New Restaurants
| Name |
Address |
City |
Phone |
| Agraria |
3000 K St. NW |
Washington |
202-298-0003 |
| Taste of Jerusaleum |
8123 Georgia Ave. |
Silver Spring |
301-495-3067 |
New Nightspots
| Name |
Address |
City |
Phone |
| Indique Heights |
2 Wisconsin Circle |
Chevy Chase |
301-656-4822 |
| Mezza Luna |
1140 19th St. NW |
Washington |
202-429-8889 |
Coming Soon
Comet Pizza
This Americana-themed pizza-and-Ping-Pong offshoot (5037 Connecticut Ave. NW) of Buck's Fishing & Camping will debut in July serving crisp-crusted pies and locally sourced salads in a retro setting with high-backed booths, knickknacks and a huge neon sign reclaimed from the defunct Comet liquor store in Adams Morgan.
Jimmy's
This high-end surf 'n' turf restaurant (1700 K St. NW) from McCormick & Schmick's will lure the lawyer/lobbyist crowd with Kansas City aged steaks and New England–style lobster preparations; the suave surrounds will open this summer.
Posh
The Downtown space that formerly held Ortanique is being transformed into this New American (730 11th St. NW) with a worldly culinary outlook and a supper-clubby setting offering screenings of classic movie clips accompanied by a live piano player; scheduled for a September opening.
Santo Pecado
Mauricio Fraga-Rosenfeld will add South American pizzazz to the burgeoning Clarendon-Ballston corridor (3409 Wilson Blvd.) with this Argentinean-themed restaurant and lounge, whose name translates as "holy sin"; its menu will focus on grilled meats and wine.
Also Coming Soon
Super-chef Eric Ripert (of NYC's Le Bernardin) is working with the Ritz-Carlton (1150 22nd St. NW) on plans to revamp its restaurant, The Grill, into an organic American bistro with a setting modeled after NYC's Balthazar.
Good Deals and Other News
Bacchus
The Bethesda location (7945 Norfolk Ave., 301-657-1722) has reopened with a new Mediterranean look – three dramatic onion-shaped windows flood the space with light while floor-to-ceiling white pillars and large white vases filled with palms provide dramatic accents; the umbrella-shaded tables at the outdoor patio are inviting too.
This Bethesda New American is reopening on June 19th after temporarily closing for extensive renovations.
Chef Anthony Chittum has upscaled his Regional American menu, which now focuses on locally grown ingredients given innovative twists in appetizers like twice-cooked rabbit leg with potatoes, endive and a buttermilk emulsion, or an entree of wild salmon with bok choy, crabmeat sausage and spring garlic cream; prices have edged up only $2–$3 on average.
A new dinner menu format lets diners adjust their meal size to their appetite; in addition to two daily five-course tasting menus (one is vegetarian) for $65, it offers a handful of seasonal small plates, appetizers and entrees for mix-and-match à la carte selections.
Chef-owner and soccer fan José Andrés is wagering that Spain will win the 2006 World Cup; if the Spanish team proves victorious, diners who sign up for the "Spanish Challenge" at the Crystal City location from June 9th–July 9th will receive a gift certificate matching their bill (up to $100; redeemable for food at Jaleo, Crystal City through August 2006); or go to www.jaleo.com for a $10 gift certificate if Spain loses.
Majestic Café
Sous-chef Bob Beaudry is now baking this New American's layer cakes, and he promises that the popular coconut and red velvet cakes will still appear in rotation with seasonal dessert favorites like strawberry shortcake. Meanwhile, former pastry chef Valerie Hill will resurface at the soon-to-reopen Johnny's Half Shell.
Will close at the end of June for refurbishing and the installation of a state-of-the art kitchen; it's still unclear how extensive a redo is planned, but history buffs can be certain that, when it reopens in mid-September, the famous photographs of politicians will still be hanging on the walls.
This New American will pour local beers and libations from each of the 13 original colonies (plus DC) during the 14 weeks of summer; each week will bring a new featured drink, starting with New Hampshire's Smuttynose on June 21st and Massachusetts' Sam Adams on June 28th.
Will shake up kiddie mocktails during the run of Little Women (June 27th–July 23rd) named for the characters in the play; drinks will include the Tomboy Joe, a nonalcoholic planters punch, and the Shy Beth, a grape and cranberry crush.
- The Last Mango
- Old Homestead
- Sushi Sushi (Bethesda branch)
- Trattoria Lilliana