Entries tagged with “Dupont Circle”.
Did you find what you wanted?
Wed 17 Aug 2011
If there was one common complaint about Hank’s Oyster Bar, Chef Jamie Leeds’ “urban beach food” venue, it was that there just wasn’t enough room. Regulars and first-timers alike would often find the small space, located in a Q Street townhouse near Dupont Circle, filled to capacity (capacity being 65 or so) from happy hour to closing time. Six years later, Hank’s is all growed up.
Yesterday evening marked the opening of Hank’s new Lounge, next door to (and incorporating) the original space. With this welcome expansion, Hank’s has effectively doubled its indoor seating capacity. An outdoor patio allows for another 40 diners, which means they’ll be doing a whole lot of additional shucking at the raw bar.
Fortunately, they’ve expanded that, too. The bar that used to serve Hank’s has been stripped of its beer taps and will now serve as the raw bar. The best part? They’ve kept the bar seating there, giving a lucky few a ringside seat to watch the shuckers work their magic.
More on the new layout, including some nautically inspired new rooms and a look at some new food items (can you say “never-before-seen oyster variety?”) after the jump. (more…)
Fri 20 May 2011
Let’s clear something up right away. DC’s newly-opened Shake Shack is NOT a New York burger joint parachuting into the District and claiming to be God’s gift to quick-service. Many things about this place – from the menu to the venue – have been tailored to suit Washington. And we were pleased to see it works. Well.
Union Square Hospitality Group and the Shake Shack team scouted locations in Washington for two years before finding a spot that offered the combination of community and energy that they were looking for. When the space formerly occupied by Fuddrucker’s where 18th Street meets Connecticut Avenue opened up, they knew they had it. Their “roadside burger joint” would become a casual gathering place in the nation’s capital, complete with indoor seating.
We took a look on Tuesday, braving the opening day crowd to check out the newest burgers and shakes to enter the already-competitive DC market. What we found was a restaurant that was ready for the massive crowds that were lined up out the door and down the block. And, more importantly, a place that could easily stand on its own, without the cache of its New York inspiration.
Lots of photos and our initial tastes after the jump. (more…)
Thu 5 May 2011
Call it Pink-o de Mayo. Today at 6 PM, the District’s first outpost of Pinkberry, the California-based tart yogurt purveyor, opens with a bang – and a giveaway. As of this posting, almost 1,200 Pinkberry fans have indicated on Facebook that they will be there for the opening, which will be celebrated with free yogurt and prizes.
Why so much excitement? Aren’t we already awash in TangySweetGreenYogFrozBerry establishments offering variations on this theme? We are, and it’s Pinkberry’s fault.
Pinkberry’s commitment to fresh, never-frozen toppings and eclectic yogurt flavors – and its massive success – provided a blueprint for dozens of other entrepreneurs all over the country. As far back as 2007, West-coast transplants and other Pinkberry groupies were clamoring for the flavor here in the Washington area. But Pinkberry wasn’t about to drop a shop in the District just to check a box. According to local licensee Kamran Ahmed, it was important to the brand that they find the perfect combination of location and atmosphere to make their mark in DC. While they searched and then navigated the bureaucracy that is DC real estate and permitting, local competitors opened up to meet the demand.
Now the brand that started it all in America is here for you to taste for yourself. Does it live up to the hype? We took a first look yesterday and have plenty of details and photos after the jump. (more…)
Fri 28 May 2010
<<EDIT 2:53 PM, 5/28/10: I’ve been informed that Agora’s chef is now Ghassan Jarrouj, who comes to Agora from Sitti in Raleigh, NC. Jarrouj has 35 years’ experience heading up kitchens with a wide range of Mediterranean influences including Neyla in Georgetown and Taverna Kefi in Wheaton. My apologies for the confusion.>>
There’s a reason I got as excited as I did when I discovered Urfa Tomato Kabob in Penn Quarter last year – Turkish cuisine is still woefully underrepresented in the DC dining scene. But not for long. This week, a taste of Turkey arrived in Dupont Circle in the form of Agora.
If you’ve ever made the trip out to Vienna to taste the authentic Turkish flavors at Nizam’s, you’ll be thrilled to know that Chef Rasit Gulsen is heading up the kitchen in the new 17th Street restaurant. And if you’ve found yourself wondering how Turks can live almost exclusively on kabob and pide, Agora has the answer you’ve been looking for: seafood. 
The riches of the Mediterranean make up a sizable portion of Agora’s menu in a variety of presentations that is likely to surprise most DC diners.
I stopped by Agora just as they were putting the finishing touches on the decor and the kitchen, getting ready for their big opening this week. While I was there I had a chance to take a look around, take some pictures, and even get a look at their menu.
After the jump, check out some of what Agora is bringing to the marketplace. (more…)
Mon 31 Aug 2009
As we mentioned yesterday, Pizzeria Paradiso has made the move. For months now, we’ve been watching and waiting to see when Ruth Gresser’s temple to wood-fired pizza would shutter their cramped cozy digs at 2029 P Street to make the move into the newly-renovated space at 2003 P. This Saturday, it was finally go time, and we were some of the first folks to stop in and check the new space out.
The differences between this location and its predecessor begin to make themselves apparent right away. Big glass windows on two sides allow in a tremendous amount of light, offsetting the exposed brick and wooden tabletops. The result is a feeling very similar to that of Paradiso’s M Street location.
Perhaps the most noticeable change, though, is the bar that runs along the right-hand wall. Fans of the original Paradiso will remember that the close quarters left little room for any kind of bar, let alone one of the best-stocked and most knowledgably-serviced bars in the area. That was what made the addition of Birreria Paradiso, the basement beer bar on M Street, such a welcome addition. The new expansion has taken that beerphoria and integrated it into the P Street location.
More photos of the interior, some details on what the new space offers for beer-lovers and pizza fans alike, and an old favorite pie from a new oven after the jump. (more…)
Sun 30 Aug 2009
It’s a big week for pizza lovers here in Washington. In case you haven’t heard already, Pizzeria Paradiso has officially made the move from 2029 P Street to 2003 P Street in Dupont Circle. First announced by the Going Out Gurus on Friday, the news was quickly picked up by Mike at DCBeer.
We swung by to check out the new space and will be putting up our first look tomorrow. For now, just know that everything you love about the M Street location has been carried over to this newer, larger P Street space…including the Birreria concept that has made Paradiso a destination for beer lovers as well as a pizza afficionados.
But that’s not all! Wood-fired pizzas seem to be cropping up in restaurants all over town, and the next location is slated to open this week. SeventhHILL, a concept from the folks who own Montmartre on Seventh Street, SE, is just about ready to start turning out their own version.
Though nothing is ever certain when it comes to final approvals and restaurants’ timelines here in DC, there’s a very good chance that Chef Stephane Lezla’s new restaurant – next door to Montmartre in the space formerly occupied by Ben & Jerry’s – will be open for business on Tuesday, September 1.
I stopped into Hill’s Kitchen one day last week and was rewarded with a bite of a pizza that owner Leah Daniels was sampling. The vegetables that topped the blistered crust were bright and crisp, with strips of fresh zucchini and sweetly caramelized onions as well as briny Italian olives (like Kalamata olives).
The menu she showed me listed a variety of pre-set topping combinations as well as a ‘top-your-own’ selection. No word on prices or delivery options yet, as their website (www.seventhhill.com) has not yet gone live. We’re going to be watching for more information on SeventhHILL as it develops.
Fri 8 May 2009
Mother’s Day is around the corner and for those of you lucky to have moms in town (or visiting for the weekend) you may be thinking about Mother’s Day brunch and a fun activity she’ll love. Here are four distinct ways you can celebrate Mother’s Day, based on your own mom’s interests.
City-Loving Mom
Kick off your Sunday on Barracks Row with a Bloody Mary (oooh, celery foam) or a violet champagne (sparkling wine 
made with a dollop of lavender simple syrup) in the al fresco sunshine at Belga Cafe,. Belga Cafe offers a fresh twist on Belgian food and one of our favorite brunches in DC. The menu is weighted equally between sweet (waffles with caramelized apples and cinnamon), savory (warm goat cheese waffle with roasted tomato), eggy, and lunch options for those non-breakfast eaters out there. True to its Belgian roots, Belga Cafe takes its strong Belgian beer selction a step further by offering a beer cocktail menu. We love Belga for the variety, good service and unique offerings. Itty Bitty Bitter Betty loves it because it’s one of the few places in town she can order beer before noon and no one gives her a second glance for it. To each her own. After brunch, take mom to some of the eclectic independent shops on Barracks Row like Hill’s Kitchen, Chateau Animaux and then across Pennsylvania Avenue to check out the goods at Eastern Market.
Belga Cafe’
514 8th St SE
Washington, DC 20003
Artsy Mom
Art-loving mothers in DC are in for a never-ending stream of opportunities. Take her off the beaten Smithsonian path to DuPont Circle, where out-of-town moms will have a chance to marvel at world-class pieces, small galleries and gorgeous turn-of-the-century architecture. Kick things off at Teaism with a light breakfast and your choice of teas in an environment unique to DC. If your mom is also a history buff, take her on a walking tour of DuPont, featuring stories from DC’s Gilded Age and a peek at DuPont’s hidden Spanish steps. Cap off your walk with a trip to Kramerbooks - one of the few independent bookstores left in DC – then head over to The Phillips Collection to take in a few masterpieces. While you’re there, be sure to check out This Is Not That Cafe, a living, inhabitable art installation in the museum that doubles as a cafe.
Two more Mother’s Day recommendations after the jump! (more…)
If there was one common complaint about Hank’s Oyster Bar, Chef Jamie Leeds’ “urban beach food” venue, it was that there just wasn’t enough room. Regulars and first-timers alike would often find the small space, located in a Q Street townhouse near Dupont Circle, filled to capacity (capacity being 65 or so) from happy hour to closing time. Six years later, Hank’s is all growed up.
Fortunately, they’ve expanded that, too. The bar that used to serve Hank’s has been stripped of its beer taps and will now serve as the raw bar. The best part? They’ve kept the bar seating there, giving a lucky few a ringside seat to watch the shuckers work their magic.
