furniture. The menu is a reflection of De Pue’s experience in some of Europe’s best seafood kitchens, including the Michelin-starred Sea Grill restaurant in his native Belgium.

“The key to great seafood is cooking simply and with respect for your ingredients, and with Azur I can show off that kind of cuisine,” said De Pue. “It’s going to be a little bit contemporary and a little bit classic. A little bit Washington and a little bit Brussels. But from top to bottom, this is going to be a true seafood restaurant.”

Continues including photos from a preview party after the jump.

The Menu

The menu at Azur focuses on high quality products from sustainable seafood purveyors: Roasted Turbot with hakurie turnips, Red Mullet alongside a shaved Fennel salad and Grilled Tiger prawns with snap peas and popcorn grits are just a few of the highlights. De Pue also offers shellfish cooked “en cocotte,” prepared in a mussel pot and brought to the table with the cooking liquid in a deep serving dish. Choices include mussels, clams and lobster cooked in a variety of flavored broths, from a Southeast Asian-inspired blend of coconut broth, lemon grass and Thai basil, to the traditionally Belgian combination of buttered leeks, ale and parsley. The oft-rotating menu will always include a small selection of dishes to accommodate vegetarians and land-based carnivores. Like the rest of the menu, these choices will change with the seasons.

Azur will be home to two very different bars. On the third floor, the small, glass-fronted counter that formerly housed Minibar, Jose Andres’s modernist cooking laboratory, has been converted to a six seat raw bar offering a bounty of fresh seafood presented in its most unadulterated form. Oysters, caviar and house-cured salmon will be among the raw bar offerings. Briny bar bites are the focus of the expanded first floor bar’s menu. Fish and chips, baked oysters, marinated white anchovies, sweet and sour fried squid and uni toast are served alongside a list of classic and original cocktails named after famous boats.

The restaurant’s wine program is characterized by its large list of white varietals and also includes a carefully curated selection of burgundies, sparkling, and sweet reds.

In keeping with its commitment to sustainable sourcing, Azur will filter all water in house with Natura Water technology, eliminating the need for wasteful and polluting bottled water. The restaurant will also be composting a portion of its waste and collecting all oyster shells to be returned to local beaches and oyster beds.

The restaurant will serve dinner Tuesday through Sunday, with weekday lunch to follow.

The Space

D.C.-based, Belgian interior designer Natascha Folens of NF Interiors is behind the transformation of the four-level, 6,000 square foot space. Formerly the home of Minibar, Café Atlantico and America Eats Tavern, the building began its life as a power station. Tall ceilings, large windows, exposed pipes and a striking spiral staircase distinguish the lofty interior. Folens marries the space to De Pue’s vision of a European Seafood restaurant with clean lines, neutral colors, natural elements and a perfect blend of natural and interior light. The main dining areas on the second and third floors have a perfect view of one of the restaurant’s singular features: a custom-made chandelier that recreates underwater air bubbles with over 60 different size globes.

The first floor bar area is furnished with wicker chairs and stools padded with Belgian linen pillows. The L shaped bar is finished in a natural honed caesarstone, selected to blend in with the sand colored walls. Captain’s mirrors and nautical-inspired sconces frame the space. The dining tables were handmade in Portugal, using recycled wood, and the retro-styled chairs were carefully selected to play off the lofty architecture of the space. Dark hardwood floors contrast with the lighter walls and let the dining tables stand out while allowing a continuous visual flow throughout the restaurant.

About Frederik De Pue

Chef Frederik De Pue also owns Table in Washington’s Shaw neighborhood. Opened in January 2013, Table has already received praise from the city’s restaurant critics for its thoughtful, French-inspired fare. Since 2006, Frederik has earned a reputation for exceptional cuisine with the growth of his 42º Catering through the greater DC region. De Pue first came to Washington in 2001 as the Executive Chef of the European Commission Delegation Ambassador. The Belgium born and raised chef trained at the Hotel School Ter Duinen and cooked under noted European chefs Alain Chapel, Alain Ducasse and Yves Mattagne.

We first heard about it last year but now it’s really happening! From a press release:

Hill Country Barbecue Market Washington, D.C. is pleased to announce the opening of Hill Country’s Backyard Barbecue, a unique branded outdoor experience featuring Hill Country’s award-winning Texas-style barbecue, ice-cold Shiner beers, and signature cocktails on the spacious and picturesque West Lawn of the National Building Museum (401 F Street, NW; www.nbm.org; 202.272.2448). Hill Country’s Backyard Barbecue is scheduled to open on May 3, 2013, with a live performance by fun and feisty Americana rock n’ rollers, the Kalob Griffin Band. Throughout the spring and summer, Hill Country’s Backyard Barbecue will also feature live American roots music on Friday and Saturday nights, presented by Hill Country Live, Hill Country’s Austin-inspired music program.

“Hill Country Barbecue is excited to be teaming up with the National Building Museum to create the ultimate backyard barbecue for Washingtonians who love to be outside when the weather is warm,” said Jim Foss, Hill Country Barbecue Market’s director of operations. “There’s really no experience that can top a night hanging out on the lawn with friends, having some delicious barbecue with an ice-cold beer, and listening to music during the summer!”

“Hill Country Barbecue will energize our West Lawn, a green space in the heart of downtown Washington, and will complement the Museum’s Mini Golf exhibition and other ‘Summer Block Party’ offerings,” said Chase W. Rynd, executive director of the National Building Museum.

Hill Country’s Backyard Barbecue menu will include some of Hill Country Barbecue Market’s signature dishes, as well as a Barbecue Chicken Sandwich and Barbecue Beef Sandwich, and the brand-new Hill Country Hot Links, a house-made spicy and sweet frankfurter-style sausage.
The menu will also include picnic-friendly sides like Confetti Coleslaw, Potato Salad, and Mini Skillet Cornbread. A selection of Shiner beers, including the Bock, Light Blonde, Premium and Ruby Redbird, as well as hand-crafted cocktails like the Hill Country Margarita, seasonal fruit Sangria, and Hill Country’s Backyard Barbecue signature cocktail, the Porch Swing, made with gin, strawberry simple syrup and fresh lemon juice for a refreshing cocktail you can sip outside all day. Rounding out Hill Country’s Backyard Barbecue menu are non-alcoholic options including fresh-squeezed Lemonade and Iced Tea.

Hill Country’s Backyard Barbecue will operate Wednesday through Friday from 4:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m., Saturdays from 12:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. and Sundays from 12:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. to catch the after-work, happy hour crowd during the week as well as museum visitors on weekends. Additionally, Hill Country’s Backyard Barbecue will be available as a premiere outdoor, private-event venue for corporate events, summer associate parties, fundraisers, birthday parties, rehearsal dinners, weddings, and more. The National Building Museum is open to the public from 10 am – 5 pm Monday through Saturday, and 11 am – 5 pm on Sundays.