"The idea was not to offer a white tablecloth experience because in this area, I was pretty much sure I was going to shoot myself in the foot....For lunch, we're going to give you the same plastic menus that TGI Fridays has, so you can feel that it is affordable."—chef Enzo Fargione, speaking to Dining [...]

This is not a formal review, but rather an off-the-cuff first-impressions-style riff on a brand-spankin' new D.C. restaurant. Michel Richard's hugely ballyhooed Meatballs had barely opened (I counted 17 people in line, 13 seated at tables) and already staffers were telling folks that they had run out of the lentil variety around 11:30 a.m. on [...]

For a concept as prosaic as ground meat shaped into savory spheres, the new Penn Quarter eatery simply called Meatballs sure has generated a lot of buzz. Part of the hype is probably due to the restaurant’s brash marketing strategy. Consider the eye-catching signage out front, which heavily emphasizes the word “balls” in large capital [...]

The supposedly temporary America Eats Tavern isn't shutting its doors any time soon. While the National Archives exhibit that inspired the pop-up eatery will finish up in January, restaurateur José Andrés tells WaPo critic Tom Sietsema that he intends to keep the makeshift house of watery "catsups" and $8 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches open [...]

D.C. diners may have to wait a little longer to taste Michel Richard's Meatballs. The much anticipated eatery had been expected to open on Wednesday. But not according to the sign posted on the door when Y&H stopped by at 11:15 am. "Not Open!" To further tease our taste buds, menus have been put up [...]

So acclaimed chef Michel Richard's forthcoming concept in Penn Quarter is all about the meatball. All kinds, too: beef, lamb, chicken, crab, veggie. The name of the place: why, Meatballs, of course. (Note the playfully heavy emphasis on "balls" in both the signage and the souvenir swag.) And why not? New York already has its [...]

Late yesterday, chef José Andrés' team sent out a link via Twitter to a computer animated YouTube video (embedded below) illustrating the proposed new redesign of his pioneering Penn Quarter tapas joint Jaleo. "We are moving away from the Flamenco dancer and more to a Dali-like, modern, provocative look," Andrés told WaPo critic Tom Sietsema. [...]

"There may be some similar items but this will be a new unique look for Jaleo. We are moving away from the Flamenco dancer and more to a Dali-like, modern, provocative look.”—Chef José Andrés, speaking to WaPo critic Tom Sietsema about the forthcoming design makeover of his pioneering Penn Quarter tapas joint

Michel Richard, the fancy French chef who brought you the $29 lobster burger, is now taking a stab at meatballs. According to multiple reports (Prince of Petworth via Eater), the James Beard Award-winning chef behind Citronelle and Central is opening a new meatball shop, simply titled Meatballs, right next to Luke's Lobster in Penn Quarter: [...]

Congrats to chef Fabio Trabocchi and company. His Penn Quarter eatery Fiola, which opened this past spring, made the cut for Esquire's list of "Best New Restaurants 2011." Says the men's mag: "After his cucina nuova effusions of the past, Trabocchi has gone retro, infusing classic Italian dishes with his own sense of the sublime. [...]