DUPONT CIRCLE—Prince of Petworth spotted a liquor license application on Connecticut Avenue for a Russian restaurant named Mari Vanna. An employee at the Mari Vanna in New York confirms to Eater that, yes, they're joining the legions of New York restaurants expanding to DC — though this one is actually a spinoff of a Moscow restaurant. The DC location is expected to be roughly the same as that in New York, which has a menu full of classic Russian dishes plus, naturally, lots of vodka. The liquor license indicates there will be no nude performances, by the way. [PRE-PLYWOOD]
LOGAN CIRCLE—The Black Restaurant Group's anticipated Pearl Dive Oyster Palace is now hiring and, as of mid-July, they were still aiming for a September opening. [PLYWOOD]
ATLAS DISTRICT—A place called Sweet Charleston's will open up on H Street in 2012. Frozen Tropics reports that the folks behind this new restaurant also own the Carolina Kitchen, a soul food restaurant with locations in Hyattsville and Largo. [PRE-PLYWOOD]
CAPITOL HILL—The Barracks Row Main Street tweeted an announcement that a place called Pho.licious will open on E Street "in the coming months." Yes, that period is intentional. [PRE-PLYWOOD]
Mari Vanna New York