A New Virtual Kitchen Delivers Crunchy Porchetta Panini From Georgetown

Georgetown Gourmet, the upscale grocer situated by the end of the Key Bridge, just introduced a side business specializing in porchetta sandwiches. Porchetta District sources free-range pork from local family farms to build out the traditional Italian street food. A roast of pork belly wrapped around a loin and rolled in herbs and spices gets roasted low and slow. Porchetta District carves meat to order and serves it on crusty ciabatta bread.

The signature Porco (porchetta, crackling, arugula, and olive oil) costs $10. More involved orders include a “Banh Mi’sh” sandwich ($12), with picked cabbage, Sriracha mayo, and cilantro, and a Cubano-inspired option ($14) with smoked ham, Jarlsberg cheese, pickles, dijon, and Kewpie mayo. A lemon aioli-flanked Porco Morta ($11) subs in mortadella for porchetta. Call in pickup orders, or get delivery via Grubhub.

Owner Aykan Demiroglu’s Italian restaurant experience includes running Bistro Vivant in McLean and Locanda Cucina Meditalia on Capitol Hill, as well as GM at Le Paradou in Penn Quarter.

In other news...

• DMV Black Restaurant Week returns with dozens of Black-owned restaurants, pop-ups, cocktail brands, and cafes offering dine-in and takeout options through Sunday, November 15.
• Because its dine-in business has taken a hit during COVID-19, Clyde’s Restaurant Group just debuted a delivery-only ghost kitchen called District MeltHouse that sends out “gooey and gargantuan” grilled cheese sandwiches and mac and cheese.
• Wolfgang Puck’s Cut steakhouse returns to the Georgetown dining scene on Monday, November 23, following a hiatus sparked by a kitchen fire over a year ago. The Rosewood hotel restaurant, led by Puck protege Andrew Skala, reboots with dinner service to start, including Mid-Atlantic dishes like fire-roasted eggplant and Virginia rockfish to go with 500 wine labels.
• Surfside just opened a new location at the Wharf (33 District Square SW) that brings tacos, burritos, salads, and enchiladas to the waterfront development. Once its liquor license comes in, island-hopping cocktails will come in single to 64-ounce containers.

• Capitol Hill’s once-hot communal spot Emilie’s will flip into a taqueria and mezcaleria called Paraiso by the end of November, reports Washingtonian. Geovanny Beltran, a Mexican immigrant from Guerrero and former chef at Jinya, will lead the kitchen.
• H Street’s Swiss staple Stable will welcome back diners for indoor seating the first time in eight months on Thursday, November 12, seating customers inside five private ski chalets. The 3-year-old eatery, known for its fondue, raclette, and Schnapps-spiked cocktails, will also spill out into the street with 20 sidewalk seats outfitted with heaters and blankets.

Amanda Hoey/Stable