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Several high-profile restaurants are scheduled to join the local dining scene in the coming months, including some biggies held over from the winter. Here’s a roster of the most anticipated hospitality ventures coming down the pike.
Cortez
What: The team behind Shaw beer garden Takoda took over shuttered neighborhood restaurant 1905 and is converting the 2,400-square-foot space into a restaurant with a rooftop tequila bar, fish tacos, and other coastal-inspired accents.
Where: 1905 Ninth Street NW
When: Mid to late March
Spoken English
What: With room for just over a dozen diners, restaurateur Erik Bruner-Yang’s tachinomiya-style Asian grill plans to serve Peking duck and waygu short ribs to customers in the same kitchen where everything is being prepared.
Where: 1770 Euclid Street NW
When: First week of April
Gravitas
What: Chef turned restaurateur Matt Baker’s first solo project in rapidly evolving Ivy City is finally opening after several delays. The new American prix-fixe dining experience will sit inside a transformed and minimalistic 1940s factory space.
Where: 1401 Okie Street NE
When: End of April
Sushi Nakazawa
What: Restaurateur Alessandro Borgognone and chef Daisuke Nakazawa are installing an omakase-style sushi restaurant inside the politically charged Trump International Hotel. The controversial move has created some challenges for the expansion-minded New Yorkers, but Borgognone remains hopeful that District diners will come around.
Where: 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
When: April
Tacos, Tortas, and Tequila; Buena Vida
What: Balkan restaurateur Ivan Iricanin’s dual-pronged take on Mexican fare will include the downstairs TTT, functioning as a Mexican diner with 50 seats and a 10-seat bar serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with grab-and-go service; the second floor’s 150-seat Buena Vida will be more of a sit-down spot, serving unlimited Mexican small plates and bottomless brunch on weekends.
Where: 8407 Ramsey Avenue, Silver Spring, Md.
When: April
San Lorenzo
What: Massimo Fabbri, the Italian chef who made a name for himself at power dining spot Tosca, is opening a new Tuscan-style restaurant in the shuttered Thally space in Shaw. The restaurant, named after Massimo’s son Lorenzo, will be an ode to his Tuscan roots and his favorite neighborhood in Florence, Italy.
Where: 1316 9th Street NW
When: Early May
*Previous San Lorenzo coverage
Calabash Tea and Tonic
What: Shaw tea room Calabash is adding a second location with a garden full of medicinal plants and culinary herbs expected to make their way into over 50 organic tea blends. The new 900-square-foot site features an outdoor patio, which will be used to educate consumers about the health benefits of ingesting plants from around the area.
Where: 2701 12th Street NE
When: May
City Winery
What: The new 40,000-square-foot urban winery will host concerts, house a 175-seat restaurant, and feature private event space. The City Winery brand boasts existing locations in New York City, Chicago, Nashville, Atlanta, and Boston, where the likes of Gregg Allman and Sinead O’Connor have performed.
Where: 1350 Okie Street NE
When: Spring
The Wharf
What: The next round of eateries slotted to fill out the evolving waterfront project include Florentijn, Kaliwa, Rappahannock Oyster Company, Cantina Bambina, Officina, Potomac Distilling Company, La Vie, Lupo Marino, District Doughnut, and more.
Where: Southwest waterfront
When: Various dates throughout the spring
The Smith
What: The Smith’s second D.C. brasserie will bring American comfort food like mac and cheese and crab cake tots to the U Street corridor. A large and curved zinc bar will churn out cocktails featuring local spirits and riffs on the negroni. Also expect brunch served seven days a week, as well as family-style weekly specials. A private dining area can fit up to 30 people.
Where: 1314 U Street NW
When: Spring
Milk Bar Logan Circle
What: Cult desserts stop Milk Bar will open its biggest location ever (and third in D.C.) featuring a baking classroom, the second in the U.S. The new 2,382-square-foot sweets shop will also be the first where patrons can sit and eat crack pies in a courtyard setting.
Where: 1525 15th Street NW
When: Late Spring
Rewind by Decades
What: Dupont Circle’s nightclub Decades is adding a modern American diner next door. Designed by Reid & Taylor Studio, the sit-down space will serve modern and classic American hits like corn dogs, chicken and waffles, funnel cakes, and boozy milkshakes. Food and drinks will be served for happy hour starting at 4 p.m., and all night long.
Where: 1219 Connecticut Avenue NW
When: Spring
Lupo Verde - Palisades
What: The second location of the Italian brand developed by restaurateurs Med Lahlou and Antonio Matarazzo is expected to focus on small plates, charcuterie, breads, cheeses, antipasti, and of course, signature pizzas and pastas. The 100-seat spot will feature a lower-level market selling fresh and dried pastas.
Where: 4814 MacArthur Boulevard NW
When: N/A
