New Restaurants
New Nightspots
Coming Soon
The Heights
David Winer (Logan Tavern and Merkado Kitchen) will help gentrify Columbia Heights with this casual, Latin-accented American restaurant in the Kenyon Square Condominium building (1390 Kenyon St. NW), slated to open in spring 2007; its soaring habitat will feature super-sized photos of local architecture and a huge outdoor cafe.
Piratz Tavern
Hooking into the skull-and-crossbones craze will be this forthcoming Silver Springer (8402 Georgia Ave.) featuring a fanciful setting of treasure chests and tropical plants. The menu will be inspired by Iberia, the Caribbean and other places where the rogue vessels sailed, while a kids' lounge will give parents a chance to finish dessert.
Potato Valley Cafe
A spud-centered Annapolis fast-foodery will sprout a seedling in earth-toned Penn Quarter digs (614 E St. NW) early this fall. The menu will feature oven roasted potatoes that can be stuffed with a choice of some 20 unique fillings inspired by North, Central and South American cuisines.
PS7's
Peter Smith (ex Vidalia) will open this Contemporary American eatery late this summer in a sweeping Penn Quarter space (777 I St. NW) given dramatic and playful touches by hot design team GrizForm Design Architects; there are also plans for a bar and lounge serving inventive small plates.
Stoney's
This American dive bar – a local institution before it closed last winter to make way for Downtown redevelopment – will be reincarnated in the homey Logan Circle space (1433 P St. NW) most recently occupied by P St. Bistro
Good Deals and Other News
Just a Bite
Creative pastry chefs are indulging weight watchers with mini-desserts that do minimal damage to waistlines and bank accounts. At Café 15, the elegant French finishers are offered in miniature versions ($2.50 each), while at 15 ria, shot glasses of crème brûlée, molten chocolate or cobbler can be ordered individually ($3) or in flights ($8). Meanwhile, the newly upscaled Bar Pilar has come up with three-mouthful "tastes" of chocolate cake with port-wine applesauce or a quenelle of honey–goat cheesecake with seasonal fruit ($3 each).
An elegant new lobby lounge features more than 50 vintage, flowering and rare teas that can be paired with light fare; in the afternoon, scones, peanut butter madeleines and other sweets are displayed on a temperature controlled marble table.
Will open a second oh-so-Euro cafe in Adams Morgan (1847 Columbia Rd. NW) in the fall, offering cozy Continental ambiance and new twists on its popular crêpes and French-accented entrees.
Is opening a new branch, Clyde's Willow Creek Farm, in Loudon County (42920 Broadlands Blvd., Broadlands, VA) that will use timber from antique tavern and farm buildings to replicate a traditional American inn; it's scheduled to open this winter.
Though he'll continue to consult on the menu, Gerard Panguad has stepped down from his role as chef to become the head instructor at L'Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg. His replacement, Ben Lefenfeld, has worked in the restaurant's kitchen for the past five years and plans to keep cooking the same style of Modern French cuisine. Madame Michelle Panguad will continue to run the restaurant that she and her former husband opened over 15 years ago.
Johnny's Half Shell
Is shucking its Dupont Circle digs on August 5th for a larger space on Capitol Hill (400 N. Capitol St. NW), slated to open in September.
Has temporarily closed for renovations, with plans to reopen in November.
New top toque Tony Conte, who honed his whisk at NYC's Jean Georges, is taking advantage of local summer bounty by expanding the ever-changing tasting menu to seven or more courses. Conte's talents can be auditioned during Restaurant Week, which Oval Room is extending for a second week.
Rotisserie grilled chickens, freshly baked baguettes and a whole host of soups, salads, sides and entrees are available to go from this Gallic stalwart's new take-out operation snuggled in the basement of its Woodley Park residence.