Restaurants

That was Fast – Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. ends EatsPlace residency to “refocus on our brick n mortar opening early 2015”

By Prince Of Petworth

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EatsPlace opened in early October across the street from DC Reynolds and Looking Glass Lounge on Georgia Ave. Thanks to those who noted the abrupt departure of one their residents in yesterday’s rant/revel. On Mason Dixie’s facebook page they wrote on Monday:

“As of today, we will be refocusing our business on our brick and mortar – opening early 2015 – and moving on from EatsPlace! It’s been a crazy couple of weeks, but with all the amazing rewards from Mess Hall Launch Pad, we are ramping up for our own full-time location! In the meantime, check us out on Twitter (@masondixiedc) and here to see where we will be on the weekends and find us at The Emporiyum selling retail frozen biscuits and spreads in a few weeks! See you at a weekend pop up soon friends!”

Still in residency is DC Born & Raised serving “elevated soul food” for dinner and weekend brunch.

Also in happier news, I’m digging their new mural:

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Donburi applies for Liquor License in Adams Morgan

By Prince Of Petworth

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2438 18th Street, NW

Good news for Donburi fans – well good news for Donburi fans who’d like a beer (or sake) with their rice bowls – they’ve just posted a liquor license placard.

Also an interesting note from them on their faceboook page:

“Many of you have noticed that we are busier than we ever have been before. During the past year we have been fortunate to receive a wide variety of positive stories in the local news, and we are currently one of the most highly rated Japanese restaurants in DC on Yelp. The flip side of this is that our popularity and growth, which is entirely due to the loyalty and devotion of our customers, means we have to constantly reevaluate how we prepare for service and then cook and present our food to you.

It sounds cliche, but behind the scenes we spend a considerable amount of time considering feedback and constructive criticism. Every Yelp review we receive is reviewed by the entire staff, from the owner to the people who do prep, and oftentimes reviews and comments have influenced the way we do things. If at any time your experience is less than satisfactory, please reach out to us either in person, via email (we have business cards at the register), or through social media (Twitter and Facebook).

We wouldn’t be here without you! Thank you all for helping to make us such a success!”

Right Proper gets new Executive Chef, Jim Jeffords, from Evening Star Cafe in Alexandria

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user clif_burns

From a press release:

“Right Proper Brewing Company in Shaw [624 T Street, NW] is pleased to announce Jim Jeffords as its new Executive Chef. Jim comes to Right Proper from Evening Star Café in Alexandria, where he has been Executive Chef for the past three years.

“Jim comes from the South and from a farming background, which squares sort of creepily with the farm-fresh food with a Southern accent that comes out of our kitchen,” said Thor Cheston, co-owner of Right Proper. “We are excited to have him as part of our team. At the same time, we’re really sorry to say goodbye to Chef Robert Cain, but he’s going to open a resort in Belize—we can only have so much sympathy for the guy.” (more…)

New Italian Restaurant from Chef at Alba Osteria coming to CityCenter this Spring

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user clif_burns

From a press release:

“D.C. chef Amy Brandwein announces plans to open Centrolina, a 4,075-square-foot Italian market and restaurant at 974 Palmer Alley in downtown’s expansive CityCenterDC development in Spring 2015. Centrolina, Brandwein’s first solo restaurant outing, will be open daily for lunch and dinner. The kitchen will serve a 52-seat dining room, 12-seat bar and 32-seat patio. The market will offer a selection of imported Italian specialty items along with meat, fish and produce from local farms, a selection of house-made items and a barista-serviced coffee program.

“Centrolina is directly inspired by a specific type of shopping and dining establishment that I have come to love on my travels through Italy,” said chef/owner Amy Brandwein. “From major cities to small country villages, you can find small, combined markets and restaurants, where a huge part of the charm comes from a blurred line between the dining room and the market. I remember enjoying a meal and watching the chef walk from the kitchen to the market to get a scoop of pomodorini for burrata. The magic was in the proximity to both the materials in the market and the craftsmanship of the chef. We’re going to capture that at Centrolina. It’s not going to just be an Italian dining experience or just an Italian shopping experience; it’s going to be a chef-minded Italian food experience.”

ON THE MENU (more…)

Umaya Japanese Restaurant coming to Penn Quarter After All

By Prince Of Petworth

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733 10th Street, NW

susannindc tweets us the update this morning:

“the coming soon wraps are FINALLY up at Umaya”

Last month we wondered if the new Japanese restaurant from the owners of Cafe Asia was still coming to the long vacant retail space at 733 10th St, NW (around the corner from MLK Library.) You can read about the plans for Umaya, “contemporary Japanese izakaya restaurant” here.

Little Coco’s Italian Restaurant coming to former Rib Pit Lounge space will have a Roof Deck and be Kid Friendly!

By Prince Of Petworth

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3907 14th Street, NW

A couple weeks ago we learned the exciting news that the owners of El Chucho and Bar Charley were bringing a new spot to 14th and Randolph St, NW. At that time I wasn’t sure if they were going to be taking over Rib Pit Lounge and the Rib Pit or just one. Turns out they’ll just be taking over Rib Pit Lounge (apparently Rib Pit next door has been leased by someone else.) I spoke with Little Coco’s co-owner Gordon Banks who reveals a lot more awesome info. Starting out with my favorite feature – there will be a roof deck! But more on that in a minute.

Gordon says that he and partner Jackie Greenbaum have been talking about opening up a pizza/Italian restaurant for a long time because they like to work off the strengths of their chefs. And head Chef Adam Harvey knows his dough. [The name Little Coco’s is a play off the Chef’s wife’s last name.] So you can expect some mean wood fired pizzas at Little Coco’s. And in addition to pizza you can expect to find arincinis, lasagna, salads and other daily specials. But make no mistake, Gordon sees the spot as a casual neighborhood pizza place. Well anyone who has visited Bar Charley or El Chucho knows what he means by casual – if I may – pretty freaking cool but no white table cloths. The space is pretty small so I’m looking forward to seeing how they build it out.

Which leads us to that roof deck. It’ll be a three season roof deck just like they have at El Chucho. But also like El Chucho they’ll be very considerate to their neighbors in regards to dampening noise. Though it’s also important to remember that this will be a dining roof deck not a party roof deck. In that regard, one more important element that Gordon emphasized – it will be kid/family friendly. As Gordon lives around the block with a little one, that was something very important to him personally. The way he explained it, Little Coco’s will be a spot where you can take your kids and the parents can also have a nice meal/glass of wine/good beer or cocktail. There won’t be a fancy cocktail list but they will be able to make a proper Manhattan. For those with little ones we know these options are few and far between. But for those who don’t enjoy being around kids – fear not – he envisages the space without kids in a more traditional sense by around 8:30/9pm. If all goes well Little Coco’s is hoping to open this Spring.

New Restaurant from owner of Vinoteca, Royal, to be completed in Two Months on Florida Ave?

By Prince Of Petworth

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501 Florida Ave, NW

“Dear PoPville,

My girlfriend and I poked our heads in 501 Florida NW yesterday morning. The space looks great! Workers said they should be done with the renovations in 2 months. Looking forward to another great business in the neighborhood.”

Ed. Note: 501 Florida Ave is the future home of Royal from the owners of Vinoteca wine bar at 11th and U St, NW.

Bad Saint, DC’s only Filipino Restaurant, coming to Columbia Heights, Popping up at the Dolcezza Gelato Factory & Coffee Lab on Nov. 9th

By Prince Of Petworth

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From a press release:

“What: Bad Saint, the District’s only Filipino restaurant, is set to open in Columbia Heights this winter. The restaurant will be under the ownership and direction of Nick Pimentel of Room 11 and Genevieve Villamora. Chef Tom Cunanan (Ardeo/Bardeo, Tarsier Catering) will be heading up the kitchen. Curious diners won’t have to wait for winter to acquaint themselves with Bad Saint’s menu: The team will be bringing Filipino food’s greatest hits to Dolcezza in just a couple of weeks for a merienda pop-up: a snack-style meal served between lunch and dinner.

The merienda pop-up menu will feature items such as pancit sotanghon guisado – savory sautéed mung bean noodles; ukoy – sweet potato and shrimp fritters; and lumpiang shanghai – crispy spring rolls, also known as Filipino food’s gateway drug. Items will range from $5.00 to $8.00. During the pop-up, Dolcezza will be serving Filipino-inspired gelato and sorbetto behind the tasting room counter.

From the Bad Saint team:

Philippine cuisine is a crossroads cuisine. It layers Malay, Chinese, Spanish, Mexican and American influences. Bad Saint will pay homage to the deep roots of Filipino food using the bounty of the Mid-Atlantic.

Co-owners Genevieve Villamora and Nick Pimentel and Chef Tom Cunanan are the Filipino Americans behind Bad Saint. Together they bring over 25 years of local restaurant industry experience to the table, along with an evangelist’s zeal for Philippine cuisine.

When: Sunday, November 9 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Where: Dolcezza Gelato Factory & Coffee Lab, 550 Penn St. NE, Washington DC 20002″

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