As featured in Washington City Paper
After a bit of a summer slump, fall will bring a robust freshman class of restaurants, from a few set to open in October at the District Wharf to new neighborhood hangs. Since openings are moving targets, note that these restaurants could open anytime from September through November. These are the spots we’re tracking:
Requin
100 District Square SW, requinbymic.com
The District is getting its own location of Requin from Chefs Jennifer Carroll and Mike Isabella. The restaurant had a successful start in Virginia’s Mosaic District, and will soon open its D.C. version in the mammoth District Wharf development. Requin will sit squarely on the boardwalk, where it will have extensive patio seating for warm weather. Carroll’s cooking showcases flavors from the South of France, Morocco, Spain, and Greece, and diners can expect a more refined menu compared to the brasserie-style offerings in Virginia.
All-Purpose (Navy Yard)
79 Potomac Ave. SE, allpurposedc.com
The second location of All-Purpose, located across from Nats Park, could be open in time for playoff season, which will be a double win if the home team finds itself a contender. Chef Mike Friedman says the menu will include the greatest hits from the Shaw location, plus some twists. “I want our Capitol Riverfront location to reflect a meeting of the minds between the New York/New Jersey coast and the Sicilian/Amalfi coast,” he says. Think chickpea panelle (Sicilian fritters), tuna carpaccio, and “fun new pizza combos.” Also unlike the Shaw location, there will be several outdoor spaces including a rooftop bar overlooking the river.
Maydan
1346-B Florida Ave. NW, maydandc.com
Compass Rose owner Rose Previte and the chefs behind the forthcoming restaurantMaydan just got back from an intense research and development trip to Lebanon, Georgia, and other countries that will inform the new menu. Maydan is coming to the Manhattan Laundry Building, and Previte hopes the high ceilings and open floor plan will create the feeling of being in a public square overseas. Chefs Gerald Addison and Chris Morgan, who will man the kitchens at both Compass Rose and Maydan, will focus on food cooked over an open hearth at the new project.
Bresca
1906 14th St. NW, brescadc.com
Chef Ryan Ratino, who impressed local critics, albeit briefly, with his cooking at Ripple, is gearing up to open his first solo restaurant at the age of 27. Look for dry-aged meat and ingredient combinations you’ve never seen before, like foie gras brined in dashi with smoked eel, green apple, and chestnut. The menu will be divided between appetizers and a handful of large, sharable entrees. Bresca is going into the former Policy space on 14th Street NW, and Juan Coronado is drawing up a menu of cocktails.
Succotash
915 F St. NW, succotashrestaurant.com
There will be one more restaurant to consider for before and after events at the Verizon Center when Succotash opens in Penn Quarter. Chef Edward Lee’s cuisine fuses his Korean heritage with his favorite recipes from the South. He already operates a Succotash in National Harbor, where he serves dirty fried chicken with dark meat dripping in spicy gochujang honey, blue cheese, and pickles, as well as a pimento cheeseburger. The 310-seat downtown D.C. location is going into the historic Equitable Bank Building, erected in 1911.
Primrose Wine Bar
3000 12th St. NE, facebook.com/primrosewinebar
Sebastian Zutant is one of several top D.C. sommeliers branching out to open wine bars. He’s even making some of the wine he’ll pour at his Brookland bar-meets-bistro. His wife and partner, Lauren Winter of Edit Lab, is tasked with making the 66-seat space with floor-to-ceiling windows feel feminine and French enough to be worthy of the name Primrose. Chef Nathan Beauchamp of Fainting Goat and Tiger Fork is creating a small menu with classics like bœuf à la Bourguignonne served in big pots with crusty bread to pair with the roughly 14 wines by the glass and 75 bottles.
Gravitas
1401 Okie St. NE, gravitasdc.com
Chef Matt Baker is eager to start serving his two modern American menus at his long-delayed Ivy City restaurant Gravitas, which is going into the Tomato Factory building. The vegetarian tasting menu features dishes like roasted beets with pickled white peaches, dehydrated black quinoa, Vidalia onion marmalade, and cauliflower veloute. The other menu incorporates meat and fish but pays equal attention to nature’s candy, as Baker is obsessed with the versatility of vegetables. Diners can also look forward to getting drinks in the rooftop greenhouse bar.
Lucky Buns
2000 18th St. NW, luckybunsdc.com
Adams Morgan will gain a new restaurant dedicated to burgers when Chef Alex McCoy opens Lucky Buns in the former L’Enfant Café space. He hopes to create a casual hang featuring burgers inspired by the countries he’s visited, easy-drinking punches, and live music. The kitchen could potentially crank out patties until 3 a.m. on weekends. Spring for a side of fries because they’re thick-cut, British-style chips.
The Dabney Cellar
1222 9th St. NW, thedabney.com
Michelin-starred Shaw restaurant The Dabney is growing into its basement with a wine bar big enough to fit about 30 people. The cozy space, lined with stacks of firewood for the restaurant upstairs, will have about 30 wines by the glass. Keeping with the theme of pumping up Mid-Atlantic cuisine, Chef Jeremiah Langhorne has put together a trim food menu with locally-sourced charcuterie and cheese and a raw bar.
Kaliwa
751 Wharf St. SW, wharfdc.com/restaurants/kaliwa
Find Filipino, Thai, and Korean food in one place when Kaliwa opens, also at the District Wharf. The restaurant is Chef Cathal Armstrong‘s major D.C. debut. He’s long led restaurants in Old Town, Alexandria including Restaurant Eve. The best night to visit Kaliwa will be when they’re offering a special-occasion Filipino feast called “Kamayan,” most likely at one table on Thursday nights. The team has also been testing recipes for crispy pata—a pork leg that’s boiled until it’s tender and then deep-fried.
Chloe
1331 4th St. SE, restaurantchloe.com
Named for his niece and the ancient Greek goddess of agriculture, Chloe is Chef Haidar Karoum‘s first solo project. He recently served as the executive chef at Proof, Estadio, and Doi Moi. At the Navy Yard restaurant, he’ll focus on cuisine inspired by his Lebanese roots, his love of cooking Southeast Asian cuisine, and his travels around the Mediterranean. Equally important to the chef is showcasing seasonal products from Mid-Atlantic farms. Dishes could include crispy whole fish, goat cheese cavatelli with heirloom tomatoes, and a Chesapeake blue crab salad tartine.
Note: Reverie is looking more like a winter opening and The LINE DC Hotel continues to experience delays. A representative from the hotel couldn’t definitively say Brothers & Sisters, Spoken English, and A Rake’s Progress will open in the fall.