Restaurants

Simple Bar and Grill Coming to Brightwood

By Prince Of Petworth

simple_bar_and_grill_brightwood
5828 Georgia Avenue, NW

Good news for Brightwood residents – a casual neighborhood spot is coming your way. The former Kendejah restaurant and lounge is going to become ‘Simple Bar and Grill’ (next door to Chocolate Crust formerly Washington Deli.) I spoke with owner Wilfredo Guzman (Wil) who says he hopes to have the space open (at least to sample the food) in a month or so. After that they plan on getting their liquor license in hopes of offering a tasty mojito and more.

simple_bar_kendejah_brightwood

Since the space was formerly a restaurant, most of the changes going on inside are cosmetic (though the kitchen has been completely reworked.) But right away, for folks who know the area, you’ll notice an improvement because the former cinderblock/bricked front of Kendejah has been replaced by two big open windows. Wil tells me that he plans for the space to be very welcoming. Folks who live in the area can often see Wil cleaning up the area in front of his store (which can be a Sisyphean task on busy Georgia Ave.) not to mention beautifying the tree box and other touches.

Inspired by the many restaurants he has worked at, Wil wants to appeal to everyone’s taste and keep it nice and simple – thus the name. The menu will develop over time but he plans on serving grilled meats and other simple dishes at a very reasonable price. Inside folks will find a small bar in the back and lots of booths and table seating for up to 95 (the space is two storefronts combined and deceivingly large.) There will be tvs as well so folks can watch football during football season and watch other big sporting events as well. Though Wil emphasized that the spot will not be a sports bar and restaurant rather it will be a neighborhood bar and restaurant.

I asked Wil how he decided to open a restaurant while currently owning a tattoo shop and he laughed and said he’s always had two jobs. While Graphic Box is only about 2 1/2 years old and will remain open (5816 Georgia Ave NW) – he’s worked at restaurants for over 16 years. He had to work two jobs to pay his way through the Corcoran School of Art while also supporting a daughter.

I have very high hopes for Simple Bar and Grill to become a casual but comfortable spot. Stay tuned for updates as they get closer to opening.

Azur Launches Lunch Today and Wednesday Crab Fests June 12th

By Prince Of Petworth

azur
405 8th Street, NW

From an email:

Azur, Frederik de Pue’s young Penn Quarter seafood restaurant, will be launching weekday lunch service on Wednesday, June 5. Lunch will be served Mondays-Fridays from 11:30am-3pm.

The menu includes a few favorites from Azur’s European-accented dinner menu, like the wild sardine escabeche, along with a selection of lunch-only entrees and sandwiches. Dishes like Steak Frites, Fish & Chips and Flemish-Style Asparagus give diners a reason to enjoy a midday meal in Azur’s dining room, while the sandwiches – including a signature Lobster Roll, Crab Cake Rueben and braised Pork Belly Bahn Mi – can be enjoyed in the restaurant or wrapped up to take back to the office.

and

Beginning June 12, Frederik De Pue’s Penn Quarter seafood restaurant Azur will host a summer-long series of Wednesday Crab Fests. The weekly events will take place in the first floor bar area (the Washington part of his Brussels-meets-Washington concept) and feature fixed-price crab offerings and specials on canned and draft beer from a single local brewery that will change throughout the season.

Crab Fests take place on Wednesdays, beginning June 12, from 5pm until the crabs run out.

The fixed-price crab specials come with corn on the cob, kielbasa, potatoes, hush puppies, drawn butter, cocktail sauce and garlic aioli and cost $65 for a half-dozen large blue crabs or $120 for a dozen.

Crabs are available a la carte for $40 for a half-dozen large blue crabs and $75 for a dozen.

On June 12, the local brewery will be DC Brau. The Public Pale Ale will be available on draft alongside cans of the Citizen Belgian Ale and El Hefe Speaks Hefeweizen, all priced at $5.

And on a side note since was the former home of America Eats Tavern:

“Following the success of America Eats Tavern, the groundbreaking temporary restaurant in downtown DC, José Andrés reveals the permanent home of his American culinary destination, in McLean, Virginia, at The Ritz-­‐Carlton, Tysons Corner, scheduled to open its doors this November.”

Moe’s Southwest Grill Coming to NoMa

By Prince Of Petworth


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@TonyTGoodman tweeted the news last night:

“Coming soon to NoMa – @Moes_HQ on N at 1st NE, adjacent to TD Bank.”

moes_southwest_grill_noma
image via KLNB Retail

Moe’s Southwest Grill’s website says:

Founded in December 2000 in Atlanta, Ga., Moe’s Southwest Grill is a fun and engaging fast-casual restaurant franchise serving a wide variety of fresh, made-to-order southwest fare.

The first thing you’ll hear when you walk into the restaurant is an enthusiastic “Welcome to Moe’s!” It’s more than a greeting; it’s a way of life for the folks who customize each meal fresh to order right in front of the guest.

While Moe’s is best known for its burritos packed with a choice of over 20 fresh, flavorful ingredients, the menu also features kid’s, vegetarian and low-calorie options. And all meals are served with free chips and salsa.

We believe in delicious simplicity, which is our way of saying we’re committed to serving only the highest quality ingredients 100% of the time at 100% of our locations. The fully customizable menu proudly boasts all-natural, cage-free, white breast meat chicken; steroid-free, grain-fed pulled pork; 100% sirloin, grass-fed steak; and organic tofu. At Moe’s, there are no microwaves, no Trans fats and no msg.

Food quality, safety and customer service are no joke, but aside from that, Moe’s tries not to take itself too seriously. For fun, the folks at Moe’s gave each menu item a unique name like The Funk Meister taco, Homewrecker burrito and Billy Barou nachos, to name a few, just to keep things interesting.

And the music at Moe’s is also a good conversation starter. If you listen closely to the tunes playing at any Moe’s restaurant, you’ll notice all of the songs are performed by dead musicians to honor the sweet sounds of the artists who left us too soon.

You can see their menu here. Currently Moe’s has DC locations at 1331 Pennsylvania Ave, NW and 470 L’Enfant Plaza East. Anyone ever eat at one?

“Neighborhood H Street Foodie Tour” Sat. June 29th

By Prince Of Petworth

From Taste DC:

Neighborfood: 1 Day, 8 Restaurants, 100’s of People, 1 Neighborhood..

Current Featured Restaurants:

1. Smith Commons
2. Sol Mexican Grill
3. Tru Orleans
4. The Queen Vic
5. Hikari Sushi
6. H & Pizza
7. Rose’s Deja Vu
8. TBA!

*** Note: Event is Rain or Shine ***

Neighborfood is an afternoon celebration of food, family, and the community we live in.
A neighborhood is defined by the community within it, so, for one afternoon, we will be inviting your neighbors to live it, love it, and eat in it, because as Virginia Woolf said “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”

On Saturday, June 29th, We will be dining at 8 different restaurants along the H Street Corridor which are all within walking distance. Your ticket will include food at each participating location, with drink specials to be offered.

We will be donating a portion of the proceeds to local nonprofits. Let’s celebrate the community and help it out, too!

How does it work?: A ticket is your invitation to dine at all 8 participating locations. During check-in, on the day of, you will receive a dinner map, which shows you all the places you will try and love.

Are tickets available day of?: Yes, but they will be $15 at check in, right now they are $10.

Food and beverage tickets will be available the day of for $5.

I’m a Vegetarian: We love and respect vegetarians, and there may be vegetarian dishes at various places, but, we cannot guarantee vegetarian options or any other dietary restrictions.

Einstein Bagels Coming to Long Vacant Former Vespa Space in Glover Park

By Prince Of Petworth

einstein_bagels_glover_park
Click to enlarge

An eagle eyed reader spots the above zoning notice for an Einstein bagels to come to the long vacant Vespa showroom at 2233 Wisconsin Ave, NW in Glover Park. There used to be an Einstein bagels at 1815 Wisconsin Ave, NW which closed in July 2011. The long awaited Einstein bagels in Union Station recently opened in March 2013.

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Photo of former Vespa space at 2233 Wisconsin Ave, NW via google street view.

Zabb Modern Asian Restaurant Becomes Mum Mum

By Prince Of Petworth

mum_mum_restaurant_dc
1836 18th Street, NW

Zabb Modern Asian opened up in the summer of 2011 in the former Straits of Malaya space at 1836 18th Street, NW (across the street from Lauriol Plaza.) I just noticed the new Mum Mum sign:

mum_mum_sign

A yelp reviewer says:

“Mum Mum is still an Asian joint with great happy hour deals on Singha and Sake bombs, as well as deals on some sushi and nigiri selections. The remodeled bar inside is now much longer, serving far more people than before and the service is great.”

mum_mum_zabb_asian_restaurant_18th_st_dc

Mandu to celebrate Executive Chef Yesoon Lee’s birthday with special collaboration dinner Sunday June 9th

By Prince Of Petworth

mandu_k_st
453 K Street, NW

From a press release:

This June, Mandu will celebrate Executive Chef Yesoon Lee’s birthday with a special collaboration dinner featuring Executive Chefs Scott Drewno of The Source, Haidar Karoum of Proof/Estadio/Doi Moi, Jonah Kim and Yoji Harada of Pabu, and Will Morris of Vermilion.

Priced at $50 per person, including house wine but not including tax and gratuity, the six-course dinner, served family style, will be held on Sunday, June 9th at 7:00 PM in the first floor dining room of Mandu’s K St. location. The dinner will begin with an assortment of canapés made by all the participating chefs and guests will sip Makkoli, a fermented chilled Korean rice wine with their courses. 50% of the proceeds from the dinner will be donated to the DC Youth Orchestra.

“The local food community here really feels like an extended family, and what better way to celebrate a birthday than with your friends and family,” says Danny Lee, co-owner of Mandu and Chef Lee’s son. “Scott, Haidar, Jonah, Yoji and Will are such accomplished chefs of Asian food and this dinner is a fun way for us to learn from each other.”

Guests at the dinner will be treated to a wide range of Asian flavors including Korean, Japanese, Thai and Chinese. For one-night only, the dining room will be split into long communal tables to encourage friends and strangers to share a meal with each other. For dinner reservations, please email [email protected].

Full menu after the jump. (more…)

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