Restaurants

Chef Michael Schlow Designing New Menu for VIDA’s Penthouse Pool Club on U Street

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo courtesy VIDA Fitness

From a press release:

Dive into summer early with a splash! VIDA Fitness’ Penthouse Pool Club kicks off its 2013 pool season on Saturday, April 27, which promises an event-filled summer with themed happy hours, rooftop dining and poolside celebrations. Award-winning chef Michael Schlow has been retained by Urban Adventures Companies, Inc. (UAC) to create and design a new food and beverage menu. Schlow’s cuisine will feature tasty appetizers and small plates, hearty salads, artisan sandwiches and wraps and healthy juices, smoothies and shakes. UAC newly designated an onsite full-service prep kitchen where Schlow’s culinary eats will be cooked and prepared fresh daily. Michael Schlow is executive chef and owner of seven prized restaurants in the northeast and recognized as one of the leading chefs in the United States.

Located on the rooftop of VIDA Fitness-U Street at 1612 U Street, NW, the 12,000-square-foot member-only pool club and lounge features a highly-stylized atmosphere that includes a 60-foot pool, private sun deck, resort cabanas, communal fire pits and a membership lounge. VIDA Fitness is currently accepting applications for a limited number of Penthouse Pool Club memberships, which are obtainable on a space available basis.

Penthouse members can also reserve customized rooftop spaces and host private events with food and beverage options from a specialized catering menu designed by Chef Michael Schlow. The Pool Club can accommodate groups of up to 299 and is available for functions from small gatherings to large receptions. Ideal for birthday celebrations, wedding receptions, fundraisers or business functions, the Penthouse event space options include the Pool Deck, Poolside VIP Area, Adams Morgan View or the secluded Sun Deck on the fourth level terrace.

The Penthouse Pool Club is designed to look and feel like an urban oasis where guests and members can socialize and unwind in a sophisticated setting while appreciating panoramic capital views. The rooftop club sports ten private cabanas and one larger VIP cabana, which are punctuated with custom Moroccan fixtures floating over large crimson beds surrounding the pool. Continuing the Moroccan theme are platinum colored lounge chairs with thick red cushions, and red and white zebra print daybeds all situated on top of synthetic green grass. At night the Penthouse mood is enhanced with glowing stone fire pits and changing colored lighting that illuminate the pool waters.

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1612 U St, NW courtesy of VIDA Fitness

Park Tavern Finally Opens in Navy Yard

By Prince Of Petworth

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202 M Street, SE

The eagerly anticipated Park Tavern has finally opened at 202 M Street, SE in Navy Yard. Thanks to all who sent emails. Park Tavern joins the recently opened Gordon Biersch brewery near the baseball stadium.

Anyone happen to stop by Park Tavern yesterday?

Ed. Note: This is one of Xavier Cervera’s restaurants that recently sold to a Boston equity firm. Capitol Hill Corner reported:

The equity group that bought out Cervera is reportedly headed by his brother and has other restaurant franchises. Xavier’s brother is currently in Washington and is actively managing the restaurant group. Part of the deal was Xavier’s continued involvement in the management as a consultant.

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U Scream Ice Cream to Become a Wine Bar (serving Mexican Food) on U Street

By Prince Of Petworth

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1301 U Street, NW

U Scream Ice Cream (formerly Maggie Moos) will become Bin 1301 Wine bar. A liquor license posted out front says:

“Bin 1301 Wine Bar

New Full Service Restaurant that will be serving Mexican Food. Total Load: 61,
Seats Inside: 36, Summer Garden Seats: 35.”

I’m intrigued. Also, it’ll be interesting to see if they face the same liquor license battle as Fainting Goat, which is hoping to open up across the street. Stay tuned.

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U Street looking east toward 13th Street.

Travel Channel Ranks Top 5 “Hottest New Restaurants” in DC

By Prince Of Petworth

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Chez Billy located at 3815 Georgia Avenue, NW

Thanks to @russellbreck for tweeting the link to @PoPville. The Travel Channel writes:

“Influenced by its residents’ eclectic mix of cultures, DC offers up some of the nation’s most inspired and diverse restaurants.”

Their top five are:

Chez Billy located at 3815 Georgia Avenue, NW in Petworth.

RANGE located at 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW in Friendship Heights.

Izakaya Seki located at 1117 V Street, NW in U Street.

Fiola located at 601 Pennsylvania Ave, NW in Penn Quarter near the Navy Archives metro.

Mintwood Place located at 1813 Columbia Rd, NW in Adams Morgan.

Ri Ra Irish Pub Coming to the former Mie N Yu Space in Georgetown

By Prince Of Petworth

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3125 M Street, NW

Last week Georgetown Patch reported that a Ri Ra Irish Pub would be coming to the former Mie N Yu space in Georgetown. From Ri Ra’s Arlington website:

Capturing the unique atmosphere of traditional Victorian era Irish pubs, Rí Rá was built entirely from authentic Irish salvage material. The main bar, the back bar and many of the features came from an old pharmacy in Dublin and are over 100 years old. The pub was meticulously restored in Ireland before being shipped to Clarendon.

The interior is rich and warm, constructed by notable craftsmen from the finest available materials of the day. The pub is an ideal use for the historic Virginia Hardware Store that previously occupied the site since 1924.

No doubt the many hard working carpenters that shopped at the Hardware Store over the years would appreciate the craftsmanship of the beautiful Irish pub.

Alongside the old and historic artifacts that the pub contains are pre-Raphaelite paintings that were replicated by hand during the months of construction to create a truly amazing and unique setting.

You can see their menus here. Anyone ever been to a Ri Ra before?

Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken Soft Opens Downtown – Check Out the Opening Menu

By Prince Of Petworth

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1308 G Street, NW

Following on the heels of GBD which opened last week in Dupont, Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken opened at 1308 G Street, NW. From a press release:

Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken, a casual yet refined take on two comfort food classics – fried chicken and doughnuts – will open for business on April 8 at 1308 G Street, NW Washington, DC. After several months of catering and pop-up sales, pastry Chef Jason Gehring, formerly of Fiola, The Charleston and Cinghiale in Baltimore, and Poste Moderne Brasserie, has had the opportunity to test a variety of flavors and is excited to serve his evolving array of haute doughnuts, fried chicken, side dishes and one specialty sandwich. Astro will exclusively serve artisan drip coffee from Brooklyn Roasting Company, as well as sparkling and flavored waters. Sourcing some of the finest ingredients available, including Benton’s Bacon, locally raised, free range chicken, Valrhona chocolate, King Arthur flour, and Plugrá butter to name a few, Chef Gehring will vary seasonal doughnut flavors based on fruit and produce availability from local farmers.

During the opening week of April 8 – 12, Astro will have limited hours, opening at 8:00 a.m. until all doughnuts and fried chicken are sold out. On opening day, the first 200 people in line will receive one free doughnut with any purchase, while the first 50 people in line for lunch will receive a complimentary side with any chicken purchase. All lunch sales, including chicken, sides and the chicken and doughnut sandwich will begin at 11:00 a.m. After the soft opening week, regular operating hours will be 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Below is the opening menu.

See the menu after the jump. (more…)

Le Diplomate Soft Opens in Logan Circle

By Prince Of Petworth

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14th and Q St, NW

About a month ago we spoke with owner Stephen Starr and couldn’t wait to taste their bread (among other items.) The wait is over! Le Diplomate soft opened in Logan Circle over the weekend.

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From a press release:

From Sunday 4/7 – Sunday 4/14, Le Diplomate will soft open to the public, serving its full menu for dinner and Saturday & Sunday brunch, and will offer a 10% discount off of food as the restaurant fine-tunes and prepares for opening. The restaurant will officially open on April 15th. Dinner hours are 5pm-10pm, Sunday – Tuesday, 5pm-11pm Wednesday & Thursday and 5pm – Midnight, Friday and Saturdays. Brunch hours are Saturday and Sundays from 11am – 3pm.

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See more photos of the inside after the jump, plus a reminder of how the space looked back in 2010. (more…)

Saigon Bistro becomes Pho EurAsian on P Street

By Prince Of Petworth

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2153 P Street, NW

On Monday we learned that Neisha would become a EurAsian restaurant in Tenleytown. Turns out Tenleytown will be their second location, which according to workers at P Street should open Apr. 16th.

Saigon Bistro at 2153 P St, NW changed ownership last week and reopened as Pho EurAsian. They’ll only be open for a couple of weeks before they close the P Street location for a complete gut renovation after Tenyleytown opens. A brief look at the menu, as the name implies, revealed tons of Pho options. We’ll be back for a proper judging in a few months.

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