Among the many plates, there were some pleasant surprises, such as the nugget of "liquid chicken" that explodes like a soup dumpling all over your tonsils, and some not-so-pleasant surprises, including the chef's deconstructed take on chips and salsa which nearly made me choke from all the chip dust like the kind you find at the bottom of your average Tostitos bag. After dinner, Cooper tells me he plans to better anchor the chip shards in the future. "We're going to put the avocado puree down on the spoon," he says.

Other than a few minor tweaks, though, Cooper says the menu is pretty much set. So the preview period is a fairly good indicator of what's to come. Herewith, a few other observations about the hugely anticipated Blagden Alley eatery, which Cooper hopes to open in June:

• The Kitchen Will Have "Wings": No matter how much headcheese, seaweed, and truffle may be employed, the most important ingredient to the entire operation may be taurine. "I just had about 60 ounces of Red Bull," says Cooper, stopping by our table only two courses into the night. Some three hours later, back in the kitchen, where the Rogue Toque fires off expletive-laced orders like a Parris Island drill sergeant (with cooks and servers responding in unison: "chef! yes, chef!"), he's swigging from yet another tall silvery can of the energy drink, with an extra one lined up to go. He suggests to me that one of his staffers may have consumed 14 cans of the stuff that night. He may have been exaggerating. Slightly.
• NASA Scientists May Not Be Involved, It Just Seems That Way: At times, the Coop's cooking methods may appear a bit over-involved for such tiny bites for food. A slice of eel, for instance, is served with fragments of grapefruit that has been frozen with liquid nitrogen and then smashed to bits. Another course features two types of olives: one liquefied to a state similar to an egg served sunny-side up; another dehydrated into crunchy particles spread across the plate. Cooper has even more technical tricks up his sleeve for the D.C. location, including at least one fancy way of plating fish. "We're going to cut ice, dip it in nitrogen, let the ice become super-frozen, put the fish on and send it," he says.
• Bathroom Breaks Are Not As Frequent As You Might Expect: With all the drinking, especially, I figured our entire booth would be up and down, back and forth to the lavatory, all night long. In fact, it wasn't until the 12th course that our first dining companion headed to the loo—a big improvement from her first night at the preview, when she visited the ladies' room a total of six times. That's once every four plates. I can proudly report that this columnist's bladder even held out until after the 21st course. The proverbial final straw must have been that "dragon carrot soda" that one of our fellow diners compared to a "blow job shot," albeit a virgin one at that. Gulp!
• You Cannot Take the Ginormous Tweezers Home With You: One of the best tasting plates of the night, featuring slivers of shima aji served with yeast foam and bits of puffed rice that recall a breakfast cereal from your childhood, also comes with some pretty nifty silverware: a pair of giant tweezers. The average diner may be utterly fascinated by the shiny things, but Cooper says they're fairly common cooking utensils. "You'll see them in 90 percent of the kitchens across the country; you'll see them all the time on Iron Chef," he points out. Still, our table was quite taken with the things and vocally disappointed that the server insisted on taking them away after just one plate. My humble request to hang on to mine was immediately shot down: "The chef would bite off my head!"
  

Photo by Chris Shott

Young & Hungry wanted to know why New Yorkers would be getting a sneak peak at Cooper's hugely anticipated 16- and 24-course tasting menus in advance of the fine diners here in the chef's own backyard.

Contacted at home, where he was busy plotting out the various courses, the Rogue Toque was more than happy to assuage our New York envy.

"So, yeah, New York gets a preview," says Cooper, "but New York also gets the flops and blunders from the kitchen for two weeks. When we come back, we're solid. So it's actually a good tool and lesson for the kitchen. I'm bringing up the whole kitchen."

According to the formal announcement, the Big Apple-bound team will include pastry chef Chris Ford and mixologist Gina Chersevani.

The idea to go to New York arrived—how else?—via Facebook. "At first, I thought it was bullshit," the chef says. "It's Facebook, you know what I mean? I thought it was a big scam. Then I got into it and talked to the guy and I thought it would be fun. It's a great tool for what we're doing....It gives a chance to all the young folks that are working for me, and all the sous chefs, gives 'em two weeks in New York to go balls-out and see what it's like to work in a kitchen of this caliber."

The pop-up shop holds 60 seats, eight more than Cooper's planned restaurant. "The kitchen's totally different than what we're doing, but it kind of lets us hone-in on the first menu and get all the kinks out of it," the chef says. "It's kind of a challenge for us, too," he adds, excited at the opportunity to upstage a New York food scene that's traditionally looked down on D.C. cooking.

As for the specific dishes, Team Rogue mentioned several possibilities in its press release: "langoustine with chawan mushi, ginger and chorizo; hog jowl with southern textures and bourbon; pain perdu, bacon, onion and caramel; turbot with radishes, green garlic and roe; and wagyu brisket with potato pave and morels—to name just a few."

The chef himself further divulged a few details about the accompanying beverage program. That includes four wine pairings, two cocktail pairings, one beer pairing and one "obscure spirit or beverage," he says. "Something that you've never even dreamed of, something from Prague or a small third-world country. That's the beauty of being outside the box."

Considering the size and scope of the menu, Y&H wanted to know exactly how much green tea and marijuana might be required to make it through all 24 courses. The good-humored chef didn't miss a beat, responding with a chuckle, "How much do you want to bring?"

"It's not overwhelming," Cooper says of the planned progression of courses, comparing the experience of the diner to that of a concert-goer, rocking out to the popular jam band Widespread Panic.

"It’s a progression. It’s like a dance party. It’s like a really good Widespread set, like I saw last Wednesday. It’s like, 'Oh, what are they going to play next?' You know, they slow it down a little bit, then they noodle a bit, then they just come out rockin’ again. That’s how I like to eat when I go out to dinner. I don’t want a menu. I don’t want to make decisions. I make decisions all day long. Just bring it to me, show me what you got, show me the best, and let me be happy. And that’s what's fun about this level of food."

Logo courtesy of Rogue 24

Catching lobster in the dead of winter isn’t for the faint of heart. As the temperature dips and lobsters grow hard shells, they migrate to warmer waters in deeper seas, far from shore. Only the most determined fishermen will face open seas and hazardous conditions to bring in a winter catch.

Demand for the crustaceans at local restaurants doesn’t decline, though; at Occidental Grill & Seafood, chef Rodney Scruggs says he still sells 75 to 100 orders each week, no matter how cold it gets outside. Red Hook Lobster Pound’s D.C. food truck will keep rolling, too, returning from a holiday break this past week.

Which just means more steady work for a couple of local folks who’ve made a name for themselves ferrying fresh lobster from Maine to D.C.

Every Tuesday and Friday—even during the winter—207 Lobster, a one-year-old distribution company with ties to Maine lobstermen and D.C. restaurants, delivers a fresh catch to a large, and growing, list of clients.

The company is a partnership between Alex Harris, 25, a host at Occidental Grill who got hooked on lobster as an undergraduate at the University of Maine, and Nick Olson, 23, a Mainer who’s on track to join his family’s long line of lobstermen. (So long, in fact, that the Olsons have a grandfathered permit that allows them to trap near Cushing Island, where no new permits are issued.)

207 Lobster is a by-demand outfit without a brick-and-mortar location. Restaurants place orders, Olson and his family pull lobsters from traps in Maine, pack them in seaweed and ice in a wax-coated cardboard box, and send them off to a shipping company. They’re transported south in a refrigerated truck. Here in the District, Harris picks them up and delivers to clients. Besides Occidental Grill, 207 Lobster serves CityZen, Vidalia, Brabo, Marcel’s, Brasserie Beck, DC Coast, and Tackle Box.

“In winter, there’s not much of a difference in catches or sales on the whole except the price,” says Harris.

Restaurants pay 207 Lobster $7 per pound during winter, rather than $4 or $5 per pound they pay during the summer; most pass the higher prices on. At The Occidental, a summer lobster is $16 or $17 for a pound-and-a -halfer, whole. For the same price, the winter lobster makes for a beautiful plate: a butterflied tail on a bed of braised fennel, layered with one claw and a douse of micro-greens, dressed with a ruby-colored Sauterne pomegranate sauce.

* * *

Over the last few years, the lobster business has boomed for both suppliers, like 207 Lobster, and the restaurants (or trucks) that sell to consumers. What used to be a luxury beyond the reach of most diners is getting closer to becoming a commodity, says Trevor Corson, author of The Secret Life of Lobsters.

Until the fall of 2008, says Corson, half of the Maine lobster catch was going to Canadian processing plants that supplied parts like frozen tails to grocery stores, or sent frozen lobster to mid-level restaurant chains. Prices stayed high because middlemen and processing costs kept it that way.

Then globalization stepped in. The collapse of Iceland’s economy in 2008 pulled lobster prices down, not because Icelanders like Maine lobster, but because Icelandic banks had been the primary lenders to Canadian processors. Since banks elsewhere perceived fishing as a risky investment, the businesses haven’t been able to secure funding since. The result, says Corson, is more lobsters on the market, driving down the price.

On top of that, cod, lobster’s natural predator, has been overfished. As a result, Maine lobsters are more plentiful than ever. Tack on weight and size restrictions, and the numbers off the coast of Maine have proliferated beyond what anyone had expected.

Though other New England states also have successful lobster fisheries, Maine’s catch is prized. They’re not imported, like Canadian competitors, but they taste sweeter than those from waters farther south.

That sense of place—in wine, it’d be called terroir—is part of the appeal of the lobster businesses that have thrived in the District. 207 Lobster ships directly from Maine, and the restaurants that sell their product get a specific local supplier to tell diners about.

Red Hook Lobster Pound sources its own lobsters from Maine, as well. Until recently, co-owner Susan Povich and her husband drove north from Brooklyn (where the business began) every week. They met fishermen. They sampled lobster from hundreds of processors. Recently, she hired off-duty firemen to shoulder the drives. Povich has relationships with fishermen and processors, but won’t reveal who supplies her. She says her processors get lobster for $2 to $5 a pound, but she was mum about how much she herself pays.

At Red Hook Lobster Pound in Brooklyn, Povich keeps whole lobsters in storage tanks for up to 24 hours until they’re sold, whole. The Lobster Pound doesn’t warehouse its product; they tend to order only as much as they’ll need to serve lobster rolls or retail lobsters for home cooking.

Povich can spend upwards of $30,000 a week on her business, which includes maintaining tanks for the sales of whole lobsters in their Brooklyn storefront. “There’s an art to keeping lobsters in tanks,” says Povich. “They need them to revive. It’s hard to keep them healthy and not to lose them.”

At 207 Lobster, Harris and Olson agree; they don’t use tanks at all. It’s in part out of concern that prolonged storage hampers freshness by stressing the lobsters, which tend to be territorial. The stress releases an enzyme that could degrade the flavor of the meat. Worse for business, tanks can cost anywhere from $20,000 and up. Journeys and maintenance of the Gale Ray, Olson’s boat, are expensive enough as it is.

The real difference between winter lobster and summer lobster has nothing to do with logistics or cost, though. Like anything else involving a fresh seasonal product, it’s a matter of taste.

“Ask a Mainer on the street and he’ll tell you hands down, he likes a summer lobster way better than a winter one,” says Harris. The shells are softer. The meat is less dense and more succulent. There’s more “juice,” or water weight in the shell.

But Harris prefers winter lobster to summer meat. “I like that you get more for your money,” he says. “I like the dense meaty stuff.”

I was skeptical: Isn’t this like comparing a rib-eye to flank steak? But the other night during a lobster taste test at The Occidental, my dining companion suggested I think of it the way northerners and southerners view Gulf oysters. New Englanders dismiss them as fryin’ oysters—i.e., not as flavorful as those from colder waters—while a Louisianan views a fat meaty raw bivalve from local waters as the be-all. When it comes to lobster, winter versus summer is a matter of preference.

“Winter lobster is amazing,” says Povich. “It’s less sweet and more briny, but still delicious.” She cites lobster bisque and the Connecticut style lobster roll as seasonal favorites, since the sandwich is served warm.

Perhaps winter meat is a little less sweet, but I hardly noticed, since at The Occidental, it’s doctored with the fruit in the sauce. It is certainly denser than during the summer. I could have used a steak knife on the butterflied tail; it was tough enough. The claw was more the delight. But that’s the way they usually are: tougher tails, more supple knuckle and claw meat. It’s why Povich and company don’t use tails in their sandwiches, ever. She thinks they’re too tough.

Tough also describes the shells in winter, so hard you might poke someone’s eye out as you’re cracking a claw, or so I learned at Tackle Box, when I order a whole grilled one for $29 (with two sides) the other night. As was the case at The Occidental, the lobster meat was slightly bitter, almost herbal. The meat was dense. But it was, nevertheless, delicious. That said, I had to apologize to people surrounding me eating fried clams and crab cakes as I impaled them with shell shrapnel. It makes sense that 207’s lobsters are selling for “beauty plates” in winter, with fine dining as the majority of their clientele; eating a whole one in public is a delicious debacle.

While 207 Lobster sees steady sales year round, the nature of the lobster truck and its outdoor clientele means that Povich and company will take a hit. But “we’re definitely staying open,” she says. “It’s worth it for marketing. And, I have to keep my people employed.”

Eatery tips? Food pursuits? Send suggestions to hungry@washingtoncitypaper.com.

Photos by Darrow Montgomery

Dear Chef Spike: I really do love the Good Stuff brand and the times we've had together, but I think it's time we start seeing other people. Like Ba Bay, which Young & Hungry colleague Scott Reitz visited last week for a bánh mì sandwich at the bar.

There's plenty to like at Ba Bay, which describes itself as an eatery specializing in Vietnamese street-food, is located in the old Locanda space at 633 Pennsylvania Ave. SE and is poised to be an attractive dining destination for Capitol Hill. The kitchen is run by former Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar chef Nick Sharpe, who got the gig after working with principal owner Khoa Nguyen back when the two were staffers at Vidalia under chef R.J. Cooper.

Wanting to figure out what the buzz was surrounding its opening a few weeks back, I stumbled into Ba Bay the other day to grab lunch. The restaurant's three-course prix fixe lunch menu caught my eye. I selected the pork loaf with maggi dipping sauce; a hot bowl of spicy pork-shrimp broth with thick rice noodles, Thai basil, pork loin, and shank; and a small sampling of banana cake with curried chocolate and peanut brittle. The really, really good news? This delicious adventure can be yours for $19.99.

The staff was not only courteous but engaged—a member of the waitstaff came out to ask me what I thought of the noodles, if I needed an extra-dose of sriracha, and if I needed a refill on my Avery IPA.

Dear Chef Spike, like I said, this is a separation, not a breakup. A trial run, if you will. I'm just not ready to settle down just yet, there's still a whole lot left on Ba Bay's menu that I want to get my hands on.

Photo by Andrew George

The latest in restaurant openings, closings, and highly unstable target dates.

Coming Soon:

• Rockville is getting set to open the latest outpost of the gourmet pizza bar, Matchbox, as early as Friday with an impressive spot which can seat more than 400 people! (Bethesda magazine)
• Dupont Circle will soon have a new yogurt and parfait bar/coffeehouse, Yola, which is set to open next Monday. (Prince of Petworth)
• The Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill in Courthouse is now officially open however the actual rooftop component will not be ready for patrons until early spring. (ARLnow)
• New York-based Shake Shack, which is set to hit the corner of 18th Street NW and Connecticut Avenue, is now looking for managers. (The Feast)
• The self-proclaimed "first FIT restaurant and bar in America" Funxion at 1309 F St. NW is looking to switch to a 24-hour schedule. (Prince of Petworth)
• The space occupying the former Mar de Plata restaurant at 1827 Jefferson Place NW will soon be transformed to house St. Arnold's of Jefferson Place, a Belgian restaurant and pub. (Prince of Petworth)
• Woodley Park will be the new home to Las Vegas–based and Man Vs. Food-featured, Hot N Juicy Crawfish, which will be occupying the old Trattoria Italiana space at 2651 Connecticut Ave. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Besides the two new in-District spots already planned, FroZenYo has announced they will also be adding three new joints in Arlington as they continue their campaign of frozen yogurt world domination. (TBD)
• Perry's owner Saied Ayoubi plans to open Mintwood Place in Adams Morgan sometime in the spring. (The Feast)
• Volt chef and owner Bryan Voltaggio is apparently scouting around for another restaurant, which may or may not be the second coming of Volt. (Washington Business Journal)
• The Capital Video Sales store on 8th Street SE will be closing to make way for a Latin tapas joint called Pacifico. (Prince of Petworth)
• Foxhall sandwich shop Jetties will be opening a second location in Bethesda early next spring. (Bethesda magazine)
• New York City tapas joint Boqueria is currently on the prowl for a spot in the District to open a new location. (Eater)
• While the downtown D.C. branch of NYC-based Crumbs Bake Shop has already launched, the folks in Clarendon continue to await an opening date. (ARLnow)
• A new bar and barbecue joint called American Ice Company is set to open at 917 V St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• A new dual-concept sports bar and restaurant, Redline, will be opening soon in the former Indebleu space at 707 G St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Sette Bello has closed its doors at 3101 Wilson Blvd. in Arlington to make way for yet another American Tap Room. (ARLnow)
• Ping Pong Dim Sum is already on the hunt for a third location despite still working on its second spot in Dupont. (Washington Business Journal)

• New "urban village" Park Potomac is attracting a wide range of new restaurants, including the second outpost of The Wine Harvest. (Bethesda magazine)
• Speaking of Park Potomac, the owners of Cava will be joining forces with the owners of Mamma Lucia in order to open Sugo Macaroni and Pizza Bar in the Potomac complex early next spring. (Bethesda magazine)
• Capital City Brewing Co. has lost its lease on Capitol Hill and will be moving operations to its Shirlington site, making it one of the top 10 largest brewpubs in the country. (All We Can Eat)
• More brewpub news: Rock Bottom and Gordon Biersch are merging. (Washington Business Journal)
• BGR owner Mark Bucher has just signed a lease for a Burger Joint in Springfield, at 8420 Old Keene Mill Road. It'll mark the fifth BGR. The sixth is already scheduled for Clarendon.
• Grapeseed's chef Jeff Heineman is planning to open a New England-style seafood shack called Freddie's Lobster and Clams right next door to his current joint at 4867 Cordell Ave. in Bethesda. (Bethesda magazine)
• Self-proclaimed "non-traditional sandwich shop" SUNdeVICH is on its way to 1314 9th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Cafe Eagle, an Italian/Eritrean restaurant will soon be occupying the old Vegetate space at 1414 9th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Celebrity chef Bobby Flay plans to throwdown a Bobby's Burger Palace on K Street NW. (Washington Business Journal)
• Jackie Greenbaum, the restaurateur behind Jackie's and Quarry House in Silver Spring, plans to open a Mexican restaurant in Columbia Heights.
• Heebeen Restaurant in Alexandria is scheduled to open a location in Arlington where it will continue to mix Korean and Japanese cuisines. (ARLnow)
• Former IndeBleu chef Michael Hartzer is pairing up with the owner of Bourbon to open the Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Adams Morgan. The selling point? One thousand kinds of whiskey. (Going Out Gurus)
• The founder of Tangysweet is opening a gourmet salad and sandwich shop in Clarendon called Rabbit.
• Looks like Cava is moving forward with plans to open a 4,000-square-foot space in Arlington. (ARLnow)
• Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray will open their multi-faceted Watershed operation in NoMa this spring.
• Businessman David Von Storch, who owns the Capital City Brewing Company, signed a lease for his newest operation, 901 Restaurant at 901 9th St. NW. (TBD)
• Silver Spring will finally have a spot to watch sports and wolf down fried foods. Babe's Sports Bar & Grill is moving into the old Gallery Restaurant space. (Silver Spring Singular)
• Hey, Biergarten Haus, look out! A new Bavarian beer garden is on its way to 720 L St. SE. (Prince of Petworth)
• Michael Landrum's project at CityVista, it turns out, will apparently not sell steaks or burgers — but coffee, sandwiches, salads, and yogurt. Michael Landrum and yogurt?! (Washingtonian)
• The owner of Hudson in the West End is taking over the former Il Mulino space and turning it into a comfort-food tribute to the 16th president, Lincoln. (WaPo)
• Capitol Hill Sporting Goods at 727 8th St. SE will soon be replaced by a funky new tavern serving up American fare and offering live jazz and blues. (The Hill Is Home)
• Roti Mediterranean Grill has claimed a spot in Constitution Square in NoMa. (Prince of Petworth)
• A new Tryst-type spot called Bistro 18 will be opening up where Oya’s Mini Bazaar and African Art used to be at 2420 18th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• News from Twitter is that food truck, DC Empanadas, will start rolling out soon in the District — with plans to extend into Maryland. (TBD)
• The owners behind the popular Foggy Bottom eatery, Founding Farmers, and its sister operation, Farmers & Fishers, are planning to open a new restaurant in Potomac. (Bethesda magazine)
• Beer and wings specialist, Buffalo Wild Wings, will open up a location in Crystal City sometime this month at the corner of 23rd Street and Crystal Drive. (ARLnow)
• Our bread and pastry options may soon improve. Paul, a bakery that can trace its roots back more than 100 years to France, is opening a location on Pennsylvania Avenue NW. (Metrocurean)
• Zpizza plans to open a location in Rosslyn. Try to contain your excitement. (Washington Business Journal)
• News from the Twitter world is that Red Hook Lobster Pound is looking to add a second truck to its fleet. (Metrocurean)
• The spot at 1113 V St. NW, which used to house the Gori Cafe, is set to become the V Street Cafe, slated to open in several weeks. (Prince of Petworth).
• Christine Sarapu and chef/husband Jorge Pimentel are launching a new Latin-inspired food truck, Sabor’a Street, which is coming to town soon. (WeLoveDC)
• Former Vidalia chef R.J. Cooper is working on a place of his own, Rogue 24, an all tasting-menu restaurant in Mount Vernon Square.
• Could Bayou Bakery's David Guas have some competition? A place named Mudbug is headed to Crystal City. (ARLnow)
• Restaurant Eve‘s chef Cathal Armstrong is planning to get into the pub business with Virtue Feed & Grain. (WaPo)
• Former Maestro chef Fabio Trabocchi is coming back to town to open his own place, Fiola. (WaPo)
• Chef Jeff Black will be opening up the Pearl Dive Oyster Palace and a bar upstairs called Black Jack at 1612 14th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Middle Eastern restaurant Javan is on its way out to make room for Kabob Bazaar at 7710 Wisconsin Ave. in Bethesda. (Bethesda magazine)
• Prince of Petworth speculates that a Z Burger may be soon opening at the Tivoli Theatre in Columbia Heights. (Prince of Petworth)
• Neighborhood pet shop Chateau Animaux at 524 8th St. SE will close its doors and two District chains, Moby Dick House of Kabob and Nooshi, will occupy its space. (ANC Norm)
• Penn Quarter is set to introduce two new restaurants. St. Louis-based pizzeria, District of Pi, will take over one of the final retail spots at 914 F St. NW and former Top Chefer Mike Isabella will launch his new place, Graffiato.
• A hip new deli called Annie and Teddy’s is coming to the corner of Potomac and Pennsylvania SE. (Prince of Petworth)

Openings:

• Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill in Courthouse
• Sweetgreen in Ballston
• Bayou Bakery in Arlington
• Ba Bay on Capitol Hill
• Tsunami Sushi & Lounge in Logan Circle
• Brasserie Brightwell in Easton, Md.
• DC-3 on Capitol Hill
• Merzi in Penn Quarter.
• Panera Bread in Dupont Circle
• Vento in Dupont Circle
• Wok and Roll in Adams Morgan
• Zoës Kitchen in Fairfax

Closings:

• Sette Bello in Arlington
• Chuck's Wagon BBQ is closing on H Street NE
• Quarterdeck Restaurant is closing in Arlington

Photo by Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill

The latest in restaurant openings, closings, and highly unstable target dates.

Coming Soon:

• New York-based Shake Shack, which is set to hit the corner of 18th Street NW and Connecticut Avenue, is now looking for managers. (The Feast)
• Woodley Park will be the new home to Las Vegas–based and Man Vs. Food-featured, Hot N Juicy Crawfish, which will be occupying the old Trattoria Italiana space at 2651 Connecticut Ave. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Besides the two new in-District spots already planned, FroZenYo has announced they will also be adding three new joints in Arlington as they continue their campaign of frozen yogurt world domination. (TBD)
• Speaking of Arlington, Sweetgreen opens today after much buildup in its new Ballston location. (Sweetgreen)
• Perry's owner Saied Ayoubi plans to open Mintwood Place in Adams Morgan sometime in the spring. (The Feast)
• Volt chef and owner Bryan Voltaggio is apparently scouting around for another restaurant, which may or may not be the second coming of Volt. (Washington Business Journal)
• The Capital Video Sales store on 8th Street SE will be closing to make way for a Latin tapas joint called Pacifico. (Prince of Petworth)
• Foxhall sandwich shop Jetties will be opening a second location in Bethesda early next spring. (Bethesda magazine)
• New York City tapas joint Boqueria is currently on the prowl for a spot in the District to open a new location. (Eater)
• The self-proclaimed "first FIT restaurant and bar in America" Funxion at 1309 F St. NW is looking to switch to a 24-hour schedule. (Prince of Petworth)
• While the downtown D.C. branch of NYC-based Crumbs Bake Shop has already launched, the folks in Clarendon continue to await an opening date. (ARLnow)
• A new bar and barbecue joint called American Ice Company is set to open at 917 V St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• A new dual-concept sports bar and restaurant, Redline, will be opening soon in the former Indebleu space at 707 G St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Sette Bello has closed its doors at 3101 Wilson Blvd. in Arlington to make way for yet another American Tap Room. (ARLnow)
• Ping Pong Dim Sum is already on the hunt for a third location despite still working on its second spot in Dupont. (Washington Business Journal)

• New "urban village" Park Potomac is attracting a wide range of new restaurants, including the second outpost of The Wine Harvest. (Bethesda magazine)
• Capital City Brewing Co. has lost its lease on Capitol Hill and will be moving operations to its Shirlington site, making it one of the top 10 largest brewpubs in the country. (All We Can Eat)
• More brewpub news: Rock Bottom and Gordon Biersch are merging. (Washington Business Journal)
• BGR owner Mark Bucher has just signed a lease for a Burger Joint in Springfield, at 8420 Old Keene Mill Road. It'll mark the fifth BGR. The sixth is already scheduled for Clarendon.
• Grapeseed's chef Jeff Heineman is planning to open a New England-style seafood shack called Freddie's Lobster and Clams right next door to his current joint at 4867 Cordell Ave. in Bethesda. (Bethesda magazine)
• Self-proclaimed "non-traditional sandwich shop" SUNdeVICH is on its way to 1314 9th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Cafe Eagle, an Italian/Eritrean restaurant will soon be occupying the old Vegetate space at 1414 9th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Just what we need: another burger joint. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay plans to throwdown a Bobby's Burger Palace on K Street NW. (Washington Business Journal)
• Jackie Greenbaum, the restaurateur behind Jackie's and Quarry House in Silver Spring, plans to open a Mexican restaurant in Columbia Heights.
• Heebeen Restaurant in Alexandria is scheduled to open a location in Arlington where it will continue to mix Korean and Japanese cuisines. (ARLn0w)
• Former IndeBleu chef Michael Hartzer is pairing up with the owner of Bourbon to open the Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Adams Morgan. The selling point? One thousand kinds of whiskey. (Going Out Gurus)
• The founder of Tangysweet is opening a gourmet salad and sandwich shop in Clarendon called Rabbit.
• Looks like Cava is moving forward with plans to open a 4,000-square-foot space in Arlington. (ARLnow)
• Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray will open their multi-faceted Watershed operation in NoMa this spring.
• Businessman David Von Storch, who owns the Capital City Brewing Company, signed a lease for his newest operation, 901 Restaurant at 901 9th St. NW. (TBD)
• Silver Spring will finally have a spot to watch sports and wolf down fried foods. Babe's Sports Bar & Grill is moving into the old Gallery Restaurant space. (Silver Spring Singular)
• Hey, Biergarten Haus, look out! A new Bavarian beer garden is on its way to 720 L St. SE. (Prince of Petworth)
• Michael Landrum's project at CityVista, it turns out, will apparently not sell steaks or burgers — but coffee, sandwiches, salads, and yogurt. Michael Landrum and yogurt?! (Washingtonian)
• The owner of Hudson in the West End is taking over the former Il Mulino space and turning it into a comfort-food tribute to the 16th president, Lincoln. (WaPo)
• Capitol Hill Sporting Goods at 727 8th St. SE will soon be replaced by a funky new tavern serving up American fare and offering live jazz and blues. (The Hill Is Home)
• Roti Mediterranean Grill has claimed a spot in Constitution Square in NoMa. (Prince of Petworth)
• A new Tryst-type spot called Bistro 18 will be opening up where Oya’s Mini Bazaar and African Art used to be at 2420 18th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Merzi, a new-style Indian joint promising tandoori chicken done on a rotisserie, is coming to Penn Quarter.
• News from Twitter is that food truck, DC Empanadas, will start rolling out soon in the District — with plans to extend into Maryland. (TBD)
• The owners behind the popular Foggy Bottom eatery, Founding Farmers, and its sister operation, Farmers & Fishers, are planning to open a new restaurant in Potomac. (Bethesda magazine)
• Beer and wings specialist, Buffalo Wild Wings, will open up a location in Crystal City sometime this month at the corner of 23rd Street and Crystal Drive. (ARLnow)
• Our bread and pastry options may soon improve. Paul, a bakery that can trace its roots back more than 100 years to France, is opening a location on Pennsylvania Avenue NW. (Metrocurean)
• Zpizza plans to open a location in Rosslyn. Try to contain your excitement. (Washington Business Journal)
• News from the Twitter world is that Red Hook Lobster Pound is looking to add a second truck to its fleet. (Metrocurean)
• The spot at 1113 V St. NW, which used to house the Gori Cafe, is set to become the V Street Cafe, slated to open in several weeks. (Prince of Petworth).
• Christine Sarapu and chef/husband Jorge Pimentel are launching a new Latin-inspired food truck, Sabor’a Street, which is coming to town soon. (WeLoveDC)
• Former Vidalia chef R.J. Cooper is working on a place of his own, Rogue 24, an all tasting-menu restaurant in Mount Vernon Square.
• Could Bayou Bakery's David Guas have some competition? A place named Mudbug is headed to Crystal City. (ARLnow)
• Restaurant Eve‘s chef Cathal Armstrong is planning to get into the pub business with Virtue Feed & Grain. (WaPo)
• Former Maestro chef Fabio Trabocchi is coming back to town to open his own place, Fiola. (WaPo)
• Chef Jeff Black will be opening up the Pearl Dive Oyster Palace and a bar upstairs called Black Jack at 1612 14th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Middle Eastern restaurant Javan is on its way out to make room for Kabob Bazaar at 7710 Wisconsin Ave. in Bethesda. (Bethesda magazine)
• Prince of Petworth speculates that a Z Burger may be soon opening at the Tivoli Theatre in Columbia Heights. (Prince of Petworth)
• Neighborhood pet shop Chateau Animaux at 524 8th St. SE will close its doors and two District chains, Moby Dick House of Kabob and Nooshi, will occupy its space. (ANC Norm)
• Penn Quarter is set to introduce two new restaurants. St. Louis-based pizzeria, District of Pi, will take over one of the final retail spots at 914 F St. NW and former Top Chefer Mike Isabella will launch his new place, Graffiato.
• A hip new deli called Annie and Teddy’s is coming to the corner of Potomac and Pennsylvania SE. (Prince of Petworth)

Openings:

• Sweetgreen in Ballston
• Bayou Bakery in Arlington
• ChiDogO's at 14th & U
• Ba Bay on Capitol Hill
• Crumbs Bake Shop in Downtown
• District Taco in Arlington
• Tsunami Sushi & Lounge in Logan Circle
• Tynan Coffee & Tea in NoMa
• Brasserie Brightwell in Easton, Md.
• DC-3 on Capitol Hill
• IHOP in Columbia Heights
• Panera Bread in Dupont Circle
• Vento in Dupont Circle
• Wok and Roll in Adams Morgan
• Zoës Kitchen in Fairfax
• Ma Ma's Southern Cuisine on Georgia Avenue NW

Closings:

• Sette Bello in Arlington
• Chuck's Wagon BBQ is closing on H Street NE
• Quarterdeck Restaurant is closing in Arlington
• Social Restaurant in Columbia Heights

Photo by Tom (andertho) via Flickr/Creative Commons Attribution 2.0

The latest in restaurant openings, closings, and highly unstable target dates.

Coming Soon:

• A new bar and barbecue joint called American Ice Company is set to open at 917 V St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• A new dual-concept sports bar and restaurant, Redline, will be opening soon in the former Indebleu space at 707 G St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Sette Bello closed its doors over the weekend at 3101 Wilson Blvd. in Arlington to make way for yet another American Tap Room. (ARLnow)
• We can't make this stuff up, folks: Chipotle is coming to Glover Park. (Prince of Petworth)
• Ping Pong Dim Sum is already on the hunt for a third location despite still working on its second spot in Dupont. (Washington Business Journal)

• New "urban village" Park Potomac is attracting a wide range of new restaurants, including the second outpost of The Wine Harvest. (Bethesda magazine)
• Capital City Brewing Co. has lost its lease on Capitol Hill and will be moving operations to its Shirlington site, making it one of the top 10 largest brewpubs in the country. (All We Can Eat)
• More brewpub news: Rock Bottom and Gordon Biersch are merging. (Washington Business Journal)
• BGR owner Mark Bucher has just signed a lease for a Burger Joint in Springfield, at 8420 Old Keene Mill Road. It'll mark the fifth BGR. The sixth is already scheduled for Clarendon.
• Grapeseed's chef Jeff Heineman is planning to open a New England-style seafood shack called Freddie's Lobster and Clams right next door to his current joint at 4867 Cordell Ave. in Bethesda. (Bethesda magazine)
• Self-proclaimed "non-traditional sandwich shop" SUNdeVICH is on its way to 1314 9th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Cafe Eagle, an Italian/Eritrean restaurant will soon be occupying the old Vegetate space at 1414 9th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Just what we need: another burger joint. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay plans to throwdown a Bobby's Burger Palace on K Street NW. (Washington Business Journal)
• Jackie Greenbaum, the restaurateur behind Jackie's and Quarry House in Silver Spring, plans to open a Mexican restaurant in Columbia Heights.
• Heebeen Restaurant in Alexandria is scheduled to open a location in Arlington where it will continue to mix Korean and Japanese cuisines. (ARLn0w)
• Former IndeBleu chef Michael Hartzer is pairing up with the owner of Bourbon to open the Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Adams Morgan. The selling point? One thousand kinds of whiskey. (Going Out Gurus)
• FroZenYo apparently wants to control the entire D.C. frozen yogurt scene. It has two new locations planned: 3000 Connecticut Ave. NW and 1636 Eye St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• The founder of Tangysweet is opening a gourmet salad and sandwich shop in Clarendon called Rabbit.
• Looks like Cava is moving forward with plans to open a 4,000-square-foot space in Arlington. (ARLnow)
• Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray will open their multi-faceted Watershed operation in NoMa this spring.
• Businessman David Von Storch, who owns the Capital City Brewing Company, signed a lease for his newest operation, 901 Restaurant at 901 9th St. NW. (TBD)
• Silver Spring will finally have a spot to watch sports and wolf down fried foods. Babe's Sports Bar & Grill is moving into the old Gallery Restaurant space. (Silver Spring Singular)
• Hey, Biergarten Haus, look out! A new Bavarian beer garden is on its way to 720 L St. SE. (Prince of Petworth)
• Michael Landrum's project at CityVista, it turns out, will apparently not sell steaks or burgers — but coffee, sandwiches, salads, and yogurt. Michael Landrum and yogurt?! (Washingtonian)
• The owner of Hudson in the West End is taking over the former Il Mulino space and turning it into a comfort-food tribute to the 16th president, Lincoln. (WaPo)
• Capitol Hill Sporting Goods at 727 8th St. SE will soon be replaced by a funky new tavern serving up American fare and offering live jazz and blues. (The Hill Is Home)
• Arlington will soon be getting its first Sweetgreen, which will open this month next door to the new Rustico in Ballston. (TBD)
• Roti Mediterranean Grill has claimed a spot in Constitution Square in NoMa. (Prince of Petworth)
• A new Tryst-type spot called Bistro 18 will be opening up where Oya’s Mini Bazaar and African Art used to be at 2420 18th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Merzi, a new-style Indian joint promising tandoori chicken done on a rotisserie (!), is coming to Penn Quarter.
• News from Twitter is that food truck, DC Empanadas, will start rolling out soon in the District — with plans to extend into Maryland. (TBD)
• The owners behind the popular Foggy Bottom eatery, Founding Farmers, and its sister operation, Farmers & Fishers, are planning to open a new restaurant in Potomac. (Bethesda magazine)
• Beer and wings specialist, Buffalo Wild Wings, will open up a location in Crystal City as early as December at the corner of 23rd Street and Crystal Drive. (ARLnow)
• Our bread and pastry options may soon improve. Paul, a bakery that can trace its roots back more than 100 years to France, is opening a location on Pennsylvania Avenue NW. (Metrocurean)
• Zpizza plans to open a location in Rosslyn. Try to contain your excitement. (Washington Business Journal)
• News from the Twitter world is that Red Hook Lobster Pound is looking to add a second truck to its fleet. (Metrocurean)
• The spot at 1113 V St. NW, which used to house the Gori Cafe, is set to become the V Street Cafe, slated to open in several weeks. (Prince of Petworth).
• Christine Sarapu and chef/husband Jorge Pimentel are launching a new Latin-inspired food truck, Sabor’a Street, which is coming to town soon. (WeLoveDC)
• Former Vidalia chef R.J. Cooper is working on a place of his own, Rogue 24, an all tasting-menu restaurant in Mount Vernon Square.
• Could Bayou Bakery's David Guas have some competition? A place named Mudbug is headed to Crystal City. (ARLnow)
• Restaurant Eve‘s chef Cathal Armstrong is planning to get into the pub business with Virtue Feed & Grain. (WaPo)
• Former Maestro chef Fabio Trabocchi is coming back to town to open his own place, Fiola. (WaPo)
• Chef Jeff Black will be opening up the Pearl Dive Oyster Palace and a bar upstairs called Black Jack at 1612 14th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Middle Eastern restaurant Javan is on its way out to make room for Kabob Bazaar at 7710 Wisconsin Ave. in Bethesda. (Bethesda magazine)
• Prince of Petworth speculates that a Z Burger may be soon opening at the Tivoli Theatre in Columbia Heights. (Prince of Petworth)
• Neighborhood pet shop Chateau Animaux at 524 8th St. SE will close its doors and two District chains, Moby Dick House of Kabob and Nooshi, will occupy its space. (ANC Norm)
• Penn Quarter is set to introduce two new restaurants. St. Louis-based pizzeria, District of Pi, will take over one of the final retail spots at 914 F St. NW and former Top Chefer Mike Isabella will launch his new place, Graffiato.
• A hip new deli called Annie and Teddy’s is coming to the corner of Potomac and Pennsylvania SE. (Prince of Petworth)

Openings:

• Bayou Bakery in Arlington
• ChiDogO's at 14th & U
• Ba Bay on Capitol Hill
• Crumbs Bake Shop in Downtown
• District Taco in Arlington
• Tsunami Sushi & Lounge in Logan Circle
• Tynan Coffee & Tea in NoMa
• Brasserie Brightwell in Easton, Md.
• DC-3 on Capitol Hill
• IHOP in Columbia Heights
• Panera Bread in Dupont Circle
• Vento in Dupont Circle
• Wok and Roll in Adams Morgan
• Zoës Kitchen in Fairfax
• The Atlas Room on H Street NE
• Ma Ma's Southern Cuisine on Georgia Avenue NW
• Rustico in Ballston
• CapMac truck
• Dangerously Delicious Pie truck
• The Fojol Bros. of Benethiopia truck

Closings:

• Sette Bello in Arlington
• Chuck's Wagon BBQ is closing on H Street NE
• Quarterdeck Restaurant is closing in Arlington
• Social Restaurant in Columbia Heights
• Morty's Deli in Tenleytown

Photo courtesy of American Tap Room

The latest in restaurant openings, closings, and highly unstable target dates.

Coming Soon:

• Capital City Brewing Co. has lost its lease on Capitol Hill and will be moving operations to its Shirlington site, making it one of the top 10 largest brewpubs in the country. (All We Can Eat)
• More brewpub news: Rock Bottom and Gordon Biersch are merging. (Washington Business Journal)
• BGR owner Mark Bucher has just signed a lease for a Burger Joint in Springfield, at 8420 Old Keene Mill Road. It'll mark the fifth BGR. The sixth is already scheduled for Clarendon.
• Ping Pong Dim Sum has plans to open a second location in Dupont. (Prince of Petworth)
• Grapeseed's chef Jeff Heineman is planning to open a New England-style seafood shack called Freddie's Lobster and Clams right next door to his current joint at 4867 Cordell Ave. in Bethesda. (Bethesda magazine)

• Self-proclaimed "non-traditional sandwich shop" SUNdeVICH is on its way to 1314 9th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Cafe Eagle, an Italian/Eritrean restaurant will soon be occupying the old Vegetate space at 1414 9th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Just what we need: another burger joint. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay plans to throwdown a Bobby's Burger Palace on K Street NW. (Washington Business Journal)
• Jackie Greenbaum, the restaurateur behind Jackie's and Quarry House in Silver Spring, plans to open a Mexican restaurant in Columbia Heights.
• Heebeen Restaurant in Alexandria is scheduled to open a location in Arlington where it will continue to mix Korean and Japanese cuisines. (ARLn0w)
• Former IndeBleu chef Michael Hartzer is pairing up with the owner of Bourbon to open the Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Adams Morgan. The selling point? One thousand kinds of whiskey. (Going Out Gurus)
• FroZenYo apparently wants to control the entire D.C. frozen yogurt scene. It has two new locations planned: 3000 Connecticut Ave. NW and 1636 Eye St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• The founder of Tangysweet is opening a gourmet salad and sandwich shop in Clarendon called Rabbit.
• Looks like Cava is moving forward with plans to open a 4,000-square-foot space in Arlington. (ARLnow)
• Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray will open their multi-faceted Watershed operation in NoMa this spring.
• Businessman David Von Storch, who owns the Capital City Brewing Company, signed a lease for his newest operation, 901 Restaurant at 901 9th St. NW. (TBD)
• Silver Spring will finally have a spot to watch sports and wolf down fried foods. Babe's Sports Bar & Grill is moving into the old Gallery Restaurant space. (Silver Spring Singular)
• Hey, Biergarten Haus, look out! A new Bavarian beer garden is on its way to 720 L St. SE. (Prince of Petworth)
• Michael Landrum's project at CityVista, it turns out, will apparently not sell steaks or burgers — but coffee, sandwiches, salads, and yogurt. Michael Landrum and yogurt?! (Washingtonian)
• The owner of Hudson in the West End is taking over the former Il Mulino space and turning it into a comfort-food tribute to the 16th president, Lincoln. (WaPo)
• Capitol Hill Sporting Goods at 727 8th St. SE will soon be replaced by a funky new tavern serving up American fare and offering live jazz and blues. (The Hill Is Home)
• Arlington will soon be getting its first Sweetgreen, which will open this month next door to the new Rustico in Ballston. (TBD)
• Roti Mediterranean Grill has claimed a spot in Constitution Square in NoMa. (Prince of Petworth)
• A new Tryst-type spot called Bistro 18 will be opening up where Oya’s Mini Bazaar and African Art used to be at 2420 18th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Merzi, a new-style Indian joint promising tandoori chicken done on a rotisserie (!), is coming to Penn Quarter.
• News from Twitter is that food truck, DC Empanadas, will start rolling out soon in the District — with plans to extend into Maryland. (TBD)
• The owners behind the popular Foggy Bottom eatery, Founding Farmers, and its sister operation, Farmers & Fishers, are planning to open a new restaurant in Potomac. (Bethesda magazine)
• Beer and wings specialist, Buffalo Wild Wings, will open up a location in Crystal City as early as December at the corner of 23rd Street and Crystal Drive. (ARLnow)
• Chicago-style hot dogs are on their way to U Street as ChiDogO’s gets set to open. (Prince of Petworth)
• Our bread and pastry options may soon improve. Paul, a bakery that can trace its roots back more than 100 years to France, is opening a location on Pennsylvania Avenue NW. (Metrocurean)
• Zpizza plans to open a location in Rosslyn. Try to contain your excitement. (Washington Business Journal)
• News from the Twitter world is that Red Hook Lobster Pound is looking to add a second truck to its fleet. (Metrocurean)
• The spot at 1113 V St. NW, which used to house the Gori Cafe, is set to become the V Street Cafe, slated to open in several weeks. (Prince of Petworth).
• Christine Sarapu and chef/husband Jorge Pimentel are launching a new Latin-inspired food truck, Sabor’a Street, which is coming to town soon. (WeLoveDC)
• Former Vidalia chef R.J. Cooper is working on a place of his own, Rogue 24, an all tasting-menu restaurant in Mount Vernon Square.
• Pastry chef David Guas will give Washingtonians a taste of the Big Easy with his Bayou Bakery, which is scheduled to open any day.
• Could Guas have some competition for your Louisiana-cuisine dollars? A place named Mudbug is headed to Crystal City. (ARLnow)
• Restaurant Eve‘s chef Cathal Armstrong is planning to get into the pub business with Virtue Feed & Grain. (WaPo)
• Former Maestro chef Fabio Trabocchi is coming back to town to open his own place, Fiola. (WaPo)
• Chef Jeff Black will be opening up the Pearl Dive Oyster Palace and a bar upstairs called Black Jack at 1612 14th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Middle Eastern restaurant Javan is on its way out to make room for Kabob Bazaar at 7710 Wisconsin Ave. in Bethesda. (Bethesda magazine)
• Prince of Petworth speculates that a Z Burger may be soon opening at the Tivoli Theatre in Columbia Heights. (Prince of Petworth)
• Neighborhood pet shop Chateau Animaux at 524 8th St. SE will close its doors and two District chains, Moby Dick House of Kabob and Nooshi, will occupy its space. (ANC Norm)
• Penn Quarter is set to introduce two new restaurants. St. Louis-based pizzeria, District of Pi, will take over one of the final retail spots at 914 F St. NW and former Top Chefer Mike Isabella will launch his new place, Graffiato.
• A hip new deli called Annie and Teddy’s is coming to the corner of Potomac and Pennsylvania SE. (Prince of Petworth)

Openings:

• Ba Bay on Capitol Hill
• Crumbs Bake Shop in Downtown
• District Taco in Arlington
• Tynan Coffee & Tea in NoMa
• Brasserie Brightwell in Easton, Md.
• DC-3 on Capitol Hill
• IHOP in Columbia Heights
• Panera Bread in Dupont Circle
• Michel by Michel Richard in Tysons Corner
• Wok and Roll in Adams Morgan
• Zoës Kitchen in Fairfax
• The Atlas Room on H Street NE
• Ma Ma's Southern Cuisine on Georgia Avenue NW
• Uptown Deli in Bethesda
• Rustico in Ballston
• CapMac truck
• Dangerously Delicious Pie truck
• The Fojol Bros. of Benethiopia truck

Closings:

• Social Restaurant in Columbia Heights
• Morty's Deli in Tenleytown

Photo from flickr user sikario.

The latest in restaurant openings, closings, and highly unstable target dates.

Coming Soon:

• Cafe Eagle, an Italian/Eritrean restaurant will soon be occupying the old Vegetate space at 1414 9th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Just what we need: another burger joint. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay plans to throwdown a Bobby's Burger Palace on K Street NW. (Washington Business Journal)
• Heebeen Restaurant in Alexandria is scheduled to open a location in Arlington where it will continue to mix Korean and Japanese cuisines. (ARLn0w)
• Former IndeBleu chef Michael Hartzer is pairing up with the owner of Bourbon to open the Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Adams Morgan. The selling point? One thousand kinds of whiskey. (Going Out Gurus)

• FroZenYo apparently wants to control the entire D.C. frozen yogurt scene. It has two new locations planned: 3000 Connecticut Ave. NW and 1636 Eye St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• The founder of Tangysweet is opening a gourmet salad and sandwich shop in Clarendon called Rabbit.
• Looks like Cava is moving forward with plans to open a 4,000-square-foot space in Arlington. (ARLnow)
• Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray will open their multi-faceted Watershed operation in NoMa this spring.
• Businessman David Von Storch, who owns the Capital City Brewing Company, signed a lease for his newest operation, 901 Restaurant at 901 9th St. NW. (TBD)
• The New York-based Crumbs Bake Shop is planning a full-scale assault on the metro area. Its first shop will open Nov. 13 downtown. (Washington Business Journal)
• Silver Spring will finally have a spot to watch sports and wolf down fried foods. Babe's Sports Bar & Grill is moving into the old Gallery Restaurant space. (Silver Spring Singular)
• Hey, Biergarten Haus, look out! A new Bavarian beer garden is on its way to 720 L St. SE. (Prince of Petworth)
• Michael Landrum's project at CityVista, it turns out, will apparently not sell steaks or burgers — but coffee, sandwiches, salads, and yogurt. Michael Landrum and yogurt?! (Washingtonian)
• The owner of Hudson in the West End is taking over the former Il Mulino space and turning it into a comfort-food tribute to the 16th president, Lincoln. (WaPo)
• Capitol Hill Sporting Goods at 727 8th St. SE will soon be replaced by a funky new tavern serving up American fare and offering live jazz and blues. (The Hill Is Home)
• Tynan Coffee & Tea is just weeks away from opening its new location at 1275 First St. NE. A sign in the window has already proclaimed itself as the place with “the best happy hour in NoMa.” (Prince of Petworth)
• Arlington will soon be getting its first Sweetgreen, which will open this month right next door to the new Rustico in Ballston. (TBD)
• CapMac DC, a pasta truck with serious gourmet cred, is set to hit our streets this month. (Metrocurean)
• Roti Mediterranean Grill has claimed a spot in Constitution Square in NoMa. (Prince of Petworth)
• A new Tryst-type spot called Bistro 18 will be opening up where Oya’s Mini Bazaar and African Art used to be at 2420 18th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Merzi, a new-style Indian joint promising tandoori chicken done on a rotisserie (!), is coming to Penn Quarter.
• News from Twitter is that food truck, DC Empanadas, will start rolling out soon in the District — with plans to extend into Maryland. (TBD)
• The owners behind the popular Foggy Bottom eatery, Founding Farmers, and its sister operation, Farmers & Fishers, are planning to open a new restaurant in Potomac. (Bethesda magazine)
• Beer and wings specialist, Buffalo Wild Wings, will open up a location in Crystal City as early as December at the corner of 23rd Street and Crystal Drive. (ARLnow)
• Chicago-style hot dogs are on their way to U Street as ChiDogO’s gets set to open. (Prince of Petworth)
• Our bread and pastry options may soon improve. Paul, a bakery that can trace its roots back more than 100 years to France, is opening a location on Pennsylvania Avenue NW. (Metrocurean)
• Zpizza plans to open a location in Rosslyn. Try to contain your excitement. (Washington Business Journal)
• News from the Twitter world is that Red Hook Lobster Pound is looking to add a second truck to its fleet. (Metrocurean)
• Ba Bay on Capitol Hill is slowly turning into a reunion hall for former Vidalia staffers. Look for the Vietnamese street-food eatery to open this month.
• The spot at 1113 V St. NW, which used to house the Gori Cafe, is set to become the V Street Cafe, slated to open in several weeks. (Prince of Petworth).
• Christine Sarapu and chef/husband Jorge Pimentel are launching a new Latin-inspired food truck, Sabor’a Street, which is coming to town in early November. (WeLoveDC)
• Former Vidalia chef R.J. Cooper is working on a place of his own, Rogue 24, an all tasting-menu restaurant in Mount Vernon Square.
• Pastry chef David Guas will give Washingtonians a taste of the Big Easy with his Bayou Bakery, which is scheduled to open this week.
• Could Guas have some competition for your Louisiana-cuisine dollars? A place named Mudbug is headed to Crystal City. (ARLnow)
• Restaurant Eve‘s chef Cathal Armstrong is planning to get into the pub business with Virtue Feed & Grain. (WaPo)
• Former Maestro chef Fabio Trabocchi is coming back to town to open his own place, Fiola. (WaPo)
• Chef Jeff Black will be opening up the Pearl Dive Oyster Palace and a bar upstairs called Black Jack at 1612 14th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Middle Eastern restaurant Javan is on its way out to make room for Kabob Bazaar at 7710 Wisconsin Ave. in Bethesda. (Bethesda magazine)
• Prince of Petworth speculates that a Z Burger may be soon opening at the Tivoli Theatre in Columbia Heights. (Prince of Petworth)
• Neighborhood pet shop Chateau Animaux at 524 8th St. SE will close its doors and two District chains, Moby Dick House of Kabob and Nooshi, will occupy its space. (ANC Norm)
• Penn Quarter is set to introduce two new restaurants. St. Louis-based pizzeria, District of Pi, will take over one of the final retail spots at 914 F St. NW and former Top Chefer Mike Isabella will launch his new place, Graffiato.
• A hip new deli called Annie and Teddy’s is coming to the corner of Potomac and Pennsylvania SE. (Prince of Petworth)

Openings:

• District Taco in Arlington
• The Atlas Room on H Street NE
• Ma Ma's Southern Cuisine on Georgia Avenue NW
• Uptown Deli in Bethesda
• Rustico in Ballston
• Dangerously Delicious Pie truck
• The Fojol Bros. of Benethiopia truck
• Muncheez Mania in Georgetown

Closings:

• Bobby’s Crab Cakes in Rockville
• Morty's Deli in Tenleytown

Photo by Merzi via merzi.com

The latest in restaurant openings, closings, and highly unstable target dates.

Coming Soon:

• Fro Zen Yo apparently wants to control the entire D.C. frozen yogurt scene. It has two new locations planned: 3000 Connecticut Ave. NW and 1636 Eye St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Businessman David Von Storch, who owns the Capital City Brewing Company, signed a lease for his newest operation, 901 Restaurant at 901 9th St. NW. (TBD)
• The New York-based Crumbs Bake Shop is planning a full-scale assault on the metro area. Its first shop will open Nov. 13 downtown. (Washington Business Journal)
• Silver Spring will finally have a spot to watch sports and wolf down fried foods. Babe's Sports Bar & Grill is moving into the old Gallery Restaurant space. (Silver Spring Singular)
• Michael Landrum's project at CityVista, it turns out, will apparently not sell steaks or burgers — but coffee, sandwiches, salads, and yogurt. Michael Landrum and yogurt?! (Washingtonian)
• The owner of Hudson in the West End is taking over the former Il Mulino space and turning it into a comfort-food tribute to the 16th president, Lincoln. (WaPo)

• Tynan Coffee & Tea is just weeks away from opening its new location at 1275 First St. NE. A sign in the window has already proclaimed itself as the place with “the best happy hour in NoMa.” (Prince of Petworth)
• Arlington will soon be getting its first Sweetgreen, which will open this month right next door to the new Rustico in Ballston. (TBD)
• CapMac DC, a pasta truck with serious gourmet cred, is set to hit our streets this month. (Metrocurean)
• Roti Mediterranean Grill has claimed a spot in Constitution Square in NoMa. (Prince of Petworth)
• Uptown Deli, a self-proclaimed “Real New York Deli,” is headed to Bethesda.
• A new Tryst-type spot called Bistro 18 will be opening up where Oya’s Mini Bazaar and African Art used to be at 2420 18th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Merzi, a new-style Indian joint promising tandoori chicken done on a rotisserie (!), is coming to Penn Quarter.
• The brick-and-mortar version of District Taco may be opening up as soon as this week at its Lee Highway location. (ARLnow)
• News from Twitter is that food truck, DC Empanadas, will start rolling out this week in the District — with plans to extend into Maryland. (TBD)
• The owners behind the popular Foggy Bottom eatery, Founding Farmers, and its sister operation, Farmers & Fishers, are planning to open a new restaurant in Potomac. (Bethesda magazine)
• Beer and wings specialist, Buffalo Wild Wings, will open up a location in Crystal City as early as December at the corner of 23rd Street and Crystal Drive. (ARLnow)
• Chicago-style hot dogs are on their way to U Street as ChiDogO’s gets set to open. (Prince of Petworth)
• Our bread and pastry options may soon improve. Paul, a bakery that can trace its roots back more than 100 years to France, is opening a location on Pennsylvania Avenue NW. (Metrocurean)
• Zpizza plans to open a location in Rosslyn. Try to contain your excitement. (Washington Business Journal)
• News from the Twitter world is that Red Hook Lobster Pound is looking to add a second truck to its fleet. (Metrocurean)
• Ba Bay on Capitol Hill is slowly turning into a reunion hall for former Vidalia staffers. Look for the Vietnamese street-food eatery to open this month.
• The spot at 1113 V St. NW, which used to house the Gori Cafe, is set to become the V Street Cafe, slated to open in several weeks. (Prince of Petworth).
• Christine Sarapu and chef/husband Jorge Pimentel are launching a new Latin-inspired food truck, Sabor’a Street, which is coming to town in early November. (WeLoveDC)
• Former Vidalia chef R.J. Cooper is working on a place of his own, Rogue 24, an all tasting-menu restaurant in Mount Vernon Square.
• Pastry chef David Guas will give Washingtonians a taste of the Big Easy with his Bayou Bakery, which is scheduled to open later this month.
• Restaurant Eve‘s chef Cathal Armstrong is planning to get into the pub business with Virtue Feed & Grain. (WaPo)
• Hadiyah Cafe at 3118 Georgia Ave. NW is set to become Ma Ma’s Southern Cuisine, featuring hearty and healthy southern cooking and quiet jazz. (Prince of Petworth)
• Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj has plans to combine his Cleveland Park restaurant, Ardeo, with his next-door wine bar, Bardeo, early this November. (TBD)
• Former Maestro chef Fabio Trabocchi is coming back to town to open his own place, Fiola. (WaPo)
• Chef Jeff Black will be opening up the Pearl Dive Oyster Palace and a bar upstairs called Black Jack at 1612 14th St. NW. (Prince of Petworth)
• Middle Eastern restaurant Javan is on its way out to make room for Kabob Bazaar at 7710 Wisconsin Ave. in Bethesda. (Bethesda magazine)
• Prince of Petworth speculates that a Z Burger may be soon opening at the Tivoli Theatre in Columbia Heights. (Prince of Petworth)
• Neighborhood pet shop Chateau Animaux at 524 8th St. SE will close its doors and two District chains, Moby Dick House of Kabob and Nooshi, will occupy its space. (ANC Norm)
• Penn Quarter is set to introduce two new restaurants. St. Louis-based pizzeria, District of Pi, will take over one of the final retail spots at 914 F St. NW and former Top Chefer Mike Isabella will launch his new place, Graffiato.
• A hip new deli called Annie and Teddy’s is coming to the corner of Potomac and Pennsylvania SE. (Prince of Petworth)

Openings:

• Michel in Tysons Corner
• Rustico in Ballston
• Dangerously Delicious Pie truck
• P.J. Clarke’s in downtown D.C.
• The Fojol Bros. of Benethiopia truck
• Red Toque Cafe in Shaw
• Muncheez Mania in Georgetown
• Dalchinni in Dupont Circle

Closings:

• Iron Gate Restaurant at 1734 N St. NW closed this past Sunday. (Prince of Petworth)
• Bobby’s Crab Cakes in Rockville
• Morty's Deli in Tenleytown

Photo courtesy of Uptown Deli via blog.zagat.com/cities/washington-dc