Mike Isabella's latest place is a tribute to Greek cuisine, both traditional and modern. Smoky, wood-fired meats are a focus, as well as lemonade cocktails. The attached G restaurant serves up sandwiches by day and a tasting menu by night.

Rose's Luxury is chef Aaron Silverman's white-hot local debut, serving dishes like popcorn soup and fennel-stuffed gnocchi. It all takes place in a cozy space on Barracks Row.

It's the brewery D.C. has been waiting for. Neighborhood Restaurant Group's brewery, along with its accompanying restaurant, The Arsenal, came on the scene with a whopping 20 new, ambitious beers and food to match, like fancy tater tots and beef heart tartare.

Neighborhood Restaurant Group took one of D.C.'s oldest restaurants and made it their own. Iron Gate has a dramatic outdoor space, with a tree and vines climbing the walls. Tony Chittum's cooking leans Southern Italian and Greek, with a complementary wine program from sommelier Brent Kroll, and cocktails from Jeff Faile. There's a big ouzo selection, too. The restaurant is a la carte outdoors, and tasting menu-based inside.

Jeff Black's latest project is also the brainchild of chef Danny Wells. Republic specializes in oysters and seafood fare, and is also a destination for live music in Takoma Park. The eclectic design, much of it made from refurbished items like vintage couches and even engines made into lamps, is another standout feature of the place, which has a huge bar and spacious back patio.

Frederick de Pue has been a chef to watch since he burst on the scene last year with two restaurants, Table and Azur. Menu MBK is the replacement to the now-shuttered Azur, and this is an ambitious project located within the former Cafe Atlantico building. The combination market, bar and restaurant is drawing early attention for its selection, design and even for its cheese chariot.

The second restaurant from the Ripple team replaces the iconic bar, The Reef, in Adams Morgan. There's no trace of the place — instead, expect a stylish, multi-level restaurant with high-end comfort food dishes like gourmet corn dogs and a terrific, Asian-inspired fried chicken sandwich from chef Marjorie-Meek Bradley.

Bryan Voltaggio's latest project is a restaurant within a restaurant. Aggio serves up Italian and Italian-American leaning fare within the back room of Range. There will be a second version of the restaurant in Baltimore come springtime.