The Latest Dish
By Linda Roth Conte
Clyde’s Restaurant Group is expanding outside its familiar “borders” with a new project that incorporates live music into their popular food & beverage operations. Borders Books will move out of its 35,000 square foot downtown 14th Street space. The working name is Hamilton Square Grill, aptly named for the neighborhood. There is a lot of renovation to make it a music spot, so a late 2011 opening is planned.
New York Invasion (continued): New York landmark, P.J. Clarke’s, is the latest of the New York restaurants that is making a move into DC. They plan to open at 16th & K Streets, NW where Olives was, by the end of September. They just around the corner from another NYC landmark, Kellari. And speaking of high profile New Yorkers, Bobby Flay has been checking out the restaurant scene in DC, so look out for a new casual concept from the high profile NY chef and TV personality.
Pure Hospitality Restaurant Group’s Jonathan Umbel will open a second Tackle Box at the former site of a McDonald’s in Cleveland Park, by year’s end. He’s hiring a consulting chef to oversee all his restaurants – Hook and Georgetown’s Tackle Box as well. That will be revealed soon. He’s also scouting locations in Chinatown and Bethesda.
Chef Update: Michel Richard has hired Levi Meznick to run his newest operation, Michel at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner. He is the former executive chef at The Jockey Club, but his CV also includes stints at New York’s Per Se, Daniel and Café Boulud. Enzo Febbraro, late of D’Acqua is now at Bond 45 at National Harbor.
Chef Ed Witt no longer at Morso in Georgetown. Chef RJ Cooper no longer at Vidalia, but plans to open his own place soon.
GM Update: Dave Crane, formerly of Morton’s in Bethesda is now running the LexusPresident’s Club at National Park for Levy Restaurants. Andres Hayes has been named general manager of B. Smith’s at Union Station.
Pizza Autentica is opening on 3rd St, SW – its fifth location in the area, as they have units open in Penn Quarter (7th Street, NW), Tenleytown (4200 Wisconsin Ave, NW), downtown (15th Street, NW) and Ballston.
Look for a new steakhouse to open after Labor Day in the 600 Watergate spot with some familiar faces running it. Looking forward to a Buzz Bakery and Rustico restaurant in Clarendon. Vapiano is planning to open a new store in Bethesda before end of summer, in the building under construction at corner of Elm & Woodmont. That will make #5 in the area.
Rockville-based Panas Gourmet Empanadas will open in the P Street space vacated by Pizza Paradiso. Federico Garcia Lopez is making empanadas that are not necessarily like his mother used to make. Lopez acknowledges that many of his flavors are “more sophisticated and less traditional,” but he plans to keep Mom’s beef empanada on the menu (or risk her wrath)..
Opening Date Update: Matchbox in Rockville is now slated to open in late fall. Sala Thai just opened its newest location in Petworth – props to that part of the city. Casa Nonna in downtown DC is aiming for an August opening date. Georgetown’s Serendipity3 is still renovating but plans to be open in the fall. Roberto Donna says Galileo III will open in August.
