Essential Atlanta Restaurant Will Bring Persian Specialties to D.C.

Incoming kebabs

Rumi’s Kitchen, one of Eater Atlanta’s 38 essential restaurants, plans to open its first location outside of Georgia in Northwest D.C. Washington Business Journal reports that the Persian restaurant from chef Ali Mesghali has secured a lease in the Douglas Development building at 655 New York Avenue NW. Eater Atlanta commends Rumi’s for “tight service” and recommends kebabs, lamb shank, and smoked eggplant. WBJ reports that Mesghali, who grew up in California, chose to expand to D.C. because of the short flights from Atlanta. [WBJ]

Festival of lights

Last night was the first night of Hanukkah, and the Green Zone in Adams Morgan celebrated with a latke pop-up that will return later this week. Ben Kaplan, the designer of the Middle Eastern bar, will fry up potato pancakes again on Wednesday night starting at 5 p.m. Kaplan’s latkes come with pomegranate molasses apple sauce and labneh (instead of sour cream). It also appears that attendees can be among the first to sample the new Green Hat Rye from New Columbia Distillers in Ivy City.

If that sounds too fancy, head to the Pug on H Street NE this week and get $1 off light beers.

Growth for Greg’s

Citing a booming food culture and rapid development on 14th Street NW and H Street NE, Gregory Zamfotis tells Washington City Paper he’s thinking of D.C. as his second headquarters for Brooklyn-based Gregorys Coffee. Zamfotis will open his fourth Washington location this week when the shot at 1101 Connecticut Avenue NW welcomes customers just south of Dupont Circle on Wednesday. The other three locations are in downtown and Dupont. [WCP]

Island time

A new option has emerged for Washingtonians craving Jamaican cooking. WCP reports that Jerk N Juice is now selling jerk chicken, braised oxtails, and more inside the Tastemakers food hall/incubator in Brookland. The food comes from chef Marlon McKnight, who trained in kitchens on the Caribbean island before relocating to South Carolina, and eventually Maryland. [WCP]

Carry-out out of commission

Sumah’s West African Restaurant and Carryout in Shaw will not be filling styrofoam boxes for a while. DCist reports that the neighborhood joint suffered fire damage last week. “We will definitely come back,” owner Amara Sumah told the outlet.