- Chef Mike Isabella announced this morning that he is opening a new restaurant in Edison, New Jersey in partnership with his sister called G GrabandGo. The restaurant will be styled like a deli and offer sandwiches, soups, salads, and more. This will be Isabella’s fifth restaurant concept following Graffiato and Bandolero which are currently open in Washington, D.C. and he also has Kapnos and G Sandwich opening in the District this spring/summer.
- Table, one of Shaw’s newest and best restaurants has announced they will start offering brunch on April 20th. Brunch will be served on Saturdays and Sundays, and there is a $34 prix fixe menu which includes three courses. A few dishes that sound droolworthy: buckwheat crepes with caramelized pears, and glazed short ribs with eggs. Read my review of Table here.
- Also from Chef Frederik de Pue of Table is his forthcoming restaurant Azur which is scheduled to open April 18th. The restaurant will take over the former Café Atlántico and America Eats Tavern space on 405 8th Street NW. Azur will be a European seafood restaurant, and the menu includes a raw bar, abundant fish and shellfish entrees, and fun bar food options such as uni toast and baked oysters.
- Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken officially opened this week and can barely keep up with the demand! I am told there have been lines out the door most of the week, and they have been selling out quickly. I had a delicious preview of the doughnuts a few months back which you can read about here. They are located at 1308 G Street NW.
- Now that it’s spring (or summer) in D.C., the patios are back in the full effect! I’m especially excited to hear that Bourbon Steak at the Four Seasons has opened their patio as of Monday. And, head over to the bar/lounge at Bourbon Steak sometime this month to celebrate National Grilled Cheese Month. There is a special grilled cheese available each week that is served from Sunday- Thursday from 11:30AM 10PM. This week is Cabot Clothbound Cheddar with onion jam on rye, next week is truffle Pecorino with foie gras butter on brioche, and the 21st-25th and 28th-30th is Raclette with dijon and cornichons on baguette.
-
Le Diplomate has soft opened, and I am looking forward to my dinner there next week on 4/17. I recently took a trip to Paris in December and have been anxiously awaiting the opening so I can indulge in croissants, steak frites, and beef bourguignon. I have a feeling that having this restaurant one block from my apartment is going to be dangerous. The restaurant is now accepting reservations (OpenTable keeps shifting between online and offline), and brunch will begin on Saturday, April 13th. This is the first restaurant to enter the Washington market from restaurateur Stephen Starr. Check out the amazing menu below.
{ 0 comments }
The Blue Duck Tavern Patio is a Must
by Jenna on May 5, 2011
Blue Duck Tavern's communal patio table. Photo courtesy of Blue Duck Tavern
The evening was full of delicious appetizers that included golden beets stuffed with goat cheese, a salty and savory cheesy risotto ball with brasied oxtail, spring onions wrapped in bacon, and pea soup topped with a meaty morel mushroom. However, the highlight of the evening was the fresh spring salad that was being made in front of our eyes by Chef Brian McBride which included generous chunks of lobster, golden beets, asparagus, spring greens, and then topped with a perfectly done poached egg. The salad was fantastic, and paired beautifully with the Boxwood Winery Rose that was also being served on the terrace. The wine was not too sweet, and was incredibly refreshing on a warm Spring evening. I look forward to enjoying more of it this summer.
Chef Brian McBride's ingredients for the lobster salad
As a parting gift the staff of Blue Duck Tavern provided each guest with three homemade scones in a to-go bag. I thought I could resist the temptation, but I had to eat one as soon as I got home. Let’s just say that those were some of the most enjoyable bites I have had in a long time. The scone had cinnamon and nuts and was moist and delicious. The other two are sitting on my counter and it is taking all of the willpower in the world to not devour them in one sitting.
The patio at Blue Duck Tavern is about as good as it gets when it comes to outdoor dining. And the fact that the food is fantastic and their wine list is superb makes it an all-around ideal choice. I look forward to enjoying the patio as soon as we get some consistent warm weather… which will hopefully be soon!
Blue Duck Tavern at the Park Hyatt Hotel
1201 24th Street NW (corner of 24th and M Streets NW)
Washington, DC 20037
www.blueducktavern.com
{ 1 comment }