The Latest Dish
By Linda Roth Conte
Matchbox is getting bigger. Not a contradiction in terms. Owner operators Ty Neal, Perry Smith and Andrew Kim have paced their growth with incredible timing – catching the real estate wave before it becomes trendy and expensive: Chinatown and Capitol Hill. Next is Ted’s Bulletin — look out for Barracks Row. But their biggest project yet (300 seats) will be a new Matchbox in Rockville’s Congressional Plaza where PGA Tour Grill used to be. Their Palm Springs location (did you even know they had a Matchbox in Palm Springs?) is 260 seats, so big restaurants are not foreign to them. Chinatown expanded to 250 seats (counting outdoors) in 2006 so the little Matchbox ain’t so small.
Puro Café, a new venture from owner Roberto Sablayrolles, recently opened its doors in the 1500 block of Wisconsin Avenue, NW in Georgetown. The European-inspired café menu serves up Mediterranean-style panini, Parisian pastries, weekend small plates and fun, fresh coffee blends. Puro Café is also the area’s exclusive provider of Nespresso coffee beverages. The décor is mainly white – and yes it took quite a few coats of paint to cover up the pink exterior, Puro Café is located where Pink November used to be.
Chef Update: Michel Richard announced that Arthur Cavaliere is Central’s new executive chef. He is a veteran of Stephen Starr’s restaurants in Philadelphia, most recently at Parc, a French brasserie.
Sâuçá, is a mobile restaurant that combines great food, travel, music, design, technology and fun, according to owner and Washington, DC resident Farhad Assari. The Sâuçá concept is about discovering and enjoying healthy, global foods in a non-traditional way. Food will be served from a high-tech kitchen on wheels loaded with Wi-Fi, an LCD flat screen monitor, a sound system, gobo projector and even a pay phone to chat with friends around the world.
The Organic To Go locations are undergoing renovations, transitioning to Mixt Greens, a West Coast chain that was purchased by OM Holdings, Organic To Go’s parent company. First store to be renovated is downtown at 19th and M Streets NW. Three more locations, slated for Downtown and the Golden Triangle, are slated to open this spring.
From seafood to Mexican food: Caliente Mex-Sea Kitchen & Bar will open in Ashburn, VA at Brambleton Town Center. The owner is Doug Palley, who also owns and operates Hooked. Jason Tepper of Hooked, is the executive chef.
Birmingham, Alabama-based Zoe’s Kitchen will open its first location in this region, in Woodbridge, VA in February. They have big plans to expand, as they will have a second location open in Potomac, MD in late spring. The food is made-from-scratch, Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, in a fast casual atmosphere of southern hospitality.
The owners of Meze restaurant plan to open Ezme in Dupont Circle serving Turkish food similar to that at the original location. Estimated time to open is March/April.
Starlight, a QSR concept similar to Panera, will open in downtown DC at 21st & L Streets, NW. The owners are successful French business owners, who have studied QSR operations in the States.
The new Fro Yo spot that opened in a space that was a part of Booeymongers in Chevy Chase, is doing so well that a second location—more of a flagship – will open on F Street between 10th and 11th Streets. This new concept offers self-serve frozen yogurt in a variety of flavors with a variety of toppings. Owners are Chuck Rendleman, who sold Up Against The Wall and Commander Salamander, so knows a few things about retail, Bruce Kogod, and Brian Samuels.
Cupcake News: Los Angeles-based Sprinkles cupcakes looking to open in late spring in Georgetown at 3015 M Street, NW where Mon Cheri Café used to be. Adnan Hamadi recently opened Alexandria Cupcake at 1022 King Street in Old Town, Alexandria.
Now that the landlords have given their blessing, Michel Richard plans to open his fine dining French restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, where Maestro reigned.
Quick Hits: Midtown Café will open in Georgetown where District Fine Arts used to be. The new owner is Mohammad Yeganeh, a restaurateur who decided to come out of retirement. Must have been a really good deal. Roberto Donna’s Galileo III is now looking at a March opening on 14th Street where Butterfield 9 used to be…. London-based uber-popular QSR, Pret A Manger is slated to open in downtown DC at 1155 F Street, NW this spring.
