Kinkead’s Ipswich clams with tartar sauce is among the classic dishes on the menu.

Kinkead’s, a repeat restaurant on our 100 Very Best list since it opened in 1993, announced via Twitter that it will be closing its doors in a month.

“With a heavy heart we must announce that Kinkead’s will be closing it’s doors on 12/22/2012,” reads the message, sent yesterday evening.

Chef Bob Kinkead is a fixture in the Washington dining scene, and garnered the title of Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic region by the James Beard Foundation two years after his seafood restaurant debuted on Pennsylvania Avenue. The fine-dining spot was also named among the 25 best restaurants in America by Esquire Magazine. In addition to his eponymous restaurant, the toque opened Hell Point Seafood in Annapolis and Colvin Run Tavern in Vienna, both of which have closed. Another eatery with brother David, Sibling Rivalry, operates in Boston.

The restaurant's Twitter feed encouraged diners to make reservations for the final weeks of service. When contacted this morning, personnel mentioned that a lease agreement with the building at 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue is soon due, and that the negotiation may have had some bearing on the shutter. Kinkead confirmed with the Washington Post that the building is at the heart of the issue, though he may use part of the space for a Mediterranean and Italian riff on the seafood concept.