Seaver Leaving Saint-Ex, Kliman Reports

Washingtonian dining editor Todd Kliman breaks a juicy piece of news this afternoon regarding two of D.C.'s brightest young stars: chef Barton Seaver of Cafe Saint-Ex and Bar Pilar and pastry chef Heather Chittum of Notti Bianche are leaving their respective restaurants for Hook, a forthcoming spot in Georgetown.

Kliman reports that the new restaurant will take over the old Cilantro space at 3241 M St. NW.

Read more about the new venture on the Best Bites Blog. April is mentioned as the target opening.

(Photos from saint-ex.com and gwuinn.com.)

Comments

Anonymous said…
I've pretty much given up on St. Ex, but is there any chance Pilar will go back to serving actual bar food that doesn't involve overpriced tapas or cruelty-free organic tofu? If not, I'll stick with Stoneys.
2/28/2007 8:54 AM
Anonymous said…
I read this in the Post today. They said St. Ex seats 100?? How? Anyway, I hope the place remains good. I'll miss seeing Bart at the gym :(
2/28/2007 9:39 AM
Amanda said…
While I've never seen any cruelty-free tofu at Pilar, I did have some great french toast with thick bacon and homemade syrup at brunch for $6...for all of it. Seemed like a pretty good deal. Anon, we clearly disagree - I've loved having a place in the neighborhood to get an inexpensive, quality meal and great priced wine, but I guess time will tell what's next for Pilar.

I know you're not the only one who misses the bar menu, though. But I'm not in that camp and I love a greasy Stoney's super grilled cheese as much as the next person.
2/28/2007 10:37 AM
Anonymous said…
I was at Bar Pilar last night, and I thought it was fantastic. The food is creative, relatively affordable, and well prepared. It would be a shame if they abandon that to go back to serving mediocre bar food. We have way too many places that specialize in doing that already.
2/28/2007 11:06 AM
Anonymous said…
The key words are "relatively affordable." There are still some Shaw residents who don't think a $9 burger is a great deal.

And I don't think Pilar "has to go back to mediocre bar food." What's stopping them from making GREAT bar food? Stoneys, Sign of the Whale, Ugly Mug, and Duffy's manage to pull it off. But if the community is willing to pay a premium for food that's a little too precious, I'm in no position to stop them.
2/28/2007 12:22 PM
Amanda said…
But, to the best of my knowledge, Pilar hasn't served a burger since they implemented the new menu. It's $9 at Saint-Ex, but Saint-Ex is overall pricier than Bar Pilar.
2/28/2007 1:49 PM
Anonymous said…
Sign of the Whale, Ugly Mug, and Duffy's aren't mediocre - they're disgusting. And if you want a burger cheaper than $9, there's always McD's up the road!
2/28/2007 3:00 PM
Anonymous said…
So, basically your only choices for burgers are "disgusting" (which includes Mcdonalds) or $9?

Welcome to U Street!
3/01/2007 8:28 AM
Amanda said…
Speaking of tofu... Vegetate's jerk sliders are $1 on Wednesdays from 7-9 upstairs. There's a cheap "burger"!

But I digress. ; )
3/01/2007 9:50 AM
Anonymous said…
I just noticed in the Washington Business Journal that Seaver, et al., will be taking over the G'town Bagelry too. So sad! That is one of the few places in DC to get a really good bagel.
3/01/2007 12:39 PM
Anonymous said…
sigh. i'll miss seeing his hotness around u street :)
3/01/2007 7:19 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ENTERTAIN } For The Love Of Salt

Image
I'm bidding a reluctant adieu to summer on this first day of fall and looking back with fond memories on one of the season's highlights — our Summer Salt Fest at the Gordy's Pickle Jar headquarters. Ever since opening Salt & Sundry three years ago, I've been dreaming of a down-home party that celebrates all things salty. With the perfect partners in crime, Sarah and Sheila of Gordy's, and my phenomenal team at Salt & Sundry, we hosted a gathering of good friends and toasted our shared love of salt. The feast included fried chicken, boiled peanuts ( made by my husband !), Rappahannock' s Olde Salt oysters, deviled eggs topped with Gordy's Sweet Pepper Relish, and probably the best fried pickles I've ever eaten (yes, I've eaten a lot) ... Gordy's Sweet Chips and Cajun Okra dipped in roasted garlic aioli. There was crisp Virginia rosé from Early Mountain Vineyards , local brews from 3 Stars and DC Brau , and a watermelon cooler tha
keep reading »

STYLE } Bar Styling Tips with Framebridge

Image
  I've always been noncommittal when it come to putting anything on my walls. Art? Photos? Prints? But what if I change my mind? Add the hassle of framing something and voila, a growing pile of unframed prints and photos gathers dust on a shelf. So I much appreciated a recent gentle nudge from friends at  Framebridge , a DC-based company that's making it easier and less expensive to get those pretty-if-neglected pieces framed and on display. We hung out at my place, whipped up some Green Hat gin and tonics, and I shared tips for stocking and styling your bar at home. (Any old table will do!) And yes, I actually put a nail in the wall and hung a print. Head this way for my full interview with Framebridge . Cheers! all photos by  Laura Metzler Photography  for Framebridge
keep reading »

Hello Cupcake Opens

Image
Cupcakes await the first customers at Hello Cupcake For a sweet spot in this final week of August, head to Hello Cupcake , which opens at 10 a.m. today at 1351 Connecticut Ave. NW. I had the chance to sample a few flavors with owner Penny Karas. The fluffy icing on the peanut butter blossom (above) is seriously addictive, and the seasonal root beer flavor is a delightful surprise with spicy root beer cake topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting. I'm going for a Velvet Elvis, banana cake with peanut butter frosting, next. There are gluten-free and vegan options on the menu, as well. Check out all the flavors here . Metrocurean photo
keep reading »