Brunch begins at China Chilcano
418 Seventh St., NW
José Andrés’s Peruvian restaurant launches Saturday and Sunday brunch from 11:30 to 2:30. Dishes draw from the country’s Asian influences, such as egg foo yung with smoked ham and crab, or crispy pork spare ribs with sweet potato and salsa criolla. Brunch cocktails are available by the glass, or carafes and half-carafes for groups. Reservations are accepted.
Arepa Zone debuts at Union Market
1309 Fifth St., NE
The stall that once held Ris is now home to Arepa Zone, the winner of this year’s Launch Pad competition. Owners Gabriela Febres and Ali Arellano started their business as a food truck, and will offer a similar menu of stuffed Venezuelan corn cakes, cheese fritters, and sweet/savory pancakes from their market stall. Note the grand opening is scheduled for next week.
Exclusive oysters at Blue Duck Tavern
1201 24th St., NW
House wine—so old school. These days custom shellfish are all the rage. Blue Duck Tavern teams up with Maryland’s True Chesapeake Oyster Co. for a breed of oyster exclusively available at the Park Hyatt eatery: Blue Chesapeake. The bivalves are $18 for a half-dozen, and available at dinner.
ENO opens the Cellar wine bar
2810 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
This cozy wine bar adjacent to the Four Seasons in Georgetown debuts an even more intimate space—the Cellar, outfitted with leather couches and fit for 18 guests. Flights of three wines are offered from a variety of 26 options (prices vary). The space can also be rented for private events.
District Doughnut expands hours
749 Eighth St., SE
Fried dough fans can now get a DD fix six days a week, as the Capitol Hill doughnut shop is now open on Tuesdays. Drop by for local coffee and fresh doughnuts in flavors like brown butter, Nutella s’mores, and strawberry glazed.
More Summer Restaurant Week
We’re heading into the first (and officially last) weekend of DC’s Summer Restaurant Week, but over 20 eateries around Washington are continuing the specially-priced lunch and dinner menus through August—and even September. Check our Restaurant Week Guide for extensions. Also remember that Alexandria Restaurant Week begins Friday, and runs through next week.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
