634 Florida Ave, NW
At the end of Sept. I spoke with some workers who said pizza was coming back to 634 Florida Ave, NW where Italy Pizza used to be before they closed in May. Glad to see it wasn’t just a rumor. Hopefully the pizza at Aroma Pizzeria will be as good (or better) as Italy Pizza used to be (especially when they sold by the slice.) We’ll revisit for a proper judging after they’ve been open a few months.
1835 18th Street, NW
From a press release:
“Lauriol Plaza featuring Mexican and Latin American cuisine and Cactus Cantina offering the best Tex-Mex have been popular restaurants in the Washington, DC metro area for nearly 30 years. In addition to offering delicious and authentic dishes, both restaurants will now accept call ahead and online reservations.
Reservations can easily be made online at each of the restaurant websites www.lauriolplaza.com and www.cactuscantina.com through the reservation widget “Reserve Now.” Party size, date, and time can all be selected with a few easy clicks of the mouse. Guests can also make reservations by calling the restaurant and speaking with a host or hostess. For those guests who like to go out to dinner on a whim, both Lauriol Plaza and Cactus Cantina will continue to accept walk-ins as well. Lauriol Plaza is located at 1835 18th Street NW in Washington DC’s Dupont Circle neighborhood, directly west of the U Street Corridor. Cactus Cantina is located at 3300 Wisconsin Avenue NW in the Cleveland Park neighborhood. Both restaurants are open for brunch Sundays, lunch Monday through Saturday, and dinner Sunday through Saturday.”
3300 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
4700 Wisconsin Ave, NW
“Dear PoPville,
I heard from employees there that it will be closing for up to two years as the building is razed & rebuilt (along with two adjoining buildings). This is a neighborhood institution, a 24-hour dive diner that’s been there for decades. Big deal for Tenleytown. The employees said it was initially supposed to close in November but that they recently got word it has been delayed until January 2014.”
I called the store but they were unable to give firm timelines and the owner was not at the store. So it is not clear if they will close this January or next January. But it is clear at some point it’s looking like Steak ‘n Egg will be closing for extensive renovations. In June a Raze permit was issued for 4700 Wisconsin Ave, NW. At that time CityPaper reported:
“Developer Frank Economides, who owns the property and filed the permit application, says Steak ‘n Egg isn’t disappearing. The raze permit application was an early step in the process of a potential expansion of the restaurant.”
It now seems, while Steak ‘n Egg won’t disappear completely, they are likely to take an extensive hiatus during renovations. Stay tuned for more info on the timeline as it becomes available. For the moment they remain open. You can check out their menu here.
Corner of Chesapeake and Wisconsin Ave, NW
3224-3226 11th Street, NW
A couple of months ago we learned a Filipino restaurant from one of the owners of Room 11 was going to take over the former El Rinconcito Deportivo space a few storefronts down from Room 11 at 3226 11th Street, NW. Walking by the other day I noticed there was some action at the vacant space next door at 3224 11th Street so I inquired with owner Nick Pimentel who tells me that he holds the lease for both spaces and is still figuring out whether to double the Filipino restaurant’s space or open a completely new concept there. Either way this is awesome news!
For those that don’t recall – plans for the Filipino restaurant are to:
“serve a range of iconic Filipino dishes, snacks and comfort food alongside a thoughtfully curated beverage program.”
Updates as construction progresses.
11th Street looking north towards Lamont and Room 11
3115 14th Street, NW
Earlier in the month we learned The Heights would be briefly closing to “revamp” the space. Following is an update:
“The Heights will reopen following its brief renovation on Friday, November 1 at 5:00 p.m. Starting on that day, The Heights will launch new late night hours, offering a “Late Nite” menu featuring items such as blistered shishito peppers, fried oysters, sweet & spicy popcorn, and crispy chickpeas, all priced between $4-$5. The Late Nite bar and menu options will be offered on Thursdays from 10:30 to 11:30 PM, and Fridays & Saturdays from 10:30 to 12:00 PM.
In addition, the opening on Friday, November 1 will reveal the new look of The Heights, and launch the new food and beverage menus. An all-night Happy Hour at the bar and in the new lounge area will occur until closing. The celebration will continue all weekend with a “Beer & Wine Garden Party” on the 80-seat patio. The event takes place from 2:00 p.m. until close on Saturday, November 2 and Sunday, November 3, featuring half price beer and wine. Some of the new additions include more TV for better game viewing, a tiered pricing on the wine list and handmade flat breads.
The inside will divided in a way that creates a more intimate experience. For example, one change is there will be a row of booths down the center of the main room, which will break up the space a bit more. The bar will remain in the same location but the front window (which was booths/tables) will be expanded to create a lounge area.”
The Heights New Dinner Menu (PDF)
The Heights Late Nite Menu (PDF)
1928 I Street, NW
Not sure if this the same place I heard about back in July 2012 or something completely different but Washington Business Journal reports a permit has been issued for:
“Alteration and repair of an existing, 1,045-square-foot retail space to establish a 14-seat fast food restaurant, Poppa Box, a Teryiaki/Asian fusion joint from the Go! Bento company.”
Here’s how Tony’s Flowers used to look:
3118 Georgia Avenue, NW
I had high hopes for Ma Ma’s Southern Cuisine when they were looking to stay open 24 hours and serve breakfast all day. Alas, they were rarely open when I walked by. Hopefully someone solid takes over the space.
The transformation coming to the corner of North Capitol and R Street, NW is gonna be amazing. The current shell at 1648 North Capitol St, NW will soon look like these great renderings. For those not familiar with the project you can read about plans for Pub and the People here. If all goes well they hope to open Summer 2014.
300 Tingey Street, SE
Thanks to a reader for sending word. More good news for Navy Yard, yesterday Bluejacket/Arsenal officially opened in the Boilermaker shops and tomorrow Buzz Bakery opens next door.
Apparently they were supposed to open up today but ANC Rep David Garber tweeted the updated photo below this morning:
2438 18th Street, NW
Unfortunately Donburi’s planned opening in Adams Morgan got delayed due to the government shutdown. But they are hopeful they can get all their permits in order in around 10 days. Let’s hope so because Donburi sounds like it could be delicious:
“a Japanese “rice bowl dish” consisting of fish, meat, vegetables or other ingredients simmered together and served over rice.”
