Fast-Casual Chain Roti Opens in Navy Yard, Plus More Intel

Midwest chain Roti is expanding its presence in the DMV by opening in Navy Yard (1251 First Street SE) on Thursday, June 22. Featured items include gluten-free lamb meatballs (made with quinoa and Sriracha), as well as beers from DC Brau Brewing Company and Flying Dog Brewery. Next up: opening in Pentagon City (1211 S. Fern Street, Arlington, Va.) this July.

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Cotton & Reed scores new sandwiches

One Route Catering has developed a weekend menu for local rum distillery Cotton & Reed. The line-up of offerings, available from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays, includes a meatball sub, jerk chicken with pineapple, sausage with peppers, and mushroom steak and cheese. The sandwiches cost $12 and are served with potato chips.

Local Thai restaurant claims former French Hound digs

Thaiverse, a family-run Thai restaurant that debuted in Lovettsville, Va., in late 2015, has opened a second location in Middleburg (101 S. Madison Street). Restaurateurs James and Piya Cameron have taken over the space previously occupied by the French Hound — which has since relocated to neighboring Leesburg and rebranded as French Hound Brasserie — for this latest venture. The official ribbon cutting for the new Thaiverse is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Friday, June 23.

Oyster diving ain’t for everyone

Restaurant supplier Congressional Seafood Co. has put out a promotional video highlighting the journey oysters take from the Chesapeake Bay to customers like perennially packed Old Ebbitt Grill.

So, what does career oyster diver Chuckie White think about spending his days plunging into icy cold waters to stock D.C.’s raw bars? “I like seeing everything down there,” he says in the video.