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Chop’t Creative Salad Company has opened its second Washington, DC location in Dupont Circle. As at its first location in Penn Quarter, each salad on the menu also includes a pairing suggestion for the most complementary of the 26 homemade salad dressings; otherwise diners can choose their favorite from Chop’t’s selections. These DC locations are the first restaurants in the country to offer Boylan’s “vintage soda pop” as a fountain drink. Chop’t, 1300 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 202-327-2255. Cork Wine Bar has opened its doors at Logan Circle in the 14th Street corridor. It will offer 35 wines by the glass and 130 bottles from small producers in France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Austria. The kitchen features chef Ron Tanaka, formerly of CityZen, who cooks modern and classic fare. The owners worked in collaboration with wine consultant Vickie Reh to develop a list of over 130 old-world wines, partial to France–particularly the Rhône Valley–and Italy. Cork Wine Bar, 1720 14th St., Washington, DC, 202-265-2675, www.corkdc.com. The multi-level Alto Plaza opens its doors to a Nuevo Latino dining experience. The first level features a bar-lounge area and casual dining that continues onto the second floor. Also on level two is a large meeting room, wired for presentations, complete with a plasma screen and internet access. The third level is reservations-only and features fine dining, live music and a cigar bar. Good for al fresco dining during the warmer months are the wraparound patios on all three floors, with big floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding each lounge. Open for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch with hours on Mon.-Sat. from 11 a.m.-midnight and Sunday from 10 a.m.-midnight. For reservations or further information call 703-266-8811 or visit www.altoplaza.net. Alto Plaza, 5800 Old Centreville Rd., Centreville, Va. Vinifera Bistro & Wine Bar opens in Reston this May. Vinifera is named after the vine species that produces over 99 percent of the world's wines today. With Matthew Mohler acting as executive chef, the restaurant-bar will serve innovative American cuisine with global influences, showcasing seasonal, local and sustainable products. The restaurant’s bar area will offer more than 200 local, domestic and international wines, plus signature cocktails and microbrews. Located in the soon-to-open Westin Reston Heights, the restaurant will be accessible directly from the street. An outdoor patio that seats 70 will also open when weather allows. The restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Vinifera Bistro & Wine Bar, 11750 Sunrise Valley Dr., Reston, Va. Co Co. Sala opened its doors in the heart of the Penn Quarter as a coffee, chocolate and cocktail lounge. The 130-seat restaurant will initially offer dinner and late-night service, and will begin offering breakfast and lunch service in early March. Co Co. Sala will specialize in espresso and chocolate-based drinks, artisanal chocolates, and pastries. Along with the desserts, Co Co. Sala’s kitchen offers selections like the Trio of Sliders, which includes a spicy Moroccan swordfish, blue cheese-stuffed sirloin burger and tandoori-spiced chicken. For the ultimate chocolate indulgence, the evening menu will feature multi-course chocolate desserts with flavors derived from cuisines of various countries. The restaurant will also feature displays of remarkable sugar and chocolate sculptures appropriate for the seasons. Co Co. Sala, Penn Quarter, 929 F St. NW, Washington, DC. Commemorating one of America’s earliest presidents, Jackson 20—in honor of Andrew Jackson—has opened in Alexandria’s Old Town featuring, not surprisingly, American fare. Chef Jeff Armstrong’s menu emphasizes ingredients sourced from local farmers and local waters, highlighting American dishes with Southern influences. Armstrong worked most recently as executive chef of Keswick Hall at Monticello in nearby Charlottesville, Va. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, bar snacks and dinner. Jackson 20, 480 King St. in Old Town, Alexandria, Va., 703-549-6080. Chef-owner Howsoon Cham opened the doors of his new restaurant, Café Tropé, just two short blocks from Dupont Circle at 2100 P St. NW, Washington. The intimate 75-seat restaurant features the distinctive flavors of French Caribbean cuisine. Starting in February, the restaurant will serve lunch Wednesday to Friday and dinner nightly plus brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. The name Café Tropé is derived from France’s charming port town of Saint Tropez. The chef owns Red Ginger Caribbean & Latin American Bistro in Georgetown. For more information, call 202-223-9335. Taking Penn Quarter by storm, the all salad/all the time eatery Chop’t is jam-packed with greens-loving folk who want a salad their way. This idea should catch on big when other locations open up metro-wide. Chop’t, 730 Seventh St. NW, Washington, DC, 202-347-3225. Wildfire will open its first DC-area location at Tysons Galleria in McLean, Va. The restaurant, a 1940s-style steak and chophouse, offers an extensive menu that features broiled steaks and chops, wood-roasted seafood and spit-roasted meats, as well as salads and sandwiches. Wildfire also offers a gluten-free menu for both lunch and dinner for guests with celiac disease. In addition, the Wildfire kids’ menu includes wood-fired cheese pizza and barbecued ribs and fries. Wildfire will be open for lunch and dinner Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m.-11 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Wildfire, 1714U International Dr., 3rd floor, McLean, Va., 703-442-9110, www.wildfirerestaurant.com. Accented by such touches as two giant chandeliers designed by Dale Chihuly, The Park features creative American classics, from vine-ripened tomato soup with a crouton of grilled artisanal cheese and tomato concassé, to short ribs two ways: slow-roasted oven-braised barbecue short ribs and classically braised beef short ribs. For dessert, offerings include a fresh homemade cinnamon sugar donut with a frozen cappuccino custard topped with a cool cream foam. The first two floors are devoted to dinner service, where guests can watch the chefs at work in an exhibition kitchen, creating their take on classic American cuisine. The top two floors serve as lounge areas and private event space. Dinners only. The Park, 920 14th St. NW, Washington, DC, 202-737-7275. The restaurant at Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Bethesda, OZ. Restaurant (pronounced oh-zee), is a full-service eatery in the venue’s new Great Room. It features Zen flair and centers its offerings on mental and physical well-being. All proteins are priced and served by the ounce, all non-entrée items are less than 490 calories, and all desserts are “served by the spoon.” OZ. Restaurant, Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Bethesda, 8120 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, Md., 301-652-2000. Wolfgang Puck has introduced Washingtonians to The Source, his first fine-dining restaurant in the nation’s capital. The modern, 11,000-square-foot, three-level restaurant is the signature dining experience at the Newseum, an interactive museum dedicated to the news. Puck tapped Scott Drewno to serve as the executive chef of the 200-seat restaurant. While the cuisine draws inspiration from Puck’s renowned signature fine-dining restaurants, including Spago Beverly Hills, Chinois on Main and CUT, the concept for The Source is the first-of-its-kind for the company. The Source offers two distinct dining experiences plus a private dining room that seats 40 guests. The diverse menu ranges from smaller plates, such as Prime beef sliders with smoked onion marmalade and white cheddar, to Puck’s signature pizzas from the wood-burning oven including the smoked salmon pizza with dill cream and caviar. Workday lunch, bar menu, and late-night dining is available in the lounge, which seats 70. In the upstairs dining room, guests can enjoy a fine-dining experience, with a menu that features modern interpretations of Asian dishes. Menu offerings include roasted suckling pig with a plum-fig chutney; steamed black bass “Hong Kong”-style with baby bok choy; and lacquered Chinese duckling with wild huckleberries and glass noodles. The restaurant’s wine list features more than 300 labels featuring a majority of American producers with a strong selection of international wines from Austria, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and New Zealand. In addition, the list includes nearly one dozen bottles of saké plus saké by the glass. The Source, 555 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, DC, 202-637-6100. Big, big news for DC’s gourmets, gourmands, and devoted foodies. Opening in early November at The Ritz-Carlton, Washington D.C. in the West End: the Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert, a casual American bistro. The restaurant will open to the public for dinner on Thursday, November 8, and for lunch and brunch starting in December. Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert, The Ritz-Carlton, Washington D.C., 1190 22nd St. NW, Washington, DC, 202-974-4900. The Carlyle Club is slated to open October 18, offering the Washington metropolitan area live entertainment and fine dining. Located in the heart of Alexandria, the new Art Deco-style space features a large center stage and dance floor, a private dining room for 25 persons, and an expansive lounge and bar area. The opening weekend will feature big band entertainment, including Radio King Orchestra on the 18th, Doc Scantlin and the Imperial Palms Orchestra on the 19th, and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra on the 20th and 21st. The venue will be open for lunch and dinner, and provide entertainment at all services including a set dinner menu for the big name shows. Daily entertainment at lunch will typically feature piano performances, while evening entertainment will range from three-piece jazz ensembles to national headliners. Dinner for the national headliner shows will be in two seatings: the first show at 7 p.m. and the second show at 10 p.m. Dinner prices for the big name shows will range from $75-$100, which will include a four-course menu, (exclusive of beverage/alcohol) and can be reserved now. The Carlyle Club, 411 John Carlyle St., Alexandria, Va., 703-549-8957, www.thecarlyleclub.com. Chef-owner Jamie Leeds and partner Sandy Lewis plan to bring the New England beach fare of Hank’s Oyster Bar to Old Town Virginia. Patrons can anticipate finding the signature exposed brick walls, chalkboard menus, marble bar and bountiful fresh oyster selection in an intimate setting with seating for 50-plus. Hank’s Old Town menu will also be the same, down to the dark chocolate chunks presented with the bill. Hank’s Oyster Bar, 1026 King St., Alexandria, Va., 703-739-4265. Locanda is the newest addition to Capitol Hill and the brainchild of Aykan Demiroglu, former director of operations of Le Paradou. Executive chef Brian Barszcz, formerly of Obelisk, Tallula and Bistro Bis, presents a menu featuring Italian cooking with Mediterranean influences. Locanda, 633 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington, DC, 202-547-0002. Owner and local entrepreneur James O’Brien is opening RedRocks FireBrickPizzeria, a pizzeria and café located in DC’s Columbia Heights neighborhood. The restaurant will offer both traditional and gourmet pizzas straight from the 800-degree brick oven, as well as café fare, including fresh panini with house-made bread, salads and starters, wines by the bottle and the glass, Chimay Triple and Allagash White on tap and 30 beers and microbrews by the bottle. RedRocks’ brick-oven pies will come in more than a dozen varieties, including the classic margherita. Open for dinner and weekend brunch. RedRocks FireBrickPizzeria, 1036 Park Rd. NW, Washington, DC, 202-320-7161.
Bluepoint, a contemporary seafood kitchen and bar, is opening in DC's Penn Quarter. It features seafood, generously cut USDA Prime Allen Brothers steaks and raw bar specialties, all complemented by hand-crafted, signature cocktails and a selection of wine and beer. Fresh fish is one of Bluepoint's specialties, including scallops, Atlantic salmon, and twin lobster tails. Bluepoint will be open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. and weekends for dinner from 4 p.m. Bluepoint, 1299 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-783-4545. Replacing the now-closed David Greggory Restau-Lounge will be Hudson, slated to open in early fall. Named after the Elizabethan explorer-navigator-adventurer, the eatery will offer classic and contemporary comfort food. A protégé of chef Timothy Dean, chef Kyle Schroeder will add a touch of creativity to the restaurant’s cuisine, which will include breakfast pastries; small and large lunch plates of entrées, salads and sandwiches; and dinners with inventive and retro main courses, pizzas and salads. On the weekends, Hudson’s brunch will offer everything from fresh buttermilk pancakes and challah french toast to sourdough toast topped with poached eggs, jumbo lump crab cake and red pepper hollandaise. Hudson, 2030 M St. NW, Washington, DC, 202-872-8700, www.hudson-dc.com. Il Fornaio plans to open in the Reston Town Center in August, and will bring to Northern Virginia its brand of upscale Northern Italian cooking. Claudio Zorloni, chef-partner, hails from Milano, in the Lombardia region of Italy, where he learned to cook by assisting his mother in the kitchen. Zorloni is noted for his fresh pastas made daily on-site. In addition, Il Fornaio's kitchens feature equipment like a wood-fired oven for pizza, a wood-burning rotisserie for chicken and duck, and a wood grill for the authentic bistecca alla Fiorentina, a 22-ounce certified Angus porterhouse steak. The eatery will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week and for brunch on weekends. Il Fornaio, 11990 Market St., Ste. 106, Reston, Va., 703-437-5544. King Street Blues expands its operations with its opening in Arlington’s Courthouse district. Look for its brand of barbecue and blues after mid-June. King Street Blues, 2300 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, Va., 703-243-4900. Once under the kitchen wisdom of Susan Lindeborg and then Joe Raffa, who now cooks at Oyamel Cocina Mexicana, The Majestic Café (911 King St., Alexandria, Va., 703-837-9117) has reopened with an entirely new menu and crew. Las Canteras, a restaurant that brings traditional Peruvian dining into the contemporary era, has opened at 2307 18th St. NW, Washington (202-265-1780). The menu, décor and style are a fusion of traditional and modern features from executive chef Eddy Ancasi’s native Peru. The restaurant offers Washington area diners native cuisine from the land of the Incas, coupled with innovative Andean specialties in a colorful, modern atmosphere. The restaurant is open for lunch Tuesday through Sunday 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and for dinner from 5-11 p.m. (closed Monday). Opened at the beginning of 2007, Grape Legs Fun Wine & Spirits on the Ninth Street corridor specializes in unique and well-priced wines. With a small selection from domestic vineyards, the focus is on wines from Argentina, Chile, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Eighty percent of the bottles are in the $7-$15 range. Grape Legs Fun Wine & Spirits, 1905 Ninth St. NW, Washington, DC, 202-387-9463.
Super-chef José Andrés moves his beloved
Oyamel Cocina Mexicana to DC’s Penn
Quarter, and celebrates a soft opening with
dinner service now; lunch service to follow soon.
Hip, happening and colorful, with divine food, of
course. Oyamel Cocina Mexicana, 401 Seventh St.
NW, Washington, DC,
202-628-1005. Il Mulino New York has opened. The menu features the vibrant flavors of Italian cuisine, drawing upon the Abruzzi region in Italy. All meals begin with a complimentary antipasto tasting of soppresatta, bruschetta, Reggiano Parmesan, fried zucchini and homemade garlic and focaccia bread. Additionally, all guests receive a complimentary glass of signature house grappa at the conclusion of their meal. Il Mulino New York, 1110 Vermont Ave. NW, 202-293-1001. Jack’s Restaurant & Bar in Dupont Circle replaces Le Pigalle with a more European and neighborhood-friendly menu. At the stove is owner and executive chef Herbert Kerschbaumer, formerly of Bistro Bernoise on Macarthur Boulevard in DC. Jack’s Restaurant & Bar, 1527 17th St. NW, 202-332-6767. Look for the opening of a new concept in steakhouses come August when BLT Steak opens at 1625 I St. NW. While the design will reflect the traditional appeal of the American steakhouse, its approach—BLT's signature "blackboard" menu will be prominently featured highlighting the menu offerings of the day—will be simpler, and more modern to appeal to the neighborhood crowd. BLT Steak, 1625 I Street NW, Washington, DC. LIA’S, from chef and entrepreneur Geoff Tracy, owner of Chef Geoff’s (3201 New Mexico Ave. NW, 202-237-7800) and Chef Geoff’s Downtown (13th St. between E and F Streets NW, 202-464-4461), is slated to open at the end of June in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The restaurant will feature a predominantly Italian-themed menu, a “wine wall” in the dining room, twenty-plus wines by the glass, a full bar and twelve beers on tap. A patio for outdoor dining will be available during the warm season, and a private room will accommodate special events. LIA’S, 4435 Willard Ave., Chevy Chase, Md., 240-223-5427, www.liasrestaurant.com. The Blue Duck Tavern (24th and M Streets NW) is slated to open June 16. Executive chef Brian McBride will incorporate farm-fresh produce and meats in addition to freshly caught seafood on the American menu. Expect an all-American wine list with 60 wines available from California, Washington, Oregon and several other states, as well as a selection of 300 wines from around the world. The contemporary neighborhood restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner daily. Chef and seafood specialist David Craig has opened his eponymous restaurant, David Craig, to showcase the modern interpretations of classic rustic preparations for which he has become well known. Craig made his debut in Washington ten years ago at Dupont Circle restaurant, Pesce, then subsequently worked at The Tabard Inn and Black's Bar & Kitchen. David Craig, 4924 St. Elmo Ave., Bethesda, Md., 301-657-2484. Tandoori Nights has unveiled a second location in the trendy Clarendon area and showcases a new type of bar scene with its Agni Lounge (fire in Hindi). The bar features unusual cocktails plus assorted Indian appetizers including the Calcutta specialty, raj kachori (chickpea patty); and jhal muri, or puffed rice, cucumber, potatoes, tomatoes, onion, cilantro and roasted peanuts tossed with a sweet and sour tamarind sauce. For more information about restaurant and bar hours, visit www.tandoorinights.com or call 703-248-8333.
Lucky Strike Lanes has opened in Chinatown, with a Hollywood-influenced take on dining and bowling. Bowl on state-of-the-art lanes and enjoy gourmet dining and cocktails in this spot that offers lounge seating surrounded by the work of local artists. Lucky Strike also features a sports bar with three high-definition screens and eight 40-inch plasma TVs, as well as billiard tables and a patio. Lucky Strike Lanes, Gallery Place, 701 Seventh St. NW, Washington, DC, 202-347-1021. Fogo de Chão has opened in downtown at 1101 Pennsylvania Ave. NW (202-347-4668). This steakhouse is a churrascaria, where meat is slow-roasted in the “gaucho” tradition and carved tableside.
Old Homestead Steakhouse has opened in Bethesda in the Chevy Chase Bank Building at 7501 Wisconsin Ave., offering Kobe beef as its signature item. Other locations include New York (56 Ninth Ave., 212-242-9040) and Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City. The Boca Raton Resort & Club in Florida is slated for the fourth Old Homestead Steakhouse (December 2005). The second-generation, family-owned boutique steakhouse is known for its Prime dry-aged beef. Lunch Mon.-Fri. and dinner nightly. For reservations, call 301-654-2006. Chef-restaurateur Richard Sandoval is slated to start construction on a second Zengo location at 781 Seventh St. at Gallery Place-Chinatown—he previously launched Zengo in Denver. Continuing with their partnership at Pampano in New York City, Sandoval will collaborate with Washington National Opera’s Placido Domingo. Sandoval will meld his knowledge of Latin foods with Shanghai-born chef Alan Yu’s Asian ingredients and techniques. Zengo DC is slated to open in September 2005.
Named for its central downtown-DC location, Central Michel Richard came into being because of Michel Richard's desire to have a place where his children could dine on delicious yet straightforward cooking that is American, French and whimsical—and less expensive than his signature and very upscale Michel Richard Citronelle located in Georgetown. Central features creative twists on American classics, such as lobster and beef burgers and roasted chicken. The menu also features homemade charcuterie and fresh oysters. The restaurant seats about 220, with private dining spaces giving guests a choice of a wine room view or a media dining room with flat screen HDTV. The wine list, created by Citronelle's Mark Slater and Brian Zipin, is a 100-bottle list focusing on small producers, predominantly from France and the U.S., with representation from the best of other regions including Germany, Austria, Italy and Spain. Central Michel Richard, 1001 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington DC. Eric Ripert, chef at New York’s Le Bernardin and Barça 18 restaurants, will be opening Harvest at The Ritz-Carlton, Washington D.C. sometime this spring. Ripert’s menu will feature organic produce and fresh seafood prepared in a shielded open kitchen providing diners with a behind-the-scenes view. Bastille features updated Franco-Mediterranean cuisine with vintages to match. It is the culmination of chefs Christophe Poteaux and Michelle Garbee's dream of opening their own restaurant. Both are formerly of Aquarelle at The Watergate. A variety of small plates and entrées are available with wines selected with pairing in mind. Bastille, 1201 N. Royal St., Alexandria, Va., 703-519-3776. Bobby Varua is the new executive chef of 701, bringing with him plenty of experience. His previous jobs include stints with China Grill, Nougatine, Aureole, Daniel and The Plaza hotel in New York City. Joining Varua is pastry chef Christine Plante. 701, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 202-393-0701. Executive chef Matt Hill will be returning to Charlie Palmer Steak in DC to helm the kitchen starting February 15. Hill, who currently heads up the kitchen at the newly opened Charlie Palmer Steak and Fin Fish in Reno and was instrumental in the opening of Charlie Palmer Steak in DC nearly five years ago, will be replacing executive chef Bryan Voltaggio, who leaves to open his own restaurant. Charlie Palmer Steak, 101 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 202-547-8100. After moving from Maestro in The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner to a short-term assignment in Baltimore, Stefano Frigerio moves to DC’s Mio restaurant as its new executive chef. As Fabio Trabocchi’s right-hand man, Frigerio has sterling kitchen credentials and should help put this struggling newcomer on the DC dining map. Mio, 1110 Vermont Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 202-955-0075. Chef Ricky Moore, who recently departed Agraria Restaurant in Washington Harbour (3000 K St. NW, Washington, 202-298-0003), has been named executive chef at indebleu (707 G St. NW, Washington, 202-333-2538). No news yet on the destination of chef Vikram Garg. Jonathan Krinn, who with his father made 2941 Restaurant in Falls Church a must-go destination, has left to open a new restaurant, name and destination still a secret. 2941 Restaurant, Fairview Park Dr., Falls Church, Va., 703-270-1500. Nongkran
Daks of
Thai Basil in Chantilly, Virginia, has become
a partner in a second restaurant of the same name
in Ashburn. Thai Basil, 14511-P Lee Jackson
Memorial Hwy., Chantilly, Va.,
703-631-8277. Ashok Bajaj, head of the restaurant group that includes Bombay Club, Bajaj 701, The Oval Room, Ardeo, Bardeo and Rasika, has announced the appointment of Joy Ludwig as pastry chef for both The Oval Room (800 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 202-463-8700), and Bombay Club (815 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 202-659-3727). Ludwig formerly baked at Jean Georges in New York. Daniel Bortnick is the new executive chef of Dupont Circle restaurant and lounge, Firefly. 1310 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Washington, 202-861-1310. Barton Seaver moves from Café Saint-Ex (1847 14th St. NW, Washington, 202-265-7839) to Hook in Georgetown. Moving from 701 to the kitchen of Ardeo/Bardeo is Trent Conry. He will be replaced at 701 by his colleague Alexander Powell, a native of Jamaica who has cooked in Manhattan with Jean-George Vongerichten and in the Bahamas. Replacing Anthony Chittum at Dish + drinks, Peggy Newbold Thompson will take over the kitchen, coming from the Georgetown Club. Jamie Leeds, owner and executive chef of Hank's Oyster Bar, has appointed William Beck as general manager and Karen Hayes as sous chef to the 65-seat restaurant. Hank's Oyster Bar, 1624 Q St. NW, Washington, 202-462-4265. Daniel Kenney has been named executive chef for the Willard InterContinental Washington, 1401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 202-637-7318. Chef-owner Bob Kinkead of Kinkead’s has announced the appointments of Hichem Lahreche as the restaurant’s new pastry chef and Todd Schiller as chef de cuisine to his downtown restaurant. In Virginia, at Bob Kinkead's Colvin Run Tavern (8045 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, 703-356-9500) he has promoted Chris Newsome to its chef de cuisine. Jeff Gaetjen, formerly the establishment’s chef de cuisine, has been named corporate chef for all of Bob Kinkead’s restaurants, including Kinkead’s, Sibling Rivalry in Boston (525 Tremont St., 617-338-5338) and Bob Kinkead's Colvin Run Tavern. Owner Ashok Bajaj has tapped Matthew Secich to be the new executive chef of The Oval Room (800 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 202-463-8700). Duane
Keller has been named the new executive
chef at
Dupont Grille Restaurant (1500 New Hampshire
Ave. NW, Washington, 202-939-9596). Keller, a
veteran of DC restaurants including
Potowmack Landing Restaurant and the Hyatt
Regency Reston’s Market Street Bar & Grill,
will maintain Dupont’s menu of modern American
cuisine with regional influences and a focus on
seasonal seafood specialties. In addition to his
duties at Dupont Grille, he will also serve as
executive chef for Jurys Washington Hotel, where
Dupont Grille is located. Mark Hellyar is now chef de cuisine of Blue Duck Tavern at the Park Hyatt Washington. Most recently, Hellyar was at NoMI in Chicago, Oxford's Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons and The Fat Duck in Bray, England. Blue Duck Tavern, 24th & M St. NW, Washington, DC, 202-789-1234. Antonio (Tony) Conte has been named executive chef of The Oval Room (800 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-463-8700). Conte previously held the position of executive sous chef at |
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Openings
Rasika has opened at 633 D St.
NW, (Penn Quarter), Washington, DC
(202-637-1222). The name is derived from Sanskrit
meaning "flavors," and the restaurant features
those created by chef Vikram Sunderam, who
relocated to DC after being at 
Sette Bello, a sister
restaurant to DC’s 
