I’ve been thinking a lot about this.
1. Angles
2. Nanny O’Briens
3. Black Jack
4. Red Hen
5. Boundary Stone
6. Boundary Road
7. Solly’s
8. Jack Rose
9. Hank’s Oyster Bar (Dupont not Capitol Hill)
10. Meridian Pint
11. Wonderland
12. Red Rocks
13. Pho Viet
14. Zest
15. Wisdom
16. Granville Moore’s
17. The Pug
18. Big Board
19. Looking Glass Lounge
20. Adam Express
21. Izakaya Seki
22. All Souls
23. Chez Billy
847 Upshur Street, NW
847 Upshur Street currently home to Open Kitchen Diner and previously home to King ‘n I and Seafood and Things before that is up for lease. The listing says:
“Excellent Pet-worth location, 1280 Square Feet Retail/Restaurant space for lease. currently used as restaurant, all hoods in place. Prospective Tenant can fix the place as they see it fit to their business. All utility paid by tenant.”
It’s going for $2,400/Mo.
Ed. Note: Last month we learned that the China American Inn had closed next door at 845 Upshur Street, NW.
1063 Wisconsin Ave, NW
“Dear PoPville,
My friend pointed out that Filomena had discontinued serving its Friday buffet as of January 1, which by itself isn’t that big of a deal…until you see their reason:
FILOMENA BUFFET NOTICE:
As of January, 1, 2014, Filomena has discontinued its Friday Lunch Buffet. We regret we had to make this decision but unfortunately we face new expenses as a result of the Healthcare reform and the Friday Buffet, though wonderful, was not profitable and required extra staff which we can no longer sustain. We regret any inconvenience and on a good note, we will continue our Saturday Buffet and invite you to try our much improved Sunday Brunch Buffet!
Companies cutting back on staff because of healthcare costs was a big part of the debate over the ACA, but this is the first time that I’ve seen a restaurant publicly say that they are cutting staff. From what I’ve read, businesses that have fewer than 50 employees don’t have to provide health insurance, but can get tax breaks if they do cover their employees.
Long story short, I wonder if there are other restaurants in the area that have made similar statements in response to the ACA. Are businesses really running into financial problems because of the law, or are they using the law as a cover for decisions that they were going to have to make anyway?”
UPDATE: Filomena responds:
“In response to various inquires regarding our decision to discontinue the Friday Buffet we wish to clarify some information regarding the reasons behind it and offer some facts and hopefully clear up any misunderstandings many seem to have.
The buffet notice was intended to help explain to those Friday regular lunch buffet customers who were very upset why we stopped offering it and in some cases were demanding explanation. We were not trying to offend anyone or make a political statement but only tried to be honest with our regular Friday customers as to why we stopped it before they walked down all the steps to the dining room. Some were upset that they came down the steps specifically for the buffet and suggested we put a sign on the window before people walked down the steps, which we did. Maybe we could have written a long statement like below to better explain as to why we stopped the Friday Lunch Buffet or not put any sign and just let people be angry but being in business here for 30 years we don’t like to do that and only want to offer good customers explanation. Below hopefully it will show that Filomena is doing what most restaurants are not – offering full healthcare coverage to all 86 of it’s employees this year as of January 1st and not wait until January 2015 like it could.
Filomena employed 85 employees before we stopped the Friday lunch buffet, January 3rd and as of today employee 86 employees and in fact are advertising for some new staff because our making some changes to operations to help pay for the Healthcare Reform by increasing business which has been successful so far.
Even though the Health Care Reform employer mandate of 50 or more employees had to be offered healthcare coverage was postponed one year, Filomena decided to offer that coverage, this year, 2014 and not wait until 2015 as most restaurants have done. We want to offer coverage to our employees but honestly have to find new ways to pay for it since we are so labor intense (close to 90 employees for 150 seat restaurant).
Because of the potentially large new expense of offering healthcare coverage to 90 employees, we had to look for areas of operations that were either marginal or losing money to trim expenses or losses and find new areas to increase business so that we could keep all our employees and continue to grow our business.
Because restaurants such as ours, 86 employees, are so labor intense the potential expense of offering coverage to so many could threaten independently owned restaurants like ours. Our goal is to tackle the problem head on and find ways to pay for it without losing our employees. We have in fact done this by only offering a la carte lunch on Fridays, continue to offer the Saturday lunch Buffet and develop a new Spectacular new Sunday Brunch Buffet that has been a big success since its launch thus.
Filomena
Michael J. Chiacchieri
Vice-president
Georgetown Restaurant Corporation
t/a Filomena Ristorante
t/a Filomena’s Georgetown Bakery”
1234 H Street, NE
From a press release:
“Austin’s beloved East Side King will be taking over Toki Underground thanks to visiting chefs Paul Qui, Moto Utsunomiya, and Jorge Luis Hernandez. An expansive, creative menu will be offered for lunch and dinner on Friday, January 24, 2014 beginning at 11:30am. Space is limited and reservations are not available. First come, first serve. Menu, location, and hours can be found online.
Thai Chicken Karaage (Gluten-free)
Deep-fried chicken thigh, sweet-spicy sauce, fresh basil, cilantro, mint, onion, jalapeño
Beef Tongue Kare Kare Buns
Filipino peanut curry and beef tongue in steamed bun, basil, mint, cilantro
Beet Home Fries (Vegetarian and gluten free – can be vegan)
Deep-fried roasted beets, kewpie mayo, schichimi togarashi, green onion
Fried Brussels Sprout Salad (Vegetarian – can be vegan and gluten free)
Fried Brussels sprouts, sweet-spicy sauce, shredded cabbage, alfalfa sprouts, basil, cilantro, mint, onion, jalapeño
Liberty Rice (Vegetarian – can be vegan and/or gluten-free)
Steamed jasmine rice, ginger, garlic oil, basil, cilantro, mint, onion, jalapeño
Tori Meshi (Can be gluten-free)
1/2 Thai chicken karaage and Liberty Rice
About East Side King:
East Side King began in a food trailer behind the Liberty Bar, on Austin’s East Side, in October 2009. Co-founded by chefs Paul Qui and Moto Utsunomiya, East Side King was inspired by Asian cultures, blues and jazz bands, and artists (like the amazing artist Peelander Yellow, from the Japanese punk band Peelander-Z). Now with four locations including two food trucks and brick-and-mortars, East Side King offers different menus, styles, hours and vibes all across Austin.”
1205 19th Street, NW
Thanks to a reader for sending word:
“Looks like New Orleans Po Boy on 19th near M is closed. Sign on the door says “closing for the holidays Dec. 20”. Not open since.”
Their facebook and twitter pages also haven’t been updated since Dec. 20th. On their Facebook page folks are speculating and wondering what’s going on:
“Are they going to reopen? According to the comment below, it seems they may have closed their doors for good.”
“A waiter at the Irish Whiskey Bar next to Po Boy’s said you may be closing. I told her no way – the food is too good. Tell us its not true!!!”
“When I spoke to Cam, he said they were closing “for the holiday season,” but I certainly could have misinterpreted that. If they’re gone for good, I will be bummed.”
The PoBoy shop opened in Aug. 2012. You can see their menu here. We judged them here.
777 6th Street, NW
From a press release:
“Flight, a wine bar owned and operated by husband and wife team, Swati Bose and Kabir Amir, will open at 777 6th Street, NW, Washington, DC on January 18, 2014. Bose, general manager and beverage director, together with Amir, has selected an approachable wine list featuring over 70 selections with 30 by the glass options. The extensive list of wines offers familiar varietals from boutique producers as well as labels from lesser-known regions around the world. The 60-seat wine bar will also serve shareable plates influenced by Executive Chef Bradley Curtis’ New England upbringing and love for Mediterranean flavors. Edit Lab at Streetsense, designers of Daikaya and Red Hen, among others, designed the space.
Flight’s wine list, organized by body and style versus region, offers mini tastes at 2.5 oz. pours, 5 ounce full-glass pours and by the bottle offerings. A restaurant-grade Coravin wine system allows for guests to taste more expensive bottles by the glass. While familiar wine regions are well-represented on the list, Bose and Amir have personally selected varietals from up and coming areas with long traditions of winemaking, like Greece, Hungary, Lebanon, Serbia, Slovenia and Virginia, to name a few. Tasting notes accompany each selection, along with interesting facts about the wine, varietal, winemaker or region.
A rotating flight of the week, priced at $18, will offer three tastes of a specific region, style or varietal of wine. The opening flight will feature a red, white and sparkling wine from the Jura region in France. A Moschito, made with crushed mint leaves and grappa, will be the first rendition of a weekly wine cocktail, which will be available for $9. Additional beverage options include domestic and international craft beers, aperitifs, digestifs, cider and spirits. Harney & Sons tea, La Colombe Coffee, and sodas from Q and Belvoir Fruit Farms are available under the ‘zero proof’ section of the menu. Happy hour at Flight will soon be offered Monday through Friday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., and on the weekends from 10:00 p.m. to close.
Executive Chef Bradley Curtis, formerly of DGS Delicatessen, Zaytinya and Graffiato has designed a menu of wine-friendly dishes. Highlights from Curtis’ opening menu include dishes like Lobster Bisque ($14) with Maine lobster, kombu, rockweed and spiked with sake; a “Fish” and Chip Basket ($11) with anchovies, fried clams, arbol chile tartar sauce and fermented potatoes, similar in taste to a salt and vinegar potato chip, and Beef with Moxie ($10) Moxie-braised short rib, with prunes, carrots and white pearl onions. Moxie is a gentian-based bitter soda popular in New England, which Curtis has shipped in from Maine.
Vegetarian options are varied and include Squash Dolmades with pepitas, raisins and orange yogurt; Stuffed Acorn Squash with white beans, swiss chard, roasted cherry tomatoes, cotija, and chili-lime dressing; Kale Salad with raw and blanched kale, pickled cranberries, Idiazibal, and bacon candied pecans. Desserts feature a dish inspired by a 100-year old recipe from Curtis’ grandmother, Tomato Soup Cake, made with a spicy rum raisin compote, toasted pecans and cream cheese frosting.
Low hanging clay lights, light ash wood accents, and a curving bar featuring backlit wine shelves create an intimate ambience reminiscent of a European neighborhood bar. The warm materials among the space reflect the winemaking process, from the clay of soils to the glass of bottles to the corks.
Flight is committed to sustainability and will use bio-based products, a grease filtration company, composting, and excess food donations at the end of service. In keeping with the theme of wine and sustainability, the flooring is made of cork, ensuring minimal heat loss and insulation. Flight is also an official cork recycling drop-off site for ReCork by Amorim. All wine corks will be recycled into shoes, flooring tiles, building insulation or automotive gaskets, instead of a landfill.”
A look at the menus:
More photos after the jump. (more…)
“Dear PoPville,
Lupo Verde windows are free of paper, took a look inside last night and I’m digging the exposed brick, looks sharp.”
The owner tells me via email that they are opening “next week”.
14th and R St, NW
The strange saga of Logan Circle’s Bar di Bari continues. In October we learned the space abruptly closed with no notice only to later learn they were considering closing on Mondays or limiting hours during the winter. Now CityPaper reports that the space will become a new concept called Red Light. No details nor timing were given but Bar di Bari was still open as of yesterday. Their Facebook page also remains live though it hasn’t been updated since Dec. 13th. More info when it becomes available.
1141 Connecticut Avenue, NW
From a press release:
“Russian eatery Mari Vanna will honor the city of Sochi, Russia during the 2014 Winter Olympic games by adding three, traditional Sochi dishes to their menu. On Friday, February 7th from 6 to 9pm, the Dupont hotspot will also kick off the games with an Olympics happy-hour, offering all sports fans a complimentary vodka shot and free bites from a pirozhki tasting station.
Sochi is one of the few cities in Russia that has its own unique, multicultural cuisine, with influences from bordering Georgia. During the 16-days of the Olympics, Washingtonians will enjoy: 1) Shish Kabob ($22), cubes of marinated beef, 2) Solyanka Soup ($11), a spicy soup with cuts of meat and chopped vegetables, and 3) Khachapuri ($21), a traditional Georgian dish of cheese-filled bread.”
Photos of the three Sochi dishes after the jump. (more…)
Future home of Roofers Union in former Reef space at 2446 18th Street, NW
From a press release:
“Diners looking to get a sneak peek of Chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley’s menu at soon-to-open Roofers Union can preview menu items January 22 and 23 at Ripple, the Chef’s beloved Cleveland Park haunt. Meek-Bradley will serve her creative takes on everyday food alongside her regular menu before Roofers Union opens in Adams Morgan at the end of January.
The Pop-up menu will feature a three-course prix fixe menu with a choice of snacks like fried Brussels sprouts, trotter arancini, and crispy pig ear; an entrée course including a smokey andouille corndog with whiz, a merguez sausage seasoned with mint and served with oranges and spicy harissa, and a black bean quinoa burger topped with avocado; and last but not least, pretzel hot fudge sundae or Boston Crème layer cake for dessert. Diners can choose one of each for just $25. Also included in the price is one handcrafted beer from DC’s own 3 Stars Brewery.
Signature cocktails from Roofers Union’s bar menu will also be available for additional cost. This will be the first endeavor for Roofers Union’s newest addition to the team, Bar Manager Josh Fatemi, formerly of Bourbon, Pearl Dive and Black Jack.
When it opens at the end of January, Roofers Union will feature house-made sausages stuffed with inspired ingredients, approachable entrees done just right and a variety of bar snacks, perfect for a casual yet sophisticated night out. Menu items range from $12-$24, allowing diners to choose two items while keeping the bill under $25. Meek-Bradley plans to launch a brunch menu in the spring, which diners can enjoy from one of the best rooftops in the city. (more…)