A Pricey Nightclub Pop-Up Finally Gets to Take Over the Kennedy Center Rooftop

Weeks after D.C. gave nightclubs the green light to reopen at full capacity, Dupont Circle hotspot Heist will introduce a rooftop pop-up at the Kennedy Center it was forced to scratch last September. Heist had to delay the first iteration of its “lounge pop-up” days after announcing it because the performing arts center stated concerns that regular events with more than 300 people could present a public safety risk. Heist’s rebooted summer residency starts Saturday, June 26, with plans to host DJs, bottle service, and 60 VIP tables every Saturday from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. for the next two months (weather permitting). Ticket sales went live today (June 22) at 10 a.m. Ticket tiers start at $240 for a Moët & Chandon table for six, and soar to a $1,000 minimum spend for an “Ultra VIP Cabana” for 10, with prime real estate next to the stage, private elevator access, dessert plates, and Red Bull packages. Heist’s parent company Versus (Castas Rum Bar, Morris American Bar) hired Emmy-nominated producer Robert Pullen to liven up the iconic perch with high-tech lighting and artistic projections.

In other news...

• Toastique will bring its gourmet toasts, acai bowls, and juices to a new corner location in Dupont Circle (1899 N Street NW) this September, owner Brianna Keefe tells Eater. Its fourth area store, a new buildout with floor-to-ceiling windows, will feature its first espresso bar.

Toastique/official photo

• Meanwhile, NYC java chain Gregory’s continues its D.C. expansion with a new Navy Yard location that opened in a former Peet’s last week. Another location will arrive in Penn Quarter (443 Seventh Street NW) in August.
• U Street sushi pad TOKU Restaurant vacated its address at 1301 U Street NW but plans to reopen elsewhere, reports Popville.
• Mt. Vernon Triangle burger bar Mélange introduces a line of milkshakes this week. Chef Elias Taddesse’s flavors include a PBJ with his homemade toast ice cream as a base, and the shahi, or Ethiopian black tea, ice cream with spice dust, and whipped cream.

Rey Lopez for Mélange

• Chef Massimo Fabbri’s San Lorenzo Ristorante + Bar celebrates its third anniversary in Shaw with a three-course Italian menu of fan favorites on Friday, June 25 and Saturday, June 26. The $75-per-person dinner includes a glass of bubbly.
• Actor and comedian George Lopez is the face of a new ghost kitchen, George Lopez Tacos, that delivers to D.C. and Alexandria.

George Lopez Tacos/official photo