New Openings
Recent noteworthy openings in the D.C. area in the past six months ...
J&G Steakhouse's dining room.
NEW • J&G Steakhouse
W Hotel, 515 15th St. NW, 202.661.2440
Famed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten has partnered with Starwood Hotels to open dozens of restaurants in properties all over the world. The latest, J&G Steakhouse, in DC's gorgeous new W Hotel, which opened July 8 in the old Hotel Washington.
NEW • Point of View
W Hotel, 515 15th St. NW
The former Hotel Washington Sky Terrace, with its stunning views, has been transformed into a super chic bar and lounge dubbed Point of View at the new W Hotel. The cocktail program was created by Sasha Petraske of Manhattan's famed Milk and Honey and Little Branch and DC's own Justin Guthrie, formerly behind the bar at Central. The inside bar features picture windows framing the Washington Monument and an Alice in Wonderland-esque decor of red, white and black. The terrace features its own bar and one of the best views in DC. The menu serves up hits from Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Spice Market and other restaurants, including samosas, beef satay and watermelon goat cheese salad.
J&G Steakhouse's dining room.NEW • J&G Steakhouse
W Hotel, 515 15th St. NW, 202.661.2440
Famed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten has partnered with Starwood Hotels to open dozens of restaurants in properties all over the world. The latest, J&G Steakhouse, in DC's gorgeous new W Hotel, which opened July 8 in the old Hotel Washington.
NEW • Point of View
W Hotel, 515 15th St. NW
The former Hotel Washington Sky Terrace, with its stunning views, has been transformed into a super chic bar and lounge dubbed Point of View at the new W Hotel. The cocktail program was created by Sasha Petraske of Manhattan's famed Milk and Honey and Little Branch and DC's own Justin Guthrie, formerly behind the bar at Central. The inside bar features picture windows framing the Washington Monument and an Alice in Wonderland-esque decor of red, white and black. The terrace features its own bar and one of the best views in DC. The menu serves up hits from Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Spice Market and other restaurants, including samosas, beef satay and watermelon goat cheese salad.
Clifton's new Trummer's on MainNEW • Trummer's on Main
7134 Main St., Clifton, Va., 703.266.1623
Stefan and Victoria Trummer, veterans of New York's restaurant scene, opened this 210-seat restaurant in July. They hired chef Clayton Miller (formerly of Norman's in Orlando, The French Laundry and Daniel) to craft the "creative American" menu, which includes dishes such as vanilla braised pork brisket with rhubarb and cherry leaf and pan-roasted rockfish with braised pole beans and tomato soffritto. Read more here.
7134 Main St., Clifton, Va., 703.266.1623
Stefan and Victoria Trummer, veterans of New York's restaurant scene, opened this 210-seat restaurant in July. They hired chef Clayton Miller (formerly of Norman's in Orlando, The French Laundry and Daniel) to craft the "creative American" menu, which includes dishes such as vanilla braised pork brisket with rhubarb and cherry leaf and pan-roasted rockfish with braised pole beans and tomato soffritto. Read more here.
2340 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202.333.4004
Eli Hengst and Jared Rager, creators of Sonoma and Redwood, have opened Blue Ridge in the former Busara space in Glover Park. The restaurant focuses on seasonal food, sourced locally with sustainability advocate Barton Seaver manning the kitchen. On the menu: fried catfish with sorrel aioli and chow-chow frisee herb salad; wood pork chop with red-eye gravy and parmesan-potato salad; roasted butternut squash with poached egg and chorizo vinaigrette; and Piedmont pork meatloaf with buttermilk mashed potatoes and smoked tomato. The space offers a farmhouse-inspired outdoor patio with a fish pond, an antique oak bar that seats 14, and a 75-seat dining room with reclaimed church pews. Wine director Brian Cook is spearheading the restaurant’s wine list which includes 50 bottles under $50 and some vintages produced in the shadow of the Blue Ridge.
• Bourbon Steak
Four Seasons, 2800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
San Francisco celeb chef Michael Mina opened an outpost of Bourbon Steak (also in Miami, Detroit and Scottsdale, Ariz.) in the Four Seasons in December. The sleek steakhouse's meats are poached in butter and finished on a wood grill.
• Brabo by Robert Wiedmaier and Brabo Tasting Room
1600 King St., Alexandria, 703.894.3440
Chef Robert Wiedmaier of Marcel's and Brasserie Beck opened Brabo, a Belgian American restaurant, and Brabo Tasting Room, a more casual eatery, next to Kimpton's new Lorien Hotel and Spa in Old Town Alexandria in February. In the same spot, Wiedmaier will also open a market featuring artisan cheese, Belgian beer, charcuterie and more called The Butcher's Block in the spring. Read more here.
• Cafe Salsa
1712 14th St. NW, 202.588.5286
A second location of Alexandria's Cafe Salsa opened on 14th Street NW in March. The two-story space serves nuevo Latino food.
• Cava
527 Eighth St. SE
A second outpost of this Greek restaurant in Rockville, Md., opened on Barracks Row in April. You can now find their line of hummus, harissa and more at Whole Foods.
• Cedar
822 E St. NW, 202.637.0012
Cedar opened in May in Penn Quarter. Chef Andy Kitko (formerly Redwood) turns out dishes like wild king salmon with shell bean ragout and spring onions and herb-crusted pork tenderloin with braised swiss chard and applewood bacon.
• Chef Geoff's Tysons
8045 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, Va.
Geoff Tracy opened his fifth restaurant — the third Chef Geoff's — in the space vacated by Colvin Run Tavern in June.
• Eatonville
2121 14th St. NW, 202.332.9672
This new Southern-inspired restaurant, named for Zora Neale Hurston's Florida hometown, opened in May right across the street from its big brother, Busboys and Poets. Owner Andy Shallal auditioned chefs for the Southern restaurant, and the City Paper's Tim Carman chronicled the competition.
• Eventide
3169 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, 703.276.3165
This Clarendon spot opened in February, offering a bar and lounge on the first floor and an upscale dining room on the second. Rooftop dining will open soon. Miles Vaden, who has worked under Todd Gray at Equinox and Drew Trautmann at Sonoma, head the kitchen, turning out dishes like bison carpaccio with ancho chocolate mole, Malbec-braised lamb shank, and lobster tagliatelle.
• Fire and Sage
775 12th St. NW, 202.737.2200
This new restaurant in the Marriott Metro Center replaces the Regatta Raw Bar. The casual restaurant offers all-day dining. Executive chef Aaron Tootill’s menu includes bacon-wrapped oak plank scallops with cheddar grits, brick oven flatbreads and grilled tea smoked halibut with corn salad. Playful desserts include a “hot bag o’doughnuts” with honey butter and strawberry compote and milk and cookies.
• General Store
6 Post Office Rd., Silver Spring, 301.562.8787
Chef Gillian Clark and partner Robin Smith the General Store in January, feature American road food like fish tacos, fried chicken and cornbread. Read more here.
• Inox
1800 Tysons Blvd., McLean, 703.790.4669
Chefs Jonathan Krinn and Jon Mathieson, formerly of 2941, opened Inox in Tysons Corner in early February, featuring dishes like pan-seared blue nose bass with pancetta, romanesco, escargot tortellini and brown butter emulsion and venison medallions with cinnamon-braised golden beets, pearl onions, chestnuts, venison ham and a red wine tamarind reduction. John Wabeck, former head chef at Firefly and New Heights, is wine director. Read more here.
• Matchbox
521 Eighth St. SE, 202.548.0369
The owners of Matchbox opened a second D.C. restaurant in a former vending warehouse on Barracks Row in December. The new location has the same menu of wood-fired pizzas and addictive mini burgers of the original Matchbox at 713 H St. NW. Read more here.
• Next Door
1211 U St. NW, 202.667.8880
Ushering in a new chapter for Ben's Chili Bowl, the Ali family took over the space next door and opened a modern and sleek sibling to their classic and blessedly unchanged chili bowl. Read more here.
• Policy
1904 14th St. NW, 202.731.7700
A building that used to house leaky, run-down junk shops on 14th Street has been demolished, and in its place is an impressive new space home to Policy. A seasonal American menu — pappardelle with spring peas and morels, crispy pork belly with Virginia honey-ginger glaze — is crafted by chef Brian Murphy, formerly of L'Auberge Chez Francois.
• Posto
1515 14th St. NW, 202.332.8613
Posto opened in the former Viridian space in early December. The Italian trattoria is operated by Tosca owner Paolo Sacco. The new spot is more casual than the elegant Tosca and offers cuisine from Italy's Lombardy, Veneto, Tuscany and other northern Italian regions.
Potenza opened in March at 15th and H streets.Photo by CORE Group
15th and H streets NW, 202.638.4444
The Stir Food Group, also of Zola and Zola Wine and Kitchen, opened this rustic Italian restaurant and bakery in the Woodward building in March. Executive chef Bryan Moscatello traveled around Italy for the menu's inspiration, and chef de cuisine Anthony Acinapura heads the kitchen on a daily basis. The 175-seat restaurant features a salumi counter, raw bar, 6,000-pound pizza oven, a roomy bar and a bakery with a separate entrance, creating breads, pastas and desserts for the dining room. Read more here.
• Sei
444 Seventh St. NW, 202.783.7007
From the owners of Oya, this intimate 50-seat sushi restaurant features the cuisine of chef Noriaki Yasutake and Avinesh Rana, formerly of Perry’s in Adams Morgan. The sushi menu offers standards along with creations like a fish and chips roll with flounder, malt vinegar, french fries and wasabi tartar and a Caesar salad roll with romaine, crunchy tofu, anchovies and Caesar dressing. Small plates include Asian pork tacos with yuzu hoisin, black pepper chicken wings with teriyaki glaze, and sake-cured cod with braised daikon, asparagus and cranberry sake.
• Vapiano623-625 H St. NW, 202.621.7636
The fourth DC-area outpost of this Italian food chain opened in Chinatown in February. The impressive space (pictured above) boasts a full bar, loungey seating and tables adorned with pots of fresh herbs. Diners use a card to order food and drinks from different stations — pastas and pizzas are made to order.
• Zentan
Donovan House Hotel, 1155 14th St. NW
This restaurant was originally slated to be a Todd English property, Cha. It quietly opened in February with a limited menu of sushi in Thompson Hotels' Donovan House, and then came the news that English had pulled out. The space was renamed Zentan with chef Susur Lee of the same hotel group's Shang restaurant in Manhattan at the helm.
For more news on DC openings, click here.
