Food

Food News Review: 901 and Third Edition Call It Quits, Sou’Wester’s New Chef, So Many Fast-Casual Concepts

The dining-world developments you missed while obsessing over the Beyoncé lip-syncing fiasco.

Family Meal’s new neighbor? A distillery. Photograph by Scott Suchman

Popville reports that 901 Restaurant & Bar has called it quits. Young & Hungry followed up with owner
David von Storch, who says he’s in the process of selling off the building to someone else. The news
follows big changes at one of von Storch’s other businesses—Capital City Brewing—which
recently lost its top two brewers.
[Young & Hungry]

Following the news that CityZen chef
Eric Ziebold was breaking up with Sou’Wester—the other restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental—came
an announcement that former Miami Mandarin chef
Didier Pouzier (yes, he’s French) will be taking it on. He will also run the hotel’s Empress Lounge.
[Eater]

Eater DC noticed an item in the
Frederick News Post reporting a planned whiskey distillery on the stretch of North East Street shared by

Bryan Voltaggio’s Family Meal.
But don’t get too excited. Although the chef is a Maryland native and has a well-documented
appreciation for the region’s rye-making history, a restaurant rep says he is not
affiliated with the project. [Eater]

Popular Korean food truck Seoul Food will go brick-and-mortar in Maryland. [Washingtonian]

Meanwhile, stalwart barbecue brick-and-mortar Rocklands has gone mobile. The truck
is slinging pulled barbecue and chicken, sausages, and sides. [Young & Hungry]

Following in the footsteps of defunct Aditi Bistro in Vienna, Thaaja, a Chipotle-style
Indian restaurant, has opened on Second Avenue, Northeast. Thrillist goes in. [Thrillist]

In other fast-casual news, Taylor Gourmet’s long-awaited location in the new Mosaic
District faux village—the sub company’s first Virginia shop—has announced
an opening date of February 4. As with any Taylor opening, free sandwiches are totally
happening. [Eater]

In other fast-casual NOVA news, Protein Bar—the Chicago-based healthy food chain that
debuted in Penn Quarter last August—will open its second area location in Ballston on January 30, according to
press materials. There’s another one planned for downtown DC just steps away from
both Sweetgreen and Energy Kitchen.

In even more fast-casual NOVA news, Ballston will also be getting a Which Wich, a
Dallas-born concept that features 50 customizable sandwiches. The restaurant replaces
the Daily Grind at 4300 Wilson Boulevard; a local developer tells Eater he is scouting
Metro-accessible real estate to accommodate more Which Wiches in Washington soon.
[Eater]

Popville followed up on a reader tip that Julia’s Empanadas had shuttered its Columbia
Heights location—sadly, he reports, it’s true. The Adams Morgan empanaderia at 2452
18th Street, Northwest, is still open for business. [Popville]

Savor those vodka-soda-soaked memories: Thursday marked the closing of Georgetown
institution the Third Edition. [WaPo]

Co Co. Sala and Monica Bhide: making Valentine’s Day chocolates together at last.
And they’re going to be spicy. [WaPo]

Finally: Live in Penn Quarter and enjoy conveyor-belt sushi? This one’s for you. [Eater]