[Photos: R. Lopez]
First there was Bluejacket. Then there was Osteria Morini. And now there's Agua 301, meaning three high profile restaurants have opened in the Navy Yard area over the past few months. The Mexican restaurant from husband and wife team Stephen and Amanda Briggs and their partner David Bonior opens Saturday. They brought Chef Antonio Burrell, a veteran of such restaurants as Redwood and Masa 14, to man the kitchen and create the restaurant's Mexican dishes.
Overlooking the river and incorporating water into its name and design, Agua 301 will be bringing seafood into many of the dishes with fancy guacs, dishes with delicate salmon roe, and an impressive tequila and mezcal selection. Chef Antonio Burrell is half Filipino and half Chamorro (from Guam) so "there will be some Asian influence" in the dishes, he says. "There's a lot of Spanish in Filipino and Mexican cuisines, so it's pretty easy to make that connection. And as we're going forward, we may do some dishes that are cross-pollinated. Right now we have one taco on the menu that has kimchi on it."
The restaurant, located in the Yards Park development, is also stone's throw from Nats Stadium and has plenty of outdoor space when the weather warms up to handle the crowds. The design from Grizform incorporates Mexican influences.
For those figuring out their holiday plans, Agua 301 will be closed for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day but will have the usual menu for New Year's Eve and will be serving up an a la carte brunch on New Year's Day. Status: Opening this weekend. 301 Water Street; website.
· All Previous Agua 301 Coverage [-EDC-]
Editor's Note: The article originally stated Burrell worked at Zest Bistro, which he did not, though the owners of Agua 301 own that restaurant as well.
