About Restaurant Openings Around DC
A guide to the newest places to eat and drink.
The Heights, an international food hall opening by the Friendship Heights Metro station this winter, is shaping up to be a hotly anticipated project in more ways than one.
Common Plate Hospitality (CPH)—the group behind Tex-Mex spot Urbano 116, Mason Social, and Augie’s Mussel House and Beer Garden in Alexandria—just announced a lineup of culinary partners for its 10,000 square-foot hall. The mix includes big names and rising star talents among the eight stalls. New to the lineup:
- Moon Rabbit chef Kevin Tien, who is harkening back to the early days of his first celebrated DC restaurant, Himitsu, with a sushi-centric concept.
- Chef Javier Fernandez, who’s behind Filipino smash hit Kuyaja Lechon Belly and Lapu Lapu breakfast sandwiches in Rockville. He’s opening a new venture called Extra Rice.
- DC Dosa, a longtime favorite at Union Market, is branching out with more vegan Indian street fare from owner Priya Ammu.
- Supreme BBQ, a Central Texas-inspired smoke joint from Jeremy Canlas, which works in tandem with a brewed-to-order boba tea concept, Auntea Boba. It will be their fifth DC-area location.
- A third branch of Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream by Rollin Amor. Here, he’ll specialize in from-scratch soft serve as well as creative ice cream flavors.
CPH will also operate five concepts, including two bars—one a speakeasy with separate access from the food hall—a global soup spot, a Jewish-inspired deli with pizza, and another branch of taco and tequila-field Urbano 116.
And the final vendor? That position is up for grabs. CPH has launched “Stall Wars,” a culinary competition where the winning entrepreneur will receive a free food hall space for a year—no security deposit, build-out, or guarantee required (CPH estimates a $50,000 value). Entrepreneurs can apply online through Thursday, September 15. The top three finalists will be invited on ABC7/WJLA’s Good Morning Washington to present their concept, Shark Tank-style.
So what is it going to take to win? “In my head, I see someone who has a passion that they’ve never been able to take to the forefront—maybe they’re cooking out of their house or food truck,” says CPH chef Chad Sparrow. “Passion, great food, and an entrepreneurial spirit—someone who’s looking to put in the hours and who wants to be there, and who wants to learn.”
Look for more news about the competition—and a potential December opening.
The Heights Food Hall at Wisconsin Place. 5310 Western Ave. NW, Chevy Chase, MD
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.
