Awards season
First-time restaurateur Ryan Ratino has the best new restaurant in D.C., according to the editorial crew at Washington City Paper. WCP readers chose Navy Yard’s quick-casual Indian spot Rasa as their favorite newcomer for the annual “Best Of” issue, with Maydan and Chicken + Whiskey rounding out the publicly supported picks.
Meanwhile, the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington is honoring Dubliner founder Daniel Coleman with the 2018 Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award. “The Dubliner stands as an icon of Irish culture and tradition in America where Coleman has always believed employees should be treated like family,” the trade group wrote of the iconic Capitol Hill pub.
D.C. restaurant openings
Restaurateur Mark Bucher tells Eater that the Arlington outpost (3601 N. Fairfax Drive) of his steak frites chain is now scheduled to open at 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 14. The original Medium Rare debuted in March 2011 in Cleveland Park; it has since spread to Capitol Hill, Bethesda, Maryland, and Philadelphia.
The shutter
Arlnow reports that neighborhood restaurant Cafe Italia has been evicted from its location in Crystal City (519 23rd Street S.). The long-standing eatery lasted over 40 years.
- Best of D.C. 2018 [WCP]
- D.C.’s Eater Awards Winners 2017 [EDC]