Open City is Opening a Location on the National Cathedral Campus

The Open City group of restaurants is expanding again. This time they're opening a location on the campus of the National Cathedral.

The restaurant group owned by Constantine Stavropoulos was the winner in a formal bidding process for the space, spokeswoman Jocelyne DeHaas explained. The restaurant will open in mid-December, ideally before the holidays.

The Cathedral was looking for something that would serve visitors, employees on the campus and the neighborhood at large, DeHaas explained. The restaurant will be located in the former Bapistry space next door that was damaged during the earthquake that damaged the cathedral itself as well. DeHaas described the unique space as looking almost like a "gnome house," but with high ceilings and other details. There are 40 seats inside and there will be a patio as well.

The offerings there will be more extensive than the Tryst location at the Phillips Collection, which doesn't serve food cooked on site. There will be waffles, heartier sandwiches, soft serve, soups and sandwiches. In general it will have a "brunchy feel," she said. The beverage program will mirror those at the restaurant group's other locations (the owners went with the name Open City rather than Tryst because, well, Tryst at the National Cathedral definitely conjures up its own set of images).

The Cathedral hopes having a place like Open City will encourage more residents to use the space and its grounds, rather than seeing it as a distant, more untouchable space, DeHaas explained. It will be open from 7 a.m-6 p.m. daily.