The old adage that Washington slows down in the summer doesn’t hold true for restaurant openings. In the past month we’ve seen everything from debuts by celebrity chefs to creative neighborhood spots, tempting bars, and more. If you’re enjoying lazy summer days, might as well spend them checking out a new eatery.
1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean
José Andrés’s one-time Penn Quarter pop-up finds a permanent home in the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner. The all-American menu combines local and regional specialties such as Virginia peanut soup, chicken pot pie, and jambalaya. Unlike at other Andrés spots in Washington, you’ll find daily breakfast in addition to brunch.
828 Upshur St., NW
Petworth gets a cozy, 25-seat French and Japanese-inspired restaurant from the owner of the Passenger, Room 11, and more. Chef Makoto Hamamura, a six-year veteran of CityZen, creates dishes like hay-smoked tuna tataki and ramen with pork crackling “noodles” to pair with a list of sakes, ciders, and large-format beers.
7155 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda
While not wholly brick-and-mortar, the popular sandwich truck has found a permanent parking spot at the Bethesda Farm Women’s Market for daily lunch and dinner service. Look for an expanded menu with the likes of brisket steak and cheese and hand-carved turkey salads joining piled-high pastrami and corned beef.
1501 Ninth St., NW
Shaw gets an ambitious bar and restaurant with the arrival of this bilevel spot, inspired by 1920s Shanghai and Japan. Creative cocktails from Ari and Micah Wilder include a helium-infused libation and dumpling “shooters” inspired by boozy oyster shots. To line the stomach: chilled noodle salads, whole animal roasts, and several varieties of ramen.
1418 14th St., NW
The fifth location for Robb Duncan and Violeta Edelman’s popular shop debuts just in time for those mid-90s days. You’ll find the same seasonal lineup of gelatos, sorbetto, and coffees, plus a sidewalk to-go window for snagging pastries or gelato pops, and a menu of sundaes.
2505 Wisconsin Ave., NW
A seasonal beer garden opens on the patio of the Savor Suites Hotel. Glover Park-ians can drop by for 20 varieties of beer and German-style eats such as pretzel rolls and brats with kraut.
1337 Connecticut Ave., NW
Gone is the upscale sports bar of the same name, reopened as a “meat and raw bar social house.” The new ownership is also behind U Street’s Lost Society, and you’ll find some crossover, including a steakhouse-like menu and a clubby vibe on weekend evenings.
5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW
Chef Bryan Voltaggio debuts his most casual concept to date inside the Chevy Chase Pavilion: a sandwich-centric spot joining Range and Aggio. The all-day menu plays to adults and kids alike and boasts a creative lineup of ’wiches, from fried-chicken bánh mì to a veggie “gardener” with grilled avocado and burrata cheese. An added perk for the 21-plus crowd: draft beers and wine.
The Rooftop at the Embassy Row Hotel
2015 Massachusetts Ave., NW
The newly-renovated rooftop pool and lounge at this Dupont hotel allows all-day entry for the public with a $25 guest pass. In addition to swimming and sunning you can sip cocktails and sample dishes from chef Carlo de Leon’s menu like fish tacos, crab cakes, and a ramen burger.
1177 15th St., NW
Celebrity chef Jose Garces makes his DC debut with a handsome Argentinian steakhouse in the Loews Madison Hotel. Hard-to-find meats like Uruguayan grass-fed beef and Japanese Jidori chicken emerge from the wood-burning parilla, while those with less carnivorous appetites can look to pastas and fugazzas (thick-crust pizzas) inspired by Argentina’s strong Italian influence. A good place to start: the bar, which serves weeknight happy hour, tasty pisco sours, and a variety of wine-based cocktails.
50 Massachussetts Ave., NE
Capitol Hill denizens and Amtrak commuters can now satisfy a Shack Burger craving at the fourth DC location of the New York-based burger chain. The menu remains mostly the same, though look for a special vanilla custard concrete mixed with strawberries, almonds, and Baked & Wired “bee sting” bars.
1926 14th St., NW
The newest restaurant on 14th Street comes from Boston-based chef and James Beard Award-winner Michael Schlow. Grazers can taste through a menu of shareable plates and tacos influenced by Schlow’s travels in Spain, Mexico, and Latin America, such as tasty scallop ceviche, chicharrones, and tacos stuffed with both braised and crispy beef. Washing it down: an extensive list of tequilas and porróns for the dexterous.
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.
