• Tim Carman of the Washington City Paper reported Wednesday that the restaurant/bar/lounge Social in DC’s Columbia Heights “will be closed for an indefinite period of time.” Later that day, DCist received an anonymous tip that the closing had to do with a tax dispute. To add another layer of mystery, Carman got an e-mail yesterday from an undisclosed restaurateur who was peeking into the space and was confronted by a bouncer-like guy with a T-shirt that said “Everything is on camera” and declared that Social was closed for a private party. Here’s our theory: If the bouncer’s T-shirt is literal and not ironic, could it be that there’s some reality-TV-show filming going on?
• In Washington, it looks like hot dogs are the next burgers. Wednesday, the folks behind Matchbox opened a little shop dedicated to wieners from around the country. Check out what dogs from Maryland to California look like in our peek at the new place. There’s even a Jersey dog, not to be confused with BGR the Burger Joint’s recent Snooki burger.
• In his weekly chat, Washington Post restaurant critic Tom Sietsema told readers about changes at Zola in DC’s Penn Quarter. Chef Bryan Moscatello launched a bar menu Monday with such dishes as braised-oxtail ravioli, seared orata with sunchoke tortelloni, and duck breast and duck leg confit with sage gnocchi and quince butter. There’s now a 32-seat tasting menu, and starting November 15 customers can get three- or five-course menus there. Also new is pastry chef Reggie Abalos, formerly of Zentan and Poste. Malia Milstead, who used to oversee the wine collection at Agora and the Source, is now in charge of the reds and whites at Zola. And the final word on the Italian restaurant: The bar has a new cocktail list.
• Prince of Petworth got a tip that Ping Pong Dim Sum, the London-based chain that set up shop in DC’s Chinatown earlier this year, is opening a second location at 1 Dupont Circle. The restaurant will roll out its fruity cocktails and steamed dumplings in the second quarter of next year.
• The New York invasion continues: Boqueria, a two-restaurant Spanish-tapas business there, is looking for spaces in DC, according to Eater. The New York-based food blog intercepted an e-mail to commercial real-estate brokers that said the owners want an “attractive, modern design built to generate the energy and ‘interactive’ experience of a true tapas bar.” New York magazine gave both locations its “critic’s pick” designation for such dishes as the tortilla española, paella, and bacon-wrapped dates—a signature José Andrés dish at Jaleo (we've got the recipe here).
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