Masseria Reopens for Dine-In Service With an Air-Conditioned Pergola

Chef Nicholas Stefanelli’s coastal Italian restaurant Masseria is back in action, reopening to the public on Friday, August 7 — just in time for its fifth anniversary. The Michelin-starred restaurant closed down on March 14 due to the pandemic, transitioning to fancy takeout with “Masseria a Casa” prix-fixe dinners to-go for two.

Now, the Union Market spot just unveiled a newly refurbished pergola: 60% of the restaurant is built outdoors, and its courtyard is complete with an air-conditioned pergola. The restaurant’s dining room with view of its open kitchen is also available for reservations. A prepaid $135-per-person reservation includes a six-course tasting menu, which changes often. Takeout will still be available as well.

In other news...

• Fairfax’s Taiwanese-American supermarket 99 Ranch Market will soon boast a sit-down Filipino restaurant: Northern Virginia magazine reports that Kusina will open this month with dishes like crispy roasted pig, silog breakfast plates, and braised squid stuffed with smoked fish. The restaurant is from chef J.P. Rosario, who owns golf course cafe Eggkarne in Herndon.

Photo: Eggkarne/Facebook

• Arlington’s Pupatella will remain in its original location on Wilson Boulevard after an outcry from fans convinced the Neapolitan pizzeria’s landlord not to raise its rent, ARLnow reports.
• With many parties canceled this summer, Susan Gage Caterers is getting creative and hosting pop-up drive-in movies for clients. “We are currently operating at about 4% normal revenue. We’ve been trying to pivot to keep as many people working as possible and our team has been phenomenal as we navigate these challenging times,” president Chappall Gage told the Washington Business Journal.
• Surf and turf pho is the signature dish at Dupont Circle’s new Vietnamese restaurant Bar and Lounge 54, which Popville reports is now open at 1207 19th St. NW.
• PBS’s The Inn at Little Washington: A Delicious Documentary is now streaming for free on Amazon Prime, per Northern Virginia magazine. The film documents chef Patrick O’Connell’s quest to earn three Michelin stars.