1822 1st Street, NW
Red Hen will be a:
“New neighborhood restaurant with Italian roots. Seating capacity of 78, Occupancy Load of 99, and Sidewalk Café with 46 seats.”
It just turned from yellow to pea green. Looking forward to seeing how the inside turns out. Here’s how it looked in Nov. 2012:
j
1228 11th Street, NW
Tortino Italian restaurant opened up at 1228 11th St, NW back in Dec. 2011. Their website says:
Chef Noé Canales headed for Italy in 1991 in what would become a life changing experience. He developed a love for the country and the rich heritage of the cuisine. The flavors of a potato soup with an over easy egg and white truffle still linger in his memory of one of the best dishes he has ever eaten.
Noé returned to the United States to work in the famed BiCE restaurant known for power lunches and unbelievable Italian flavors created by Chef Giovanni (Gianni) Scappin. Chef recognized young Noé curiosity and moved him from the dishwasher to the food line within a year.
In 1993 Chef Noé moved to Cafe Milano under the direction of Chef Domenico Cornacchia to be a part of the opening team in a very successful kitchen and then joined him on the opening team of Duca di Milano in 1994. By 1995 Chef Domenico brought young Noé with him to Las Vegas to open the revered Trevise La Scalla under owner Franco Nuschese.
Luigi Diotaiuti’s Al Tiramisu was home to Chef Canales for more than seven years. As a Sues Chef at Al Tiramisu he developed his craft and skill for creating fine Italian food before moving to Restorante Tosca in 2002. Chef Canales became the Chef de Cuisine of Tosca under the leadership of Chef Massimo Fabbri and owner Paolo Sacco. It was at Tosca that he began to dream of one day owning his own restaurant with the straight forward flavors of the Northern Italian cuisine he experienced in Tuscany years ago.
Noé’s journey through Italy and the kitchens of esteemed chefs have culminated in a wonderful expression of contemporary Italian cuisine and a dream come true through the opening of the restaurant Tortino. The dining room of Tortino is elegant with soft textures that lend to both comfort and sophistication. Executive Chef and owner Noé welcomes you to experience his vision.
You can see their menu here.
Any fans? For the fans any must order items from the menu?
Stay tuned for the addition of a sidewalk cafe.
903 N Street, NW
When Table first opened a couple months ago, they made a big deal about not accepting reservations. But sometimes popularity and lack of waiting space will change your mind. From an email:
As of today, it is possible to make reservations through the TableDC.com website. The restaurant will continue to welcome walk-in guests as well.
The decision came from the high degree of guest demand, coupled with the lack of space in the restaurant for waiting parties. Chef has heard from guests and taken action to respond.So, guests are recommended (but not required) to make reservations.
From an email:
From March 25-March 30, Rosa Mexicano will meld Jewish traditions with current culinary trends in Mexico, to offer creations including:
Marrow-Matzo Ball Soup: Jalisco-style Pozole soup with chipotle-marrow matzo balls
Taco de Gribnes: chicken crackling, duck egg, caramelized onions and mustard salsa verde
Stuffed Saddle of Lamb with quince, jalapeño, pomegranate and cilantro
Brisket Mixiote with sweet oranges and chilies
Grandma Shapiro’s Strudel with tropical fruits, chipotle chocolate and whipped cream
You can see Rosa Mexicano DC locations here.
2047 9th St, NW (behind 9:30 Club)
Back in Oct. 2012 the long awaited Satellite Room opened behind the 9:30 Club. You can see their menu here. How do they compare to the other Hilton brothers spots? For the fans – do you go more for the bar or the food?
2421 18th Street, NW
Finally there is new tenant for the former Carribou Coffee space and more recently the former Uptowner Cafe space which closed in Dec. 2010. It’s been vacant ever since but not for much longer. I spoke with some workers at the property and they say the owner of Mediterranean Spot at 15th and U St (formerly 24/Seven located at 14th and U) will be opening up a second location here. I called the folks at Mediterranean Spot and they confirm they’ll be opening up a second restaurant with the same name and similar menu here. Stay tuned for an opening date when they get closer to opening but it should be in the next 2-3 weeks.
1337 Connecticut Ave, NW
From a press release:
The Gryphon will open to the public for dinner service on Wednesday, March 13 at 9 p.m. Executive Chef Joseph Evans of brother restaurant Lost Society will serve modern takes on classic bar bites such pimento-cheese-stuffed pepperdews and cajun crawfish mac-n-cheese, as well as hearty entrees like cocoa and chipotle rubbed sirloin and crispy Scottish salmon with smoked tomato beurre blanc. Sweet finishes such as peanut butter and chocolate bread pudding with strawberry jam round out the dessert menu.
Photo credit: Travis Vaughn
More photos of the interior and a look at the full menu after the jump. (more…)
1335 2nd Street, NE
The owners write:
“Thaaja launch party is this Thursday March 14th from 12 PM onwards. First 100 wraps/bowls will be free and $3 the rest of the day (limit one per customer).”
Thaaja opened in late Jan. at 1335 2nd Street, NE by the Courtyard Marriott and the NoMa metro. You can see their menu here.
1410 14th Street, NW
Back in Dec. we learned that Black Whiskey would be opening in former Mar de Plata space in Logan Circle. At that time they hoped to open around the April. Looks like they still have some more buildout to do but according to the liquor license application, the space will be pretty large:
“New Full Service Restaurant serving American cuisine with occasional DJ and Dancing. Number of inside seats is 140. Total occupancy load is 275. Summer Garden, number of seats is 20.“
