citycenterdc

New Italian Restaurant from Chef at Alba Osteria coming to CityCenter this Spring

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user clif_burns

From a press release:

“D.C. chef Amy Brandwein announces plans to open Centrolina, a 4,075-square-foot Italian market and restaurant at 974 Palmer Alley in downtown’s expansive CityCenterDC development in Spring 2015. Centrolina, Brandwein’s first solo restaurant outing, will be open daily for lunch and dinner. The kitchen will serve a 52-seat dining room, 12-seat bar and 32-seat patio. The market will offer a selection of imported Italian specialty items along with meat, fish and produce from local farms, a selection of house-made items and a barista-serviced coffee program.

“Centrolina is directly inspired by a specific type of shopping and dining establishment that I have come to love on my travels through Italy,” said chef/owner Amy Brandwein. “From major cities to small country villages, you can find small, combined markets and restaurants, where a huge part of the charm comes from a blurred line between the dining room and the market. I remember enjoying a meal and watching the chef walk from the kitchen to the market to get a scoop of pomodorini for burrata. The magic was in the proximity to both the materials in the market and the craftsmanship of the chef. We’re going to capture that at Centrolina. It’s not going to just be an Italian dining experience or just an Italian shopping experience; it’s going to be a chef-minded Italian food experience.”

ON THE MENU (more…)

More info on new Thai Restaurant, Mango Tree, coming to CityCenter this December

By Prince Of Petworth

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929 H Street, NW

From a press release:

“Founder and CEO Pitaya Phanphensophon of Mango Tree, the global restaurant group behind a revolution in modern Thai dining hotspot, is partnering with acclaimed Chef/Owner Richard Sandoval of Richard Sandoval Restaurants to bring his innovative Thai restaurant to Washington, DC. Mango Tree DC will open this December at 929 H Street, within the cutting edge, new mixed-use development CityCenterDC. The restaurant will offer contemporary Thai cuisine with a bold new twist, along with authentic essential classics. Those dining at this welcoming, upscale restaurant will enjoy the second floor 140-seat main dining room and the 24-seat seasonal outdoor terrace. Mango Tree will also have a vibrant first floor 45-seat bar and lounge for those looking forward to sipping classic cocktails and innovative libations while listening to expertly curated music. (more…)

Chef Daniel Boulud’s DBGB opens in CityCenter

By Prince Of Petworth

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931 H Street, NW

From DBGB’s website:

“DBGB Kitchen and Bar is Chef Daniel Boulud’s casual French-American restaurant located within CityCenterDC at 9th St. & H NW. DBGB marks the NYC-based chef’s first restaurant in DC, which he describes as his “Tribute to casual American dishes I’ve come to love since moving to the states, all done with a French flair.” Best described as ‘a little bit brasserie, a little bit bistro, half French, half American,’ DBGB serves seven varieties of house-made sausages, three house-ground gourmet burgers, seasonal Lyonnais-inspired cooking, and hit dishes from the original downtown, NYC restaurant.”

Check out their menu here.

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Reader Reports Hugo Boss at CityCenter Robbed Sunday Morning

By Prince Of Petworth

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1054 Palmer Alley NW (10th St NW Between H & I)

“Dear PoPville,

This is why we can’t have nice things.

Today, [Sunday] just after noon, my husband and I were leaving our apartment at CityCenter to go to brunch. We typically walk past Hugo Boss and noticed four individuals running out of the store with arms full of suits and shirts and sweaters. A black Cadillac Escalade truck pulled up, they all rushed in, and the truck sped off.

My husband was quick enough to whip out his phone and get a picture of the car. We went into the store and shared it with the manager.

Given how unique the pick-up truck is, and the fact that security cameras throughout the store would have gotten solid shots, they’re confident that they’ll catch the robbers.

Still, though, sad and aggravating.”

Daytime Farmers Market Launching at CityCenter Tomorrow (Tues.) at 10th and I St, NW

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user clif_burns

From a press release:

“FRESHFARM Markets will open its 12th farmers market this June with the opening of the FRESHFARM Market at CityCenterDC. Located at The Park at CityCenter at the corner of 10th and I Streets, N.W. the market will be open Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. June 17th – October 28th. The market will feature ready-to-eat foods, locally grown fruits and vegetables as well as locally produced items including cured meats, breads, baked goods, kettle corn and more from FRESHFARM Markets distinguished network of farmers and artisanal producers.

CityCenterDC is another opportunity for FRESHFARM Markets to bring an innovative and unique model of farmers market to downtown DC. The market will introduce neighborhood residents and professionals to an exciting collection of new and emerging local artisanal food businesses as well as high-quality local farms. What makes this kind of market unique is that the same farms who are selling to customers are also supplying the participating prepared food businesses with vegetables, cheeses, fruits and meats. Chaia DC is a great example. Launched at the FRESHFARM Market by the White House in 2013, Chaia is now widely recognized as an innovative new business whose delicious plant-based tacos are made with ingredients sourced from their fellow market farmers.

Shoppers can expect to find Black Rock Orchard, Capitol Kettle Corn, Cowbell Kitchen, Frenchie’s, Pinch hand-made Chinese dumplings, Postmodern Foods and Urban Butcher, as well as other farmers/producers to be confirmed. Highlights include: (more…)

If this happens this’ll be the next Le Diplomate in DC – NYC’s The Smith Brasserie Looking at CityCenter

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user clif_burns

Potentially huge news from the Washington Business Journal:

“The group [The Smith] is eyeing a space in the area formerly intended for Apple on Eye Street NW facing the CityCenter’s Northwest Park, adjacent to where Momofuku’s David Chang is also said to be looking at space.”

The Smith’s website says:

The Smith is a casual American Brasserie with three upbeat locations in New York City: The Smith East Village, overlooking bustling Third Avenue, The Smith Midtown, in the heart of Manhattan, located on 51st Street and Second Avenue and The Smith Lincoln Center directly across from historic Lincoln Center.

Utilizing local products and purveyors, the breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner menus feature a selection of familiar bistro dishes. Signature dishes at all locations include Crispy Fried Calamari “Brooklyn Style,” Pot of Mussels with chardonnay-dijon broth and perfectly cooked hand cut fries and four different cuts of steak prepared char broiled, served with a choice of homemade sauces including béarnaise, green peppercorn and chimichurri. Most of the desserts are fun twists on classics, including Sticky Toffee Pudding, S’mores in a Jar and Hot Fudge Sundae with almond bark and flourless chocolate cake.

Our bars offer an elaborate menu of classic and signature cocktails made with fresh fruit and herbs. We serve seven local hand crafted beers on tap and have a selection of 20 wines available by the glass or carafe as well as a hand selected bottle list.

The crowd at The Smith is eclectic, attracting after-work colleagues, late-night revelers, families for Sunday brunch and more. Our guests come for all occasions – a drink after work, a quick bite before a movie, a business dinner, or to celebrate a birthday.

You can see their menus here.

My folks actually live around the corner from one of these and I’ve had the occasion to visit a few times. I’m a big fan and while I was a big supporter of an Apple store opening here, I think The Smith would be a great addition to the District dining scene. It reminds me of Philly’s Le Parc opening in DC as Le Diplomate. The Smith is a big beautiful space that I think will be equally as successful as Le Diplomate if they open here. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Kate Spade Coming to CityCenterDC and Some Reader Scuttlebutt – Hermes, Gucci, D&G, Tiffany&Co Coming too?

By Prince Of Petworth

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Earlier this week @CityCenterDC tweeted the photo above:

“Look who popped up at #CityCenterDC today! Plan your @katespadeny purchases at http://www.katespade.com!”

And last week when we noted coming soon signage for Longchamp, a reader commented some interesting scuttlebutt about who else is coming:

“Hermes, Gucci, D&G, Tiffany&Co”

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