Tuesday has been filled with major openings, what with Iron Gate and Osteria Morini both debuting tonight. Now comes the sad news of a notable closure. Dino chef/owner Dean Gold announced in his typically lighthearted (and pun-filled) newsletter that the Cleveland Park restaurant will close after nearly nine years.
“We simply are not doing the kind of business necessary to justify keeping our doors open,” writes Gold. “If you do want a last chance, or several, don’t wait. Come in now. Or come in several times while you can.”
While a closing date hasn’t been determined, Gold says it will be “a matter of weeks and not several months.” The scheduled Thanksgiving and Hanukkah festivities are still on course, in addition to unspecified “all-out specials” on non-holidays. Dino is known for its various deals, such as the three-course nightly menu and discount wine nights. True to fashion, the restaurant will offer any $150-plus bottle of wine at a 50 percent discount until the doors are shut.
Another silver lining: Dino may rise again in another space. Gold writes that while nothing has been finalized, he and wife/business partner Kay Zimmerman “have fabulous location we are looking at, and we are working hard to make it a reality.”
Gold concluded, “In any case, Kay and I thank you for the fun times, and we will let you know what’s in our future. We certainly hope you are included in that future.”
Stay tuned for more details as we learn them.
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.
