1. St. Anselm
Brooklyn restaurateur Joe Carroll and Stephen Starr (Le Diplomate) aim to buck convention at this warehouse-chic steakhouse near Union Market, with ex–Ripple chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley slinging off-cuts of beef, lamb, and pork—plus plenty for vegetarians. The cabin-chic place opens September 17. 1250 Fifth St., NE.
2. NYC in DC
Two Manhattan powerhouses are making inroads in Washington. The trendy Meatball Shop (1720 14th St., NW) is doing a mix-and-match menu of meat and veggie balls on 14th Street (opening soon). Next up: Osteria Morini and Marea restaurateur Michael White will debut Nicoletta Italian Kitchen (901 Fourth St., NW) in Mount Vernon Square.
3. Mirabelle 2.0
In a big fine-dining shakeup, headlining Mirabelle chefs Frank Ruta and Aggie Chin have been replaced by Alinea veteran Keith Bombaugh and beverage director/manager Jennifer Knowles. Drama aside, there are new menus of modern French fare with hints of New England. 900 16th St., NW.
4. More Revamps
Makeovers are in. The Fiola restaurateurs transformed the downtown osteria Casa Luca into the pasta house Sfoglina (1099 New York Ave., NW). The divey Adams Morgan beer bar Black Squirrel will become a spiffier beer bar called Seasons & Sessions (2427 18th St., NW). Nearby, the Italian spot Rosario is now Rosario’s Tacos & Tequila (2435 18th St., NW).
5. Black Owned Wine & Spirits Festival
On Saturday, September 22, the place to be is Dock 5 (1309 Fifth St., NE) for this third annual festival with tastings from local and national African-American beer, wine, and spirits producers—plus chefs, live music, and more. Tickets are $55 to $100.
6. Julii
What sounds like a companion to Amazon’s Alexa is actually a glitzy French-Mediterranean “passion project” for the restaurateurs behind Cava. Doi Moi alum Sasha Felikson will helm the sleek Pike & Rose space. 11915 Grand Park Ave., North Bethesda.
7. Audi Field
You’ve tackled Nats Park. Now it’s time to eat your way through the new DC United stadium—think Mexican street-style tacos and Spanish sandwiches from José Andrés, Arepa Zone, and a craft-beer garden. 100 Potomac Ave., SW.
8. Don Ciccio & Figli
The amaro and Italian-cordial producer is the latest distillery to join Ivy City’s group of spirits-makers. When it opens this fall, go for tours, tastings, and Amalfi-style cocktails at Bar Sirenis. 1907 Fairview Ave., NE.
9. El Sapo
Urban Butcher chef and Havana native Raynold Mendizábal brings a “Cuban social club” to downtown Silver Spring with lots of indoor/outdoor space and free-flowing mojitos. 8455 Fenton St., Silver Spring.
10. Chefs on the Airwaves
Become an industry insider by tuning in to Full Service Radio, a podcast network out of the Line hotel, with broadcasts such as Shift Drink from industry vets Eddie Kim and Mat Ramsey. On iTunes, chef/host Spike Mendelsohn tackles meaty topics with cooks and politicos on his Plate of the Union podcast.
This article appears in the September 2018 issue of Washingtonian.
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.
