Capitol Hill’s Art & Soul Reopens With a New Chef and a Pricey Renovation

Capitol Hill standby Art and Soul recently reopened after a lengthy hiatus and a multi-million dollar renovation at Yotel hotel (415 New Jersey Avenue NW). The 5,100-square-foot restaurant is dressed in blue as an ode to the menu’s new focus on seasonal and local dishes from Chesapeake Bay watershed communities. Chef Danny Chavez, an alum of Michelin-starred Plume who got his start at Art & Soul as a line cook, is making roasted mushrooms with focaccia; pan seared octopus; and mains like adobo rub pork belly and roasted chicken roulade, with rhubarb and apple crisp for dessert. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a lengthy weekend brunch service (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.). The updated look includes neon lights and abstract artwork of D.C. monuments, complete with a giant year-round patio. Art Smith, who at one point was Oprah Winfrey’s personal chef, originally opened Art and Soul at the then-Liaison hotel in 2007.

In other news...

• Glen’s Garden Market, a beloved independent grocer in Dupont that’s served as a launching pad for local brands, will be converted to Dawson’s Market as part of a recent sale, WCP reports.
• Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg grabbed a beer and tacos with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at Mission Navy Yard on Taco Tuesday, a rep tells Eater. Both declined its private elevator entrance and opted to stroll the length of Mission’s 150-foot bar to access the private room in the back.
• It appears District Soul Food, Barracks Row’s prominent corner fixture that replaced Banana Cafe in 2019, is up for lease (500 8th Street SE), flags Popville.
• Bar Rescue host Jon Taffer inked a deal to bring his fast-growing Taffer’s Tavern to Penn Quarter (700 Sixth Street NW) with local franchisee partner and sous vide company Cuisine Solutions.
• Bryan and Michael Voltaggio (Estuary, Voltaggio Bros. Steakhouse) put their sibling rivalry to the test in the kitchen with a new culinary competition series called Battle of the Brothers, streaming on Discovery+ on Thursday, June 17.