Growlers are back!

Photo by Erwyn van der Meer, on flickr.

 According to Young & Hungry, Mayor Gray signed the omnibus alcohol bill yesterday. The process for Sunday sales might take a few weeks, but hopefully growler sales will start earlier. I'll let you know if I hear anything more.

PS7s possibly becoming South American Steakhouse

Rumors have circulated for months about whether PS7s was closing, and if so, what would become of it. It's been pretty clear for at least the last month that it was closing, but until now, there hasn't been much information. Today the Washington Post reported that it would be replaced by "Del Campo," a South American restaurant focusing on the pleasures of the grill. The chef behind it is suggested to be Victor Albisu, former chef at BLT Steak and Taco Bamba. However, there's still no word from PS7's chef-owner Peter Smith. [Washington Post]

Big Changes at Room 11

Big news for one of the best bars/restaurants in Columbia Heights. The top chef at Room 11, Ben Gilligan, is stepping down.

Just as Columbia Heights gem Room 11 gears up for its expansion, partnerBen Gilligan is stepping down as the restaurant's head chef. According to general manager Jessica Woods, Gilligan — who recently had a baby — is taking a step back to consider some new projects. He'll still be around and involved with Room 11, she says, but the restaurant is now actively looking for a new head chef who will keep the spirit of the tiny small plates restaurant, but will also "put their own spin on things."

 Room 11 is also looking forward to the opening of their expansion space in mid-October which may, if we're very lucky, have a focus on vermouth and amaro. I'll let you know as I hear more.

Cava Mezze Grill close to opening!

I walked by Cava Mezze Grill, the informal spot from the owners of Cava Mezze, in Columbia Heights this weekend, and it looks almost open! Can't wait!

Does your cab do this?

Photo by Christi Johnstone on flickr.

This is just bizarre. Courtesy of DCist:

This feels like something that should have happened on April 1st, but instead, it’s happening in the middle of the summer. Purveyors of black car service Uber, whose existence was something of a puzzle to the Council of DC this week, is going to bring you some ice cream if you ask. They’re deploying their service via a few ice cream trucks later this week, according to their blog. $12 gets you 5 ice creams for your friends (said to be Klondikes and King Kones, amongst other frozen treats) charged to your card on file.

The day after the DC Council reversed itself on price controls for the company, I'm going to assume it's something of a thank you. Anybody try it?

Free Food at PAUL Opening Today

Via Young & Hungry, Free Food at PAUL Opening Today:

PAUL Bakery opens at 1000 Connecticut Ave. NW today at 7 a.m. with free baguettes or large macarons (chocolate, raspberry, or pistachio) for the first thousand customers.

I'm a big fan of their bread, so a location near where I usually work is great! They're looking to open two more stores in the area this year. 

Bistro la Bonne expanding

Photo by Angela N. on flickr

The other night I went to my favorite mussel place, Bistro la Bonne. They have a new expanded mussel menu, all of which are very tasty, and it's only $15 for moules frites and a beer during happy hour. I'm not sure they're quite as good as Bistrot du Coin or Granville Moore's, but they're in the same ballpark, and they're a lot closer to where I live. It looked like they were doing some construction, so I asked the bartender what was going on. Apparently, they're going to open up the second floor and turn it into a dedicated mussel bar! Very exciting, and I'll let you know how it is once it opens.

Tacklebox cum Bandelero to become Pulpo

Photo from Prince of Petworth.

Prince of Petworth reports that the Tacklebox in Cleveland Park will become Pulpo, a tapas restaurant, once Bandelero is done with their pop-up thing.

Early last week I mentioned that Tackle Box would not likely reopen after the Bandolero run in Cleveland Park. Thanks to everyone who shared the Tom Sietsema tweet:
“Owner of @Florianadc tells me he’s taking over @tackleboxdc site in Cleveland Park May 7 & turning it into Pulpo, (Octopus) a tapas bar.”

This is a bit disappointing. Not that I don't love octopus, but I'm not sure DC needs another tapas place, and Tacklebox seemed like a great fit for Cleveland Park, right in a price and style niche that was otherwise unserved there. 

Utopia Closing for a Year and a Half.

Utopia restaurant. Photo by M. V. Jantzen on flickr.

Via Prince of Petworth, Utopia closed last Friday and will be closed for the next eighteen months:

I also passed Utopia at 1418 U St, NW on Sunday. I spoke with the folks at Stem two storefronts down. They said that both Stem and DC Noodles would also be closing soon (he didn’t have an exact date of when) for at least a year while construction of the nearby Louis at 14th development takes place. In the meantime Stem is having a clearance sale on all of their inventory.

Hopefully the food will be a bit better when it opens.

Rammy Finalists Announced

Graffiato, nominated for Best New Restaurant

The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, RAMW, announced it's slate of finalists today for it's prestigious RAMMY award. Given for excellence in one of 16 different categories, it also works as a guide to places you should definitely try.  List of nominees after the jump.

More Distillery News

Via DCist:

A distillery hoping to produce gin and whiskey in a warehouse in Northeast D.C. received federal approval to move forward with its plans, according to a tweet this afternoon from the New Columbia Distillers. 

John Uselton and Michael Lowe have been converting a 3,500-square-foot warehouse in Ivy City into what will eventually be a distillery, but unlike their brewing brethren nearby, they need federal approval and will be carefully scrutinized by the U.S. Treasury as they begin producing gin and, eventually, whiskey. 

They hope to have their first batch of gin ready by this summer. They're also working with the D.C. Council on legislation that would allow them to host tastings at the distillery.

Can't wait to bike out there on a hot summer day for a cool glass of gin! We talked about the distillery before here.

New Izakaya coming to U St Corridor

Via Young and Hungry (V Street, Meet Sake), construction is underway for Izakaya Seki, a Japanese restaurant coming to the U St. Corridor. I'm really excited about this, and not just because I'm always excited about new restaurants coming to my neighborhood. I like the idea of an Izakaya, a somewhat different type of establishment than either the sushi bar or the upscale steakhouse most Americans picture when they think about Japanese restaurants. And I love Kushi, the Izakaya down by the convention center. But Kushi is expensive. It sounds like Seki will be more mid-range, an area DC doesn't exactly specialize in. From Y&H:

The menu hasn't quite been finalized. "But," she says, "it'll be food that he and I love, things we want to eat when we drink." Expect udon and soba noodle dishes (the latter variety will be shipped directly from Japan). But, no sushi (raw sashimi courses certainly, but no nigiri or maki.) No ramen, either (at least not at first, anyway). And, no bartender. "There's no space for a bar," she points out. But there will be drinks, including beer, sake and a curated selection of shōchū, a Japanese spirit that Seki hopes to become a sort of house specialty. 

Expect a more modern look than your typical dark wooden izakaya-style joint in Japan, or even New York. 

The overall goal, Seki says, is to offer the sort of high-quality cuisine at a mid-range price point that D.C. generally lacks. "I do think we're filling a gap that doesn't exist for casual Japanese dining," she says.

Italian Gastro-pub and wine bar coming to Logan Circle

Via Prince of Petworth:

Back in Nov. 2010, we learned that HR-57 was moving from 1610 14th St, NW to H Street, NE. The Logan Circle space, located next to Pearl Dive, remained vacant ever since. It was only a matter of time before someone scooped up this prime location. A recent liquor license application says it will be a:

“New full service Italian gastro-pub and wine bar with DJ or live music, no more than five piece bands. Dancing with no designated dance floor, and occasional cover change.”

Sounds good to me!