Nestled in the scenic hillsides of Montgomery County, Crossvines is a winery, events venue, research vineyard, and rustic dining destination all in one. The Farmhouse Bistro is helmed by Maryland native Luis Montesinos, who most recently led the kitchen at José Andrés’ Jaleo in Las Vegas. Locally sourced lunch includes confit chicken wings with a “Cool Ranch”-style dip; fried clam and lobster sliders; and an aged brisket burger. Dinner highlights for summer include Chesapeake crab cakes and sweet corn; wild Chesapeake Bay rockfish with tomato butter; and Jurgielewicz Farms duck breast adorned in Virginia strawberries and fava beans. Seasonal American menus pair well with wines made steps away.

Navy Yard-born raw bar and sustainable seafood restaurant the Salt Line expanded to Maryland in July. The 7,500-square-foot nautical venture on Bethesda Row imports summer-ready favorites found at the 6-year-old riverfront original next to Nationals Park, including lobster rolls, seafood towers, smash burgers, and baked clams. Executive chef Eric McKamey and Long Shot Hospitality chef-partner Kyle Bailey bring Bethesda a fresh lineup of appetizers like a grilled giant squid salad and crudos like a kombu-cured kanpachi. The new location also introduces a special late-night menu — a rare feature for the Maryland suburb — with half-priced oysters, $10 espresso martinis, and $5 Narragansett beers.

The team behind Al Volo brought Upshur Street a new Italian restaurant called San Matteo last month. The menu kicks off with beef carpaccio, arancini, fritto misto, followed by homemade pastas like cacio e pepe, veal ragu, lasagna, and mains like whole branzino and bone-in New York steaks. The bar slings plenty of European wines by the glass and bottle, spritzes, and grappa cocktails. San Matteo is also home to Soleluna, a daytime cafe with French pastries and Ecuadorian coffee.

A snazzy new supper club cracked open inside Butter Me Up last month. Chef Raymond Melendez draws influence from his Mediterranean travels and culinary stints across southern France, Spain, and Italy to whip up lavish surf-and-turf spreads. Think: caviar-and-oysters, pork belly croquettes, Gulf of Lion sea scallops, Moorish chicken, and lobster paella. Opt for a chef’s table experience or unlimited tapas ($50) and desserts ($20) like Basque cheesecake. For $100 a month, members can enjoy complimentary starters and sweets any time they visit After8. Saddle up to the stylish bar for a spicy matcha margarita, sage Old Fashioned, and bubbles poured in a crowd-pleasing Chambong.

Two-story Vera brought Ivy City a flavorful cross-section of Mexican and Lebanese cuisines, caffeinated cocktails, energetic music, and more. The industrial-chic restaurant and lounge is the brainchild of Nayef Issa, co-founder of Dupont’s buzzy Residents Café & Bar, and partner Nour Chaaban. Vera is named for Veracruz, Mexico’s historic port city that welcomed a huge wave of Lebanese immigrants back in the late 1800s. Top Mexico City-based design studio Sulkin Askenazi put together a vibrant look that speaks to similarities between the two coastal countries. Dinner is now joined by brunch service, which kicks off Saturday, September 9. Reserve a seat online. 

The latest D.C. venture from East Coast hospitality magnate Stephen Starr (Le Diplomate, St. Anselm) made a flashy debut in the Union Market district this month. El Presidente draws its show-stopping aesthetic and culinary influences from the bustling intensity of Mexico City, aiming to bring a dash of the vibrant, high-energy metropolis to D.C. Menu highlights include Baja-style coastal oysters, giant tostadas, red chile-marinated al pastor tacos, and pescado a la talla (whole striped bass), plus guacamole variations that rely on rich Michoacán avocados. The bar program leans heavily into agave spirits, with over 200 types on hand out of the gate.

The team behind outer Arlington’s raw fish hit Yume Sushi sauntered into D.C. in late July with the anticipated opening of an flashy flagship called Kyojin. Tucked inside the tony mixed-use cluster of Cady’s Alley, the striking sushi cave from executive chef Saran “Peter” Kannasute and co-owner Jeff King breathes fresh life into the old home of L2 lounge. A full kitchen with a hood gives the Bangkok-born chef more room to build upon his boundary-pushing menus and unleash hot izakaya offerings for the first time.

Spearheaded by D.C. hospitality vets Richie Brandenburg and Rubén García, the globe-trotting downtown destination for Spanish street foods, tacos, oysters, and everything in between opened inside Tishman Speyer’s International Square this week. García puts Spain’s succulent pig on full display at Jamón Jamón, while next-door neighbor Brasa showcases a selection of grilled meats and vegetables cooked over an open flame. The first phase also includes Cashion’s Rendezvous (crab cakes, hearty soups, cocktails), Junge’s (churros and soft serve), and the 42-seat Atrium Bar, with many more on the way this fall.

Internationally renowned chef Makoto Okuwa teamed up with local restaurateurs Eric Eden and chef David Deshaies (L’Ardente and Unconventional Diner) to bring a 20,000-square-foot Japanese food hall to D.C.’s Capitol Crossing development. Love, Makoto’s first phase opened in May with three full-service restaurants: a sushi dining room and bar (Dear Sushi); a beef-centric yakiniku with ceramic grills embedded in the tables (Beloved BBQ); and a sleek izakaya (Hiya Izakaya) serving sake, cocktails, and shareable snacks. The sushi and yakiniku menus are omakase-style, comprised of snacks, mains, desserts, and optional upgrades. A fast-casual component joined the equation in July with options for ramen, sushi rolls, fried chicken sandwiches, and soba salads.

While D.C.’s newly minted Salamander waits for acclaimed chef Kwame Onwuachi’s anticipated restaurant to arrive the foot of the fancy hotel, there’s an alluring dining establishment in its place for now. The Salamander Grille opened September 1 with black sea bass, pappardelle with six-hour pork sugo, hamachi crudo, flank steak, and indulgent desserts from the hotel’s executive chef Marco Fossati, who’s worked at renowned Michelin-starred restaurants like Il Carpaccio in Paris and private clubs in London. Don’t miss his ravioli with homemade ricotta, three-hour braised leeks, farm egg yolk, brown butter, and sage. Make a reservation for breakfast and dinner here.

Any Day Now, the new Navy Yard eatery from tenured D.C. chef Tim Ma, kicks off the day with scallion-pancake sandwiches and caffeinated drinks from Virginia roaster Red Rooster Coffee. Dinner entered the fold in late July with fancied-up diner dishes like caviar-studded omelets, plantain tots, and mozzarella-stuffed potato croquettes. Chef de cuisine and Salt Line alum Matt Sperber puts his butcher skills to work across the menu, which also features homemade merguez (lamb sausage), five-spice oxtail tagliatelle, and eggy handhelds packed with maple-sage sausage, cured bacon, or fermented kimchi. Round out the meal with a stellar slice of cake and refined Cosmo.

Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s first French brasserie popped open in June, bringing Old Town a hot new spot for martini service, escargots, beef Bourguignon, and big bottles of bubbly.

Executive chef Matt Cockrell pays extra attention to his pates and terrines at Josephine, which are all made in-house, joined by over 25 stocks and sauces spread out across the menu. Classics like French onion soup and skillets of mussels join some of his own French-influenced inventions, as seen in a seared red drum with tomato concasse, eggplant, olives, herbs de provence, and squid ink beurre blanc. The three-level space with room for 220 inside offers plenty of cozy nooks to dine and drink, with a chic Champagne bar up top.