From an email:
“Ben’s Next Door is featuring Macallan Single Malt flights which include the award winning 18yr, 12yr, 15yr and 21yr Fine Oak for $25 tonight from 6pm to 9pm.”
For the Scotch lovers this should be pretty sweet. Ben’s Next Door is located at 1211 U Street, NW.
Potenza is located at 1430 H Street, NW. The picture doesn’t really do it justice, the space is quite large taking up the corner of 15th and H. Their Web site says:
“An in house bakery prepares breads, pastas and desserts daily alongside a salumi counter and raw bar to allow for a more cosmopolitan experience when time is of the essence. A 6000 pound pizza oven has been installed alongside the extensive main line to offer a robust and dynamic menu.”
In addition to a restaurant there is also bakery and I’m now kicking myself for not picking up any canolis… Any fans out there?
I spoke to some folks from Bloomingdale this week who had some interesting scuttlebutt. First is the the decrepit storefront at the corner of 1st and Seaton has been purchased. The word on the street is that it is going to become a Chinese food spot. The question is whether it will be sit down or takeout. The neighbors I spoke with said they were really hoping it would be a sit down spot. Again this is just hearsay but the neighbors I spoke to had heard that someone put a bid on this same property to open a pizza spot but they were out bid. And they of course were not referring to Baraki to be located at the corner of 1st and T.
Folks have been anticipating Baraki’s opening since Aug. 2008. Some neighbors that I spoke to said that the owner was still dealing with financial issues. While some construction has begun it doesn’t look like they’ll be opening anytime soon.
Thanks to a reader for the heads up on the work going on at 3543 Georgia Ave. across from the EL Haynes charter school. Sadly, there was a bit of a language barrier in my brief chat with the workers out front. They did however confirm that a restaurant was going in. When I asked what type they said American but I’ll be sure to follow up when they open. And in nearby news it was nice to see the new Senior Center rising a half block to the south at Georgia and Newton:
“Dear PoP,
I walked past Burritos Fast on Mt. Pleasant Street this morning and there was already paper on the window. Has it been sold?”
Back in August we learned that Burritos Fast was for sale 3213 Mount Pleasant St NW. They had been staying open in the interim but sadly have now closed. I’ll keep my eyes peeled to see what comes to this space. Will folks miss Burritos Fast? Tina had mixed emotions on the space back in May ’08.
Current Sushi is located at 1215 Connecticut Ave., NW. I always thought this spot was a bar/lounge. There is also a DJ Thurs. – Sat. after 10pm. Anyone ever try the sushi here?
Tim Carman from City Paper’s Young and Hungry did some digging and found a quote from the owner:
“New establishment is going to be a new American restaurant called Savour and a lounge called Sutra. I have an executive chef from the Phoenix Park Hotel in D.C. who is on board who will be making new American cuisine. He is Vietnamese so it should be a nice fusion of American and Asian cuisine.”
Carman also says the new spot is scheduled to open Friday.
Anna Maria’s Italian restaurant is located at 1737 Connecticut Ave NW. Back in May it looked they were only closed for renovations. Sadly it now seems they are closed for good. Their phone number has been disconnected and there is a big for lease sign in the window. I hope their classic sign at least makes it to the Smithsonian…
In happier news I’m told that Kabaji Grill is opening up this week at 1351 Connecticut Ave., NW.
Georgia Brown’s is located at 950 15th St, NW. For some reason over Thanksgiving I got into a brief discussion on grits. I just assumed that Georgia Brown’s had the best in the city. To be honest I’ve only gone once for lunch but it was delicious. So what’s the best thing to get at Georgia Brown’s? How are the grits? Where else can you get the best grits in the city? You can see Georgia Brown’s menu here (with some sweet background music).
Du Froyo yogurt shop is located at 1709 Connecticut Ave NW. While they are currently open, they’ll be having their grand opening Dec. 4th with a tasting according to their Web site. Anyone check them out yet?