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4434 Connecticut Ave, NW

Back in September we learned about the new bakery coming to Van Ness. Bread Furst’s website says:

“We chose a general contracting company a couple of weeks ago. The process took more time that I had expected. Our architect, Peter Hapstak and his associates had candidates in mind and my friends, Ashok Bajaj, Washington’s premier restaurateur, and Saied Azali, the city’s senior restaurateur, had some suggestions too.

We asked five firms to give us proposals and of course all of the estimated costs were higher than I expected them to be.

I walked around our store, 4434 Connecticut Avenue, with people from all the companies, and then we interviewed each to speak to those who would actually be working on our project. After all that we chose Maizel Construction, a firm with lots of restaurant construction experience and a life going back to 1976.”

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Osteria-Morini
Lumber Shed at 301 Water Street, SE

From a press release:

Osteria Morini is now open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The new Italian restaurant by award winning Chef Michael White, which opened last month in the Capital Riverfront neighborhood, offers guests a selection of appetizers, salads, pastas and panini as well as two prix-fixe options from which to choose.

The One-Course Lunch, priced at $19 per person, comes with a choice of panino served with the guest’s choice of either tortellini in brodo or fennel and apple salad. The $25 per person Two-Course Lunch gives guests a choice of any pasta and a choice of either an antipasti to start or dolci to finish. Tax and gratuity are not included.

Executive Chef Matt Adler encourages guests to begin a la carte selections with a variety of cured meats, crostini, antipasti and other small starters to share, or dive straight into the traditional housemade pastas from the country’s north central region. Substantial salads, including an Adriatic style seafood salad and the Guanciale, with bitter greens, caramelized onion and poached egg mingle with entrées such as a Fritatta with mortadella, pecorino and arugula and the Pollo Arrosto, a roasted half chicken served with young Romaine and cacio e pepe. All lunch pastas, panini and entrees are priced between $12 and $23.

Osteria Morini also debuts its “7 for $7” happy hour, offering guests a rotating list of seven items for $7 from 4-7 p.m. Monday through Friday in the bar and lounge. Snacks such as Arancini with pomodoro and parmigiano fonduta, Mortadella sliders and Crispy ravioli with bolognese will be served to complement a selection of happy hour cocktails, wines and beers.”


pinstripes_bowling
1000 block of Wisconsin Ave, NW

From a press release:

“Combining an impressive blend of bocce courts, bowling lanes, Italian/American cuisine, fine wines and live jazz music, Pinstripes is excited to announce that construction efforts are underway, and a January 2014 opening is planned at The Shops at Georgetown Park. Located on Wisconsin Avenue and overlooking the historic C & O Georgetown Canal, Pinstripes will occupy 34,000 square feet of first and second floor space, and will bring a fresh new entertainment venue to Washington, DC.

Pinstripes offers a unique dining and entertainment experience featuring Italian and American cuisine, combined with well-appointed bowling lanes and bocce courts. The Georgetown location is grand and picturesque, featuring 14 bowling lanes, six bocce courts, a bistro and extensive wine cellar, an outdoor patio with dramatic views of the C & O canal and event space accommodating 20 to 600 people. Guests can curl up with a blanket in front of the outdoor fireplace with a cocktail or gather friends for an evening of bocce and dinner. The Pinstripes experience is welcoming and memorable, and the Georgetown location will feature quality design which enlivens its stunning, historic location.

Pinstripes will be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, and is currently taking reservations for private events and parties. In celebration of its opening, Pinstripes is sponsoring a Grand Opening Community Art Contest, with prizes for various age groups, and much of the artwork featured in thevenue will be by local artists and young, inspiring artists-to-be. For moreinformation about the art contest, please contact Sandie Montgomery, Pinstripes Event Director at 630/400-3960.”


IMG_2190
1773 Columbia Road, NW

Thanks to a reader for sending word that windows at Old City Cafe have been papered over. Old City Cafe opened up at 1773 Columbia Rd, NW back in 2007. You can see their menu here. Calls to the restaurant ring without being answered or going to voicemail. Are there any fans?

I did notice a window was smashed on the left hand side so perhaps it is related?

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Silo_Success_restaurant_mt_vernon_square_dc
917 5th Street, NW

Back in Dec. 2012 we first heard about a new restaurant at that time called Success coming to 917 5th St, NW just south of K Street:

“New full service restaurant focusing on local farm ingredients and organic and seasonal ingredients with full bar. Occasional live music. Occupancy load is 130.”

Yesterday the Washington Post updates:

“The name, [Silo] says the former general manager of Shaw’s Tavern [Reza Akhavan], is a nod both to the industrial interior he’s created and the facility used to store grain. Akhavan’s 60-seat dining room near Mount Vernon Square will be “modern American with Swiss and French influences.”

Stand by for a late December opening according to the Post.


urban_butcher

From a press release:

“Urban Butcher, a bohemian inspired gathering place that celebrates the butchers art, opens Thursday, December 12

Urban Butcher is a laid-back and relaxed escape from the ordinary that will transform downtown Silver Spring. Every element of the restaurant from the sharing menu to the garage door sized windows that create an open air market feel to the repurposed coffee bar/lounge furniture to the custom-designed glass-enclosed curing cellar to the in-house butchering kitchen creates a true atmosphere of community, inclusion, transparency and comfort unlike any other. The extensive sharable menu of eclectic and honest fare will feature a significant selection of in-house cured and aged cuts of meat, as well as seafood, poultry, pig and game.

The entire menu is made of shared items including many selections from the meat cellar including charcuterie and salumi as well as terrines, pâtés and more. The moderately priced menu focuses on nose-to-tail dining. It will feature popular cuts of meat from heritage breeds chosen for the natural flavors they take from the land upon which they graze as well as many other cuts not often found on restaurant menus. Reflecting the chefs’ passion for whole animal butchery and using flavorful and honest ingredients, many of the proteins on the menu will come from local and sustainable sources.

With a focus on accessibility Urban Butcher’s highly-researched and value oriented wine list of approximately 100 labels is devoted to respecting terroir and tradition. It features avant-garde small producers from the Old World. Additionally, it will include newer-style wines from around the United States. One sparkling wine and 11 beers will be available on tap. The cocktail program features classic cocktails as well as an eclectic whiskey and malts selection.

Designed to appeal to the business and residential communities it is surrounded by, Urban Butcher will offer a variety of experiences including a 30 seat coffee bar that turns into a lounge area in the evening, a 20 seat bar, a 50 seat dining room, a 24 seat communal table and an outdoor patio that seats 50.

Splashes of bright, fresh color and texture will accent the clean, white interior. Vintage and reclaimed furniture as well as more modern pieces create an eclectic mix of old and new. Garage doors open to the street creating an open air market feel throughout the restaurant that beckons passersby. The jewel piece of the restaurant is the custom-designed glass-enclosed curing cellar located at the back of the restaurant. Reflecting Urban Butcher’s emphasis on accessibility and transparency, a floor-to-ceiling glass walled wine room accessed by a rustic, library-style ladder greets guests upon entering.

The restaurant will initially offer dinner & happy hour. The butcher shop, lunch, brunch and a coffee shop throughout the day are planned for early 2014.

Hours: 5:00 p.m. – midnight (Monday thru Thursday), 5:00 p.m. – 2 a.m. (Friday & Saturday). 5 p.m. to TBD (Sunday). Dinner 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. (Sunday thru Thursday), 6 p.m. – midnight (Friday & Saturday), Happy Hour Open until close (seven days a week).

WHEN:
Thursday, December 12 at 5:00 p.m.

WHERE:
8226 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, just two blocks south of the Silver Spring Metro stop on the Red Line.”


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