Marriott Marquis, Opening May 1, Announces DC Restaurants – “from seasonal casual dining and a specialty restaurant to a power-player lounge and techy sports bar”

Rendering via Marriott Marquis Washington, DC

From a press release:

“Marriott Marquis Washington, DC, opening May 1, announces five Americana-inspired dining experiences for the District’s soon-to-be-largest hotel. The varied food and beverage establishments, located on the hotel’s ground floor, will further position the property as a brand-new social hub for its vibrant downtown Shaw neighborhood.

Marriott Marquis Washington, DC will debut: Anthem, casual dining restaurant; The Dignitary, an upscale lounge; High Velocity, a high-tech sports bar; a dramatic, high-design Lobby Bar; and a specialty restaurant (to be announced). The hotel’s culinary vision will be helmed by Executive Chef Matthew Morrison, a DC native who was most recently executive chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, Virginia. The hotel’s dining experiences will feature fresh, seasonal menus sourced from both local and Mid-Atlantic purveyors as well as the hotel’s on-site rooftop garden.

More details on the restaurants/bars after the jump.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Chef Morrison to lead the culinary team at Marriott Marquis Washington, DC,” said General Manager Dan Nadeau. “With our ideal location and connection to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Marriott Marquis’ diverse dining and nightlife options will cater to seasoned business travelers and discerning visitors, as well as our valued meeting planners. With three restaurants boasting street entrances, we anticipate becoming a favorite amongst local residents exploring the rejuvenated downtown area.”

Anthem will offer seasonal cuisine in a bright, friendly restaurant space, with a nod to the original 1927 Marriott Hot Shoppes (from the Mighty Mo burger to the nine-seat, throwback coffee shop countertop). Incorporating fresh ingredients from the Mid-Atlantic area, the diner-inspired menu will include both great-tasting comfort food and Marriott Hotels’ signature healthy-eating options, including good-for-you kid’s menu options. A contemporary, vibrant design will offer communal dining and floor-to-ceiling windows as well as two private dining rooms inside the restaurant for intimate group parties.

The $520-million, four-star hotel will accommodate three ground-level bars: The Dignitary, High Velocity, and the Lobby Bar:

• The Dignitary, an upscale lounge, will have a speakeasy feel, rich with dark woods, a red brick bar, an antique cash register, red leather club chairs, a simmering fireplace, and polished tin ceiling tiles. Barside, talented mixologists will serve up handcrafted, farm-to-fork cocktails, including of-the-moment mule drinks and a robust lineup of high-end whiskeys. Reflecting Dignitary’s power-player vibe, Chef Morrison has created a sophisticated small plates menu. The Dignitary will be located within the site’s original Samuel Gompers AFL-CIO headquarters, known as the “Plumbers Building,” which plays a key role in the hotel receiving LEED Silver accreditation upon opening. The “Plumbers Building” will also house the hotel’s 8,000-square-foot bi-level fitness center and several suites. And opening just in time for sunny days, guests can enjoy fresh juice cocktails and craft beers on the Dignitary’s outdoor patio, seating up to 65, on the Plumbers Building corner at Massachusetts Avenue and 9th Street.

• High Velocity, an interactive high-tech sports bar, will boast 36 large flat-screen TVs, smartphone charging stations, Wi-Fi, tickertape screens with the latest sports scores, a central focal-point bar, communal dining, and floor-to-ceiling windows to enjoy street-level views of the bustling Walter E. Washington Convention Center (which Marquis will be connected to via underground concourse). Locals will recognize several DC-area breweries on offer from the 48-brew tap. High Velocity will serve up high-concept bar food for lunch and dinner, featuring samplers for sharing and beer-infused dishes alongside international beer flights.

• The Lobby Bar will be the hotel’s active center, surrounded by each dining outlet and infused with natural light streaming through the glass ceiling of the high-design grand atrium lobby. Guests can enjoy a quick bite and a coffee, or tapas plates and a cocktail underneath the hotel’s centerpiece: a 56-foot sculpture, “The Birth of the American Flag,” designed by sculptor Rodney Carroll to be the largest piece of art in any Marriott hotel, reaching the fifth floor of the 15-floor hotel. The expansive, design-rich lobby will also feature two smaller-scale sculptures, two dramatic bronze and stainless steel walls at more than 50 feet in height, and water features.

The hotel’s catering program will be in line with its world-class meetings experience, offering more than 105,000 square-feet of indoor/outdoor function space, including the 30,000 square-foot Marquis Ballroom. Chef Morrison has innovative F&B breakouts in the works for the hotel’s sizeable group business, as well as seasonal and sustainable banquet menus. With 1,175 rooms, including 49 suites, and an unprecedented 6,500-square-foot high-tech concierge lounge, Marriott Marquis Washington, DC will be the capital’s largest hotel upon opening on May 1.

Slated to be the neighborhood’s culinary crown jewel, Marriott Marquis joins the already-transforming downtown dining and nightlife scene.”