New Restaurants
Coming Soon
This NYC-bred, French-accented Contemporary American steakhouse is scheduled to open on November 13th strategically positioned near the White House (1625 I St. NW), where it will tempt power types with luxe ebony and matching suede trappings, a raw bar and a state-of-the-art audio/visual-equipped private event space.
Fresh ingredients chopped with double-blade mezzaluna knives are the trademark of this salad-bar import from NYC with plans to open spin-offs in Dupont Circle and the Penn Quarter (locations TBA) next spring.
Nellie's Sports Bar
An old-fashioned, English-style bar provides this U Street watering hole and American bistro (900 U St. NW) with a pubby feel, while a second-story roof deck will give patrons a chance to scope the outdoor scene while knocking back a few. It's scheduled to open in late November.
Sticky Fingers
A segment on the Food Network's Road Tasted series brought this tiny vegan bakery so much business that it is moving this month to a larger Columbia Heights space (1370 Park Rd.NW), where it will serve dairy-free and meatless mac 'n' cheese, soups and chili dogs, along with its famed sticky buns and chocolate chip cookies, in cafe-style environs.
Good Deals and Other News
Now serves an à la carte brunch on weekends with choices ranging from breakfast items (eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles) to more substantial fare such as veal schnitzel, crab cakes and bratwurst with sauerkraut, not to mention pastries and hand-churned ice cream (11:30 AM–2:30 PM).
This Downtowner serves daily changing small plates for $5 at the bar from 5:30–7 PM, offering an inexpensive way to audition the creations of chef Michael Harr, who uses the likes of Hawaiian escolar (white tuna), kid (i.e. young goat) and kidneys in the restaurant's high-end Contemporary American cuisine.
Recently arrived executive chef Russell Cunningham (ex Washington Convention Center) is adding regionally accented specials to the New American menu, notably crabmeat-and-vegetable-stuffed flounder with parsnip puree and white truffle and lemon butter sauce, a dish that just won him a medal at the Chesapeake Chef Challenge.
Majestic Cafe
Sous-chef Robert Beaudry has taken over for departing chef Joe Raffa while the restaurant's owners look for new talent to help them reconceptualize the Southern-accented American comfort fare.
A whale of a new branch will open in late 2007 to hook the conventioneers and shoppers expected to swarm the $2 billion National Harbor complex under construction on the Maryland side of the Potomac River at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, just off I-95.
Redskins cornerback Shawn Springs teamed up with chef Rob Klink to create a heart-smart Cajun-style crawfish bisque that will be served throughout November for $5.50 a cup and $6.95 a bowl, with proceeds benefiting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Roberto and Riccardo Pietrobono will replicate the cozy, romantic atmosphere and hearty fare of their Bethesda Italian-American – replete with a faux fireplace – in a Silver Spring location (8235 Georgia Ave.) slated for an early winter debut.
Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner
Is hosting holiday tea shows for children of all ages featuring live performances of scenes from The Nutcracker ballet ($55 per child), in addition to gingerbread house decorating sessions (ages seven–12; $50 per child). For a complete schedule of events, call 703-917-5498.
Will extend its BBQ empire into the Clarendon/Virginia Square territory by recycling the former Pica Deli space (3471 N. Washington Blvd.) into another counter-service location, this one with indoor and outdoor seating, wine and beer and freshly made doughnuts for breakfast, opening in March 2007..
The three-course "Dine at Dusk" menu ($32; served from 5:30–7 PM) is a handy pre-theater option that lets customers help the needy eat well too, since 10 percent of the proceeds will be donated to "Food & Friends," a local nonprofit that provides nutrition for people living with HIV/AIDS and other life-challenging illnesses.
Executive chef Richard Brandenburg's six-course pumpkin tasting menu features the versatile autumn squash in many guises, prepared in a scallop ceviche, a confit accompanying a crispy sardine, a risotto with bone marrow ravioli, a savory pie with roasted quail, a savory ice cream with venison and a spiced cake for dessert ($60 per person). The menu is served at dinner through Thanksgiving, November 23rd, with wine pairings available for an additional $20.
The recently instituted, lavish Sunday buffet brunch will pirouette into a Nutcracker-themed spread on December 3rd, 10th and 17th, beginning at 11 AM, with the last seating at 2 PM ($65 per adult or $75 with free-flowing bubbly; $35 per child ages five–12; free for children under the age of five; prices include a take-home gift and valet parking). .