American-Chinese Charmer Lucky Danger Is Diving Into Foggy Bottom’s Western Market

Welcome to a.m. Intel, your bite-sized roundup of D.C. food and restaurant news. Tips are always welcome, drop them here.

Tim Ma’s Lucky Danger is headed to Foggy Bottom’s new Western Market (2000 Pennsylvania Avenue NW) with American-Chinese standards like crab rangoons, hot and sour soup, lo mein, kung pao chicken, and orange beef available for pick-up, delivery, or dining inside the food hall, according to The Washingtonian. Opening this summer, it’ll be second location for a spot that started as a scrappy pop-up, charming Washington Post critic Tom Sietsema and snagging a lead role in a New York Times piece about chefs across the country who are paying newfound respect to American-Chinese food. It opened its first brick-and-mortar in Arlington in July 2021.

Meanwhile, Korean mini-chain SeoulSpice is expanding to Virginia with its sixth location in the D.C. area opening on the ground floor of the International Place office building in Rosslyn at 1735 North Lynn Street. Korean-style sushi burritos (known here as korritos), bibimbap, and bulgogi anchor the menu at SeoulSpice, which first opened in NoMa in 2015. Owner Eric Shin is a principal percussionist in the National Symphony Orchestra and a faculty member at the University of Maryland’s School of Music. [ARLnow.com]

Louisiana-based fried chicken tender empire Raising Cane’s is getting ready to storm onto the D.C. dining scene with three outlets opening this year (including one in Union Station) and more on the way. [Washington Business Journal]

Rose’s at Home, the catering arm of lauded Rose’s Luxury, is opening a new dining space on Barracks Row. The new spot is in the back of the She Loves Me Flower Shop (721 8th Street, SE) and the two businesses will work together to host intimate dinner parties inside the flower shop. [Capitol Hill Corner]

BrunchWire

Immigrant Food+ is toasting Covid-19 vaccines with a syringe-laden brunch on January 15 and 16. Diners can inject feta foam into croquettes, ketchup into blue cheese burgers, and chocolate into churros via a plastic syringe. The restaurant is aiming to call attention to Covid vaccines and the role immigrants have played in their creation. Reservations here. [Washingtonian]

High-end Mexican hit dLeña is serving an MLK Day edition of its bottomless brunch with birria beef tacos, cazuela with smoked eggs, tuna ceviche, and more from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, January 17. Choose from unlimited food and drinks ($49) or bottomless food ($30). A la carte options are available for food and drink as well.

Front of House New York City

Capitol Hill’s Beuchert’s Saloon relaunches its popular weekend brunch this Saturday, January 15, with cinnamon rolls, latkes with ham and hollandaise, salami-laced shrimp and grits with a poached egg, chicken and waffles, Dutch pancakes, and plenty of boozy beverage options. For $20, imbibers get two hours of bottomless mimosas made with grapefruit or orange juice. Brunch is every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Full menu here. [EaterWire]

Booze (and non-booze) news

Georgetown is getting yet another chichi liquor store when Spirits and Spice replaces a Covid testing site at 3237 M Street. The small chain got its start in Jackson Hole with a “try-before-you-buy approach.” Look for special blends and smaller labels as well as oils, vinegars, and gourmet packaged foods. The Bourbon Concierge is also opening in Georgetown with bottle prices that sore into the thousands of dollars. [Georgetown Metropolitan]

Umbrella Dry Drinks is popping up with a series of non-alcoholic cocktail events in anticipation of finding a permanent home for a booze-free bar and bottle shop by the summer. Find the pop-up at Greenheart Juice Shop this month and at the Seedling Collective in Alexandria from February 2 through 28. [Washingtonian]

Atlas Brew Works is debuting its seasonal The Precious One apricot IPA on Tuesday, February 1. Atlas Half Street Brewery & Tap Room will host a ticketed release event on Saturday, February 5.

Atlas Brew Works

About those empty grocery shelves

Grocery store shelves across the D.C. area are looking pretty bare thanks to winter weather making it difficult to transport food. Coupled with the pandemic, supply chain woes, and staffing problems, the lack of products is so noticeable that it’s reminding shoppers of the early days of the pandemic. [DCist.com]

At the same time, some local employees are criticizing Trader Joe’s COVID practices regarding everything from masking enforcement to paid sick leave. [DCist.com]

Meanwhile, Wards 7 and 8 are preparing to get their first new supermarket in over a decade. Arlington-based Lidl Food Market broke ground at the Skyland Town Center with plans to open by the end of 2022. [PoPville.com]

Mark your calendars

Winter Restaurant Week begins on Monday, January 17 with participating restaurants offering three-course lunches for $25 and three-course dinners for $40 or $55 per person. Carryout and delivery is also available. Here’s the massive list of restaurants participating. [EaterWire]

*Update (January 12, 2022; 10:45 EST): Andrew Chiou was incorrectly listed as being involved with Lucky Danger. He is no longer with that project.