Every week, Washingtonian Food Editor Jessica Sidman rehashes the latest news from Washington’s food and drink scene in a newsletter, which you can subscribe to here.
Hi there,
The big opening of the week is Nobu, the Kardashian-favorite Japanese restaurant from chef Nobu Matsuhisa and actor Robert DeNiro. This is the 38th location of the high-end chain, and the menu includes a lot of signatures like miso black cod and rock shrimp tempura. But do splashy $10 million openings from celebrity chefs mean as much for DC as they used to? Food editor Anna Spiegel writes an essay arguing no, not really. Give it a read.
Meanwhile, the countdown continues for the opening of the Wharf. The mega-development in Southwest DC has released a list of which restaurants, shops, concert venues, and other businesses will debut on Oct. 12. Less clear: where are all the people who are going to work in these places coming from? DC restaurants already have a major shortage of talent. The Wharf aims to create 900 new restaurant jobs. That almost certainly is going to come at the expense at other local restaurants.
And that’s not counting all the other restaurants expanding and opening this fall. The folks behind Rito Loco have added a new rooftop bar—or “adult treehouse”—called El Techo, serving spicy margaritas and fried avocado tacos. Another rooftop bar also debuted in Clarendon at Wilson Hardware. Despite what the name of the restaurant might have you think, you can’t buy lightbulbs there… but you can drink a cocktail out of one.
Another highly anticipated restaurant is Bresca, opening Sept. 22 on 14th Street from former Ripple chef Ryan Ratino. Expect a playful menu that includes sea urchin linguini with fermented yeast butter and a walleye pike and kohlrabi dish that pays homage to the fish Ratino caught on Lake Erie as a kid.
Meanwhile, some big changes are in store for Cork Wine Bar. After 10 years on 14th Street, the restaurant will relocate up the block to the top floor of Cork Market & Tasting Room. The ground-floor of the market will also add a casual cafe with sandwiches, salads, and fried chicken. The owners will start making their own rosé wine on premise. Don’t worry, there will still be avocado toast!
Wawa has also begun its Washington area invasion. The Philadelphia-based convenience store chain broke ground on its first location in downtown DC last week. The company says it plans to eventually bring as many as 50 locations to the area. But will the sleek new Wawas with nitro coffee and wi-fi be the Wawas we know and love?
That’s all for now. Questions? Comments? Email me at jsidman@washingtonian.com.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
