U Street

804 V Street, NW

Back in April we learned that Declaration from the owners of Lincoln and Teddy & The Bully Bar was coming to 804 V St, NW near the 9:30 Club. They’ve now posted a liquor license application that says:

“New full service casual dining restaurant specializing in intercontinental small-plate food with occasional live entertainment to include DJs, as well as occasional live music (3-4 piece band). Seating inside premises is 50. Total capacity inside premises is 65. Sidewalk Café with seating for 12.”

Looking west towards 9th Street

1934 8th Street, NW

From a press release:

“Celebrated Virginia-based Chef and Restaurateur Tim Ma of Tim Ma Restaurant Group – Water & Wall, Gather + Feast, Chase the Submarine (Coming Soon/ Vienna, VA – September 2015), and formerly of Maple Ave Restaurant – has officially announced his plans to open his first restaurant in Washington DC – ‘Freehand’ – as early as November 2015. The upscale casual restaurant featuring a home-like setting will be based in the rapidly evolving neighborhood of Shaw in the new mixed-use commercial and residential space The Shay in addition to numerous other notable retail and hospitality brands.

Located at 1934 8th Street NW, Washington DC 20001 in The Shay, a 268-unit apartment building from the JBG Companies, Freehand will open to the public as a French and Asian Bistro with the hopes of serving as an extension of Ma and Hernandez’s home. Seating at Freehand will be limited to 50 with the goal in mind of being able offer guests a more personable and intimate dining experience – with a high focus on service, ambiance, and the creativity of constantly shifting menu items.

With the space designed by award-winning Griz Dwight of GrizForm Design Architects, the 2700 square foot space will debut tones touched with rich smoky blues, warm woods, gold metallic accents, an open kitchen, and a communal table where Chef Ma may entertain revamped Chef’s Table/Tasting Table experiences for up to 8-12 guests at a time, similar to his Gather + Feast experiences. Freehand will feature custom ceramic plateware exclusively created for the DC-based restaurant by talented artists Amber Kendrick and Ernie Niblack of VA-based Cloude Terre.

There will also be a bar component at Freehand, separate from the restaurant that will have its own identity as a boundary pushing bar, but also serve as a unique complement to the restaurant. A simplified menu will be offered at the bar, and the full cocktail, wine and beer program from the bar will be available to the restaurant.

Celebrated since 2009 following the opening of Maple Ave Restaurant and along with wife and partner Joey Hernandez, Ma has continued to evolve his hospitality brand by opening additional Northern Virginia-based restaurants and culinary projects including Water & Wall in Arlington, VA, Gather + Feast – an intimate and private Chef’s Table experience hosted by Chef Tim Ma and Fable Hospitality’s Neal Wavra in guests’ homes – and coming soon to Vienna, VA as early as September 2015, Chase the Submarine, a casual and eclectic sandwich shop and butcher shop combination in partnership with Michael Amouri, will specialize in offering guests creative sandwiches, and a complete butcher shop. Freehand will serve as Ma’s first restaurant to open in Washington DC. Ma and Hernandez no longer operate Maple Ave Restaurant.

SAMPLE FREEHAND MENU (SUBJECT TO CHANGE) (more…)