amanda mcclements

Chef RJ Cooper has found a new home for the ambitious 24-course menu he created while at Vidalia . The chef announced today that he hopes to open Rogue 24 this winter tucked away in Blagden Alley , across from the convention center. The 52-seat restaurant will only serve Cooper's 24-course tasting menu during one dinner seating Tuesday-Thursday and two dinner seatings Friday and Saturday evenings. The tasting menu experience will ring up at $130 and $170 for alcoholic beverage pairings. Blagden Alley is a funky little collection of brick buildings and old stables now home to a few creative company's offices. The amazing Longview Gallery , which fronts Ninth Street, backs up to the alley. “The space is a perfect fit for the intimate, yet edgy experience of Rogue 24,” Cooper says in release. The design, which includes an open kitchen in the center, will be overseen by architects Brian Miller of edit and Lauren Winter of Winter Architecture, whose aesthetic can be seen at The ...

Bethesda's new Mussel Bar metrocurean photos Chef Robert Wiedmaier's latest project, Mussel Bar , officially opened its doors tonight at 7262 Woodmont Ave. in Bethesda. As you may guess from the name, this casual Flemish gastro-pub specializes in mussels and frites, which Wiedmaier does so very well at his Brasserie Beck . The menu features nearly a dozen preparations of the bivalves, including green curry with lemon grass; Delirium fennel, lemon and Stilton cheese; tomato fondue, capers and garlic; and classic white wine with garlic and parsley. Also on the menu: döner kebabs, wood-fired tarts, sandwiches, oysters and a few entrees. Mussel Bar is serving around 40 Belgian beers, which are showcased in the dining room. Mussel pans, at the ready. Wiedmaier also runs Marcel's , Brabo and its neighboring Tasting Room , and The Butcher's Block .

Clockwise from top left: an iron chandelier and iron detailing, glass porrons, Spaniard hottie Penelope Cruz marks the women's restroom, Spanish tiles, staff tees. metrocurean photos Introducing Spanish pintxos , porrons and ice cold "slushitos" to 14th Street, Estadio will open its doors Tuesday evening. Translation? Pintxos : addictive little bites like skewered Manchego and chorizo. Porrons : the Spanish wine spouts that will have you pour wine down your shirt at least once, depending on your learning curve. Slushitos : frozen alcoholic concoctions I will be drinking the rest of summer. Estadio's opening comes almost exactly three years after owner Mark Kuller launched his first restaurant Proof in Penn Quarter. His second venture, this time with a Spanish accent, draws on the same talented team: chef Haidar Karoum, wine director Sebastian Zutant and bar manager Adam Bernbach, as well as a new addition, general manager Justin Guthrie (previously of Central and ...

Georgetown's Tackle Box. Photo: tackleboxrestaurant.com There's lots of delicious restaurant news floating around out there ... for those keeping track: • Tom Sietsema reports that an old McDonald's that has sat vacant for years at 3407 Connecticut Ave. will be revived as a new location of Georgetown's popular seafood spot Tackle Box . The end of the year is the target opening. The historic building that will house Virtue Feed and Grain. • Work on Virtue Feed & Grain , the next project from restaurateurs Meshelle and Cathal Armstrong (pictured) and mixologist Todd Thrasher ( Restaurant Eve , The Majestic , PX and Eamonn’s ), is set to start in the next few weeks inside a historic feed building at 106 South Union St. on Old Town's waterfront. The Irish-American pub menu will feature dishes like pigs in a blanket with housemade pastry, cockles and mussels, and toasties (grilled cheese sandwiches with fillings). Thrasher will be assembling a selection of specialt...

Back in May, Metrocurean told you that the new Neapolitan pizza restaurant from the 2941 team (fresh off some big Rammy wins ) would open soon. And today's the day, NoVa! Pizzeria Orso has opened its doors at 400 South Maple St. in Falls Church. I took a look around last week and managed to sneak a bite of the killer eponymous Orso pizza with ricotta, mozzarella, grana, fontina, pecorino, garlic and prosciutto. Pizzaiolo Edan MacQuaid (above) has cooked at DC's pizza standard-bearers, including 2Amys , Pizzeria Paradiso and Red Rocks . The handmade volcanic brick oven cooks pies in 90 seconds. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight, Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Monday from 5 to 10 p.m.

In the former Aroma space at 3417 Connecticut Ave., a new restaurant featuring "wines from around the world, food from our backyard" opens this weekend. Ripple is the result of former TLC head Roger Marmet's longtime dream to open a restaurant. He's assembled a great team, including chef Teddy Diggs, formerly of Blue Ridge , manager Danny Fisher who comes from Cork and Cork Market , and GM Brian Cook, a talented sommelier most recently of Sonoma . Pastry pro David Guas will provide sweets for the restaurant. Open for dinner seven days a week, Ripple will serve a menu of locally sourced, seasonal dishes, along with a wine list offering 50 choices by the glass from smaller producers around the world. A sample menu includes dishes like blood sausage with egg raviolo and horseradish; crispy soft shell crab with Anson Mills grits, wild ramps and preserved tomato; and braised greens lasagna with roasted mushrooms and béchamel. The chef is working with lots of great local...

The heat is finally cranking in Pizzeria Orso's oven. After plenty of anticipation , the team behind 2941 announced today that their next project, Pizzeria Orso , is slated to open in Falls Church in June. What got pizza aficionados salivating some two years ago over the plans for the new place is the involvement of Edan MacQuaid, a trained pizzaiolo who has cooked at DC's pizza standard-bearers, including 2Amys , Pizzeria Paradiso and Red Rocks . In his book "Pizza: A Slice of Heaven," Ed Levine dubbed MacQuaid “the best pizza guy on the East Coast.” MacQuaid and his wife Thea will be running Pizzeria Orso, turning out traditional Neapolitan pies from a handmade volcanic brick oven that cooks them in 90 seconds. The 117-seat restaurant will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. “I’m looking forward to making pizzas with the traditional tools and methods reflecting the best pizzas in Naples,” the chef said in a release. Looks for the pies to start slinging this ...

Inside the new Ted's Bulletin on Capitol Hill. Photo: tedsbulletin.com • Ted's Bulletin from the owners of Matchbox has opened on Barracks Row, and I'm totally digging their vintage-inspired web site . I also think I need a Heath almond milkshake, stat. • To the dismay of many noodle lovers, Wagamama doesn't sound like it will open anytime soon in DC. Or ever. Washington Business Journal • The patio at the Chesapeake Room (opening later this month) is looking lovely. Urban Daddy has photos . • Rumor has it chef Fabio Trabocchi ( Fiamma , Maestro ) may be taking over the former Le Paradou space near Sixth and Pennsylvania. • Prince of Petworth has a very early look inside Meridian Pint , opening soon in Columbia Heights.

A girl with a dragon tattoo at the entrance to Buddha-Bar. metrocurean photos This afternoon at a ceremony complete with fragrant incense, pounding drums and a dancing dragon, the soon-to-open Buddha-Bar 's 18-foot, onyx-glazed Buddha was blessed. The statue traveled some 10,000 miles from Indonesia to grace the main dining room of the new pan-Asian restaurant, slated to open May 10 at 455 Massachusetts Ave. Here's a peek inside the new space: The Buddha watches over the 170-seat restaurant.

Metrocurean has received updates on a few spring openings around DC: • Biergarten Haus : Later this month, the beer should start flowing at this new addition to H Street NE's Atlas District. Check out the massive outdoor space and a few more photos on the Going Out Gurus . 1355 H St. NE • Buddha-Bar : The Asian-themed Buddha-Bar, known for its trendy locations around the globe, will unveil its nearly 10,000-square-foot space May 8. Korean-born chef Chul Kee Ko, previously of Charlottesville's Ten and NYC's Jean Georges , will oversee the menu of Asian cuisine with French influences. 455 Massachusetts Ave. NW • Estadio : Proof owner Mark Kuller and chef Haidar Karoum just returned from an eating extravaganza in Spain in preparation for the opening of the Spanish-accented Estadio. Construction should be complete by the end of May, so listen out around then for a firm opening date. Read more about Estadio . 1520 14th St. NW • Equinox : After a damaging fire this winter, ...

A rendering of the planned Taylor Gourmet in Bethesda. • Taylor Gourmet will open its third deli and sub shop this summer at 7280 Woodmont Ave. in Bethesda. Tim Carman has more details over on Young & Hungry . • Michel Richard (left) finally inked the deal to take over the former Maestro space in the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner. The French chef hopes to open Michel this fall. Richard tells the Post's Tom Sietsema, who broke the news of the final deal, that the new spot will be "a good American restaurant with a small French accent." • Morso Express , the takeout side of Georgetown's forthcoming Morso , opened Friday at 3277 M St. The Mediterranean menu includes mezze, pide flatbreads, salads and kabobs. (Watch chef Ed Witt prepare a lamb and pistachio kabob wrap here .) Morso, the more upscale sit-down side of the operation, should open in the next few weeks. UrbanDaddy has a nice shot of the interior . • Bloomberg caught up with Top Chef alum Spike Mendelsoh...

The Downtown BID has reported and Metrocurean has confirmed that Tackle Box is planning to open at 522 10th St. NW, formerly home to the old Waffle Shop . While the new downtown location has not been finalized, a spokesperson for the beachy Georgetown lobster shack says the target opening will be next winter. Jonathan Umbel, owner of Tackle Box and Hook , told the Washington Business Journal 's Missy Frederick that he'd like to expand the fish shack concept across the region. Plans are also under way for a Bethesda outpost. Former Blue Duck Tavern chef de cuisine Mark Hellyar was recently named executive chef of both Hook and Tackle Box.

Photo by wageslaves ( Creative Commons license ) We got ourselves a bona fide diner in town! Capital City Diner officially opened for business this morning at 1050 Bladensburg Rd. NE . During the weekend's soft opening, the diner dished out 80 dozen eggs, more than 600 pancakes and over 100 burgers, according to its Facebook page . Capital City is serving breakfast all day, along with other expected diner fare like chicken fried steak, meatloaf, pies and milkshakes. Today's special of corned beef hash, eggs and toast will set you back only $5.50. Since last May, Young & Hungry's Tim Carman has chronicled the diner's journey through DC bureaucracy. Turned out, it wasn't so easy to pluck a 1940s diner car from upstate New York and move it onto an old used car lot in DC. But they made it. For photos of the shiny diner car, check out Young & Hungry , DCist and We Love DC .

Sweetgreen's quinoa salad will be a new offering at the P Street store. Sweetgreen will unveil its fourth area store Saturday at 1471 P St. NW. The DC-born salad and frozen yogurt shop has done an incredible job incorporating local foods into their menu and supporting the region's farmers. Showing their commitment to the cause, the owners recently added a new position to the business: a sourcing and sustainability manager. (You can read about their new "Sourceress" Erin Littlestar's adventures over on Sustainable in the City .) Exclusive to the Logan Circle store (for now) will be a selection of seasonal soups and a "Market" menu featuring three lettuce-less salads made with seasonal ingredients. Here's the recipe for one of those featured salads. Red & White Quinoa Salad with Goat Cheese and Roasted Winter Veggies recipe courtesy Sweetgreen 3 cups quinoa (red and white mix) 6 cups water 1 whole sweet potato, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes 1...

I've been so busy the past month stuffing my face full of pho, curries and noodles in Southeast Asia, there's no way I could keep up with all the deliciousness unfolding in DC. So here's a little round-up, and do let me know what I'm out of the loop on. • Jamaican patty shop-meets-reggae lounge Patty Boom Boom has opened at 1359 U St. NW. ReadySetDC has some photos . • Big Chair Coffee opens in Anacostia today at 2122 Martin Luther King Ave. SE. • Enology has relaunched as Alliance Tavern (3238 Wisconsin Ave.) with more beer options. Metrocurean hears the owners may look for a new location to resurrect Enology downtown. • Bistro Cacao has replaced Two Quail at 320 Massachusetts Ave. NE. UrbanDaddy has pics . • Bistro La Bonne replaced Axis Bar and Grill at 1340 U St. NW. (via Prince of Petworth ) • Pitango Gelato has announced plans to open its fourth shop at 413 Seventh St. NW. this spring.

Ping Pong Dim Sum opens this weekend in Penn Quarter, serving an extensive menu of dumplings, spring rolls and other dim sum dishes. Photo: Ping Pong's Facebook fan page Michael Landrum has big expansion plans, and Ping Pong Dim Sum opens Dec. 12. Here's all the juicy stuff you may have missed recently from the Twitterverse ... follow Metrocurean on Twitter here . RT @ WashPostPR : Big news for DC foodies: Ray's the Steaks ' Landrum has plenty more deliciousness in store for us: http://bit.ly/8sjthE about 17 hours ago from TweetDeck Stumbled on new Masa 14 brunch: excellent creamy Anson Mill grits w Oaxaca cheese, flatbread topped w egg, bacon fried rice w fried egg. 3:01 PM Dec 6th from Tweed Homemade Pizza Co. will open at 1522 14th St (same bldg as Cork&Fork) in late January. @ HomeMadePizzaCo www.homemadepizza.com 2:30 PM Dec 5th from web UrbanDaddy has th...

Chef Laurent Tourondel will add Casa Nonna (1250 Connecticut Ave.) and BLT Burger (1317 Connecticut Ave.) to BLT Restaurants' DC portfolio, which already includes BLT Steak, reports Tom Sietsema. A local food pub and my favorite vegetarian restaurant close down, but there are more openings to report. Here's all the juicy stuff you may have missed recently from the Twitterverse ... follow Metrocurean on Twitter here . Ansonia Wines just opened a new wine shop at 1828 18th St., specializing in French wine. @ ansoniawines http://bit.ly/RyjSL 5:46 PM Nov 30th from web RT @ SweetflowMobile Breaking news: Await blog post for details, but starting tmrw we will be selling salads from our truck! YES! Spread... http://bit.ly/5FhGiQ 2:14 PM Nov 30th from Facebook That was fast. Mark Furstenberg is out at G St Food , reports WaPo: ht...

Nearly four years after departing 1789 , chef Ris Lacoste will finally open her eponymous restaurant Monday, Dec. 7 at 2275 L St. NW . Ris will offer an American menu, featuring dishes like rabbit stew, lamb shank, Nantucket Bay scallops, grilled octopus, sardines, grilled Portuguese skirt steak and fall vegetable Wellington. Regular daily specials include meatloaf on Mondays and Little Italy on Wednesdays (read: spaghetti and meatballs and pistachio chocolate cannolis). On Thursdays, Lacoste will serve her signature rack of lamb — you may recall its deliciousness from 1789. “I’m excited to be back coaching my staff, welcoming my guests with delicious food, and presenting an ambiance to make them happy,” Lacoste says in a release. The space holds 240 seats, spread over a bar, café and various seating areas. Come spring, a patio will add an additional 60 seats. The restaurant will serve lunch weekdays and will stay open in the afternoon until dinner service starts. Dinner will run Mo...

Chocolates from Artisan Confections. Hold onto your sweet tooth, folks. The DC area has a host of new spots to get your sugar fix. First up, one of my favorite chocolatiers, Artisan Confections , has moved into a handsome new spot (below) in the Zoso Flats building at 1025 N. Fillmore St. in Arlington. The chocolate shop's neighbors will include the forthcoming Screwtop Wine Bar and, another spot to hit for a sugar rush, Bakeshop DC , serving cupcakes, cookies and other desserts. Speaking of cupcakes, Georgetown Cupcake on Bethesda Row (4834 Bethesda Ave.) held its grand opening Sunday. Young & Hungry's Tim Carman ran into the massive line waiting for free cupcakes and snapped some photos. Meanwhile, the original location is moving from its pint-sized digs on Potomac Street to 3301 M St. NW next month. Suffering from cupcake ennui? Perhaps pie is more your speed? If so, you'll want to keep an eye out for the upcoming opening of Baltimore transplant Dangerously Delici...

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