A semi-regular roundup of tantalizing developments outside the District

Frederick, Md.—Volt's Bryan Voltaggio not only has his sprawling $2 million North Market Kitchen concept in the works. The former Top Chef contestant tells WaPo critic Tom Sietsema that he's also opening a 30-seat soup-and-sandwich joint called Lunchbox, as well as a yet-unnamed diner coming this spring.

Arlington, Va.—Memphis Barbeque in Crystal City could open as soon as Nov. 25. WaPo's special smoked meat correspondent Jim Shahin investigates the cagey ways of proprietor Chris George, who confirms only that the place "will serve wet and dry ribs, which, this being a Memphis-style barbecue restaurant, is a little like the owner of a burger joint saying he will sell burgers."

Alexandria, Va.—Cathal and Mechelle Armstrong's long-awaited "epicurean emporium," Society Fair, is expected to open by Christmas. The couple takes HuffPo DC on a tour of the yet unfinished food market, which will include a bakery, butchery, wine shop, bar, and demo kitchen.

Merrifield, Va.—Cava Grill has leased a 2,100-square-foot space for its next location in the Mosaic District now under development. Washington Business Journal has the scoop.

"It had the same dense, meaty and yet flaky texture of eel with a real sweet aftertaste to it," he said. "It's a good fish. It should be. It spends all day eating bass and other tasty fish."

Photo by Brian Gratwicke/Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

In the lead-up to the Rammys, the so-called Oscars of the D.C. food scene, City Paper held a contest in which Young & Hungry readers could submit their own reviews, detailing their best dining experiences of 2011, with the two best submissions nabbing two tickets to Sunday's big soiree at the Marriott Wardman Park. Herewith, winning contestant Lori Gardner of Silver Spring on Table 21 at Volt:

The phone rang at 10:30 am.  It was a friend and she was in the car with my husband.  That's odd, I thought.  They were on the way to the emergency room.  My husband had been playing softball with the synagogue Men's Club League and a ball landed square on his nose.  "Is he ok?"  I asked.  "I'm fine," I heard him say, although he sounded like he had the worst cold ever.  Oh no, I thought, we have a 7:00 reservation at Volt's Table 21.  Those take at least a year to get, unless you luck out and snag a cancellation, as I had.  I didn't bring it up.  I'm not that insensitive. (I know, I know, I did think it).

As I headed to the emergency room, he called with an update and to reassure me that he would be fine to go to dinner.  "We'll see," I said.  "Whew," I thought.

My husband's nose was broken and he needed a couple of stitches, but by 6:00 pm that night he was feeling fine and wanted to keep our plans to celebrate both his birthday and an early Mother's Day.  (note to my kids if you are reading this:  you are not off the hook in terms of getting me a gift.  The Mother's Day thing was just a good way to rationalize spending a whole lot of money on dinner).

Volt is one of my favorite restaurants.  Chef/owner Bryan Voltaggio was the runner up in Season Six of "Top Chef."  I dined at Volt before Bryan gained acclaim on "Top Chef" and I have dined there since. I must admit that there is an added thrill to dining at Volt after watching Bryan on fifteen episodes of a television series, following him on Twitter, and yes even having his Bobble Head on my desk at work (pictured above), thanks to a thoughtful friend.
Volt's Table 21 is a twenty-one course tasting menu. Eight diners are seated around the food prep area, so you have a bird's eye view of artwork in the making. As we are seated, Bryan is already at work two feet away from me. He is working intensely with liquid nitrogen.  There is a spurt and spray goes flying onto my husband's face.  It seems to be his day for getting hit with flying objects.  Fortunately this one is harmless. Bryan barely looks up but apologizes.

I am mesmerized.  As an avid viewer of cooking shows, I've watched chefs doing intricate preparations with tweezers and squeeze bottles and other unidentifiable strangely scientific looking apparatus.  But this is not television.   It is the real thing.  I turn to my husband to see if he is experiencing the same kind of thrill.  (remembering that this is mostly about his birthday).  Fortunately he is.

I am wondering how we are going to handle twenty-one individual courses of food.  I expect the portions to be infinitesimal. As the food service begins, I am pleasantly surprised.  The portions are big enough so that when you are loving something you can have more than one bite, but not too large that you can't enjoy what is ahead.

If you want to know the punchline, here it is:  this is an exceptional meal and experience.  Every course is well thought out and presented with true artistry.  The care that goes into the elements of each and every dish is extraordinary.  Admittedly,  there is quite a bit of foam. Foamy food is not for everyone.  I like foam. The thing I like best though is that a celebrity chef (I'm sure that Bryan absolutely detests that term) is actually preparing my food.  This is a big deal considering how many of us patronize a restaurant because of a particular chef who is actually not anywhere remotely close to the kitchen where our food is being prepared.

I won't bore you by detailing all twenty-one courses, but will share some photos of seven of the courses. My husband, who eats no meat and no shellfish, has some substitutions for my lamb, strip loin and pork belly.  But he never feels as if he is missing a thing.

goat cheese ravioli, vegetable ash, salsify, maitake mushrooms

study of parsnip bourbon gastrique, parsnip bard

arctic char, cucumber, creme fraiche, horseradish

 

hen egg flowers and herbs, quinoa, ruby chard, asparagus

rockfish, morels mushrooms, creamed spinach or ramps (I had strip loin)

"Spring garden" fiddlehead ferns , cherry glen farm chevre

dulce de leche, honey, lime, pineapple

Can we eat all twenty-one courses?  When we are on course number fifteen I ask our server weakly "how many more?"  "Two more savory and then dessert," she responds with a smile. I power through.  I cannot finish my last dessert (textures of chocolate) but considering I've had three others before it, it really is okay.

This is definitely one of the best meals I have ever had.  Only one thing would have made it absolutely perfect.  A welcome or goodbye from Bryan would have made me ecstatic.  He actually served us two of our courses and I was so tempted to say something to him, but he never made eye contact and I just couldn't get up the nerve.  And what would I say?  I'm a big fan?  Your food is amazing?  Your bobble head adorns my desk? I could have said any of those things but I knew it would probably make both of us uncomfortable in the end, so I said nothing.

On the way home my sister called to tell us there was breaking news and the President was about to make a big announcement.  I thought we had enough breaking news for one day.  I turned on CNN and Wolf Blitzer was saying that we would always remember where we were when it was announced that Osama bin Laden had been killed. A visit to the ER, dinner at  Volt's Table 21, and the death of bin Laden...a memorable day indeed.

Read Lori's blog "Been There, Eaten That" here.

Photos by Lori Gardner

To those annoyed by the state of Maryland's regulations that prohibit out-of-state wineries from shipping directly to Old Line State residents, there's promising news in Annapolis. As the Baltimore Business Journal reported late last week, reform legislation was filed in the House and Senate on Friday.

The Washington Post's Ann E. Marimow reported on Monday:

But a key component of the bill will likely face stiff opposition from the powerful alcohol industry. As written, the measure would allow consumers to buy wine directly from out-of-state retailers.

Anticipating such opposition, [Maryland Del. Del. Dereck] Davis said last week, "I'm going to do what I can to forge a consensus." A compromise bill, for instance, could allow direct shipment from wineries – but not from out-of-state retailers.

The Restaurant Association of Maryland is opposed to reform, which is being pushed by some big names in the business, including Top Chef/Volt's Bryan Voltaggio.

Stay tuned ...

Photo by Flickr user Theo Geo using a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

According to a statement from the Restaurant Association of Maryland, which said a majority of its members, 63 percent, oppose corkage:

While there is currently little consumer demand for the practice, we believe that the publicity surrounding such a law change would encourage more customers to bring their own bottles. Our member restaurants fear that, as a result, the law change will decrease wine and beverage sales, create confusion about serving control and regulatory compliance, create potential customer relations issues for restaurants that choose to continue prohibiting the practice despite a law change, and lead to future law changes allowing customers to bring in other alcoholic beverages. Moreover, restaurants pay expensive liquor license fees and many believe that Wine Corkage will diminish the value of liquor licenses.

Back in November, Voltaggio outlined his case for legislative reform on corkage in a letter to RAM:

We are at a disadvantage to both restaurants without a liquor license and those in other jurisdictions like Washington, DC and Pennsylvania where corkage is legal. Our best customers are forced out of state on their most special occasions if they want to drink a particular bottle of wine because we cannot lawfully allow them to bring it onto our premises. We know many patrons that already drive outside Maryland for their birthdays, anniversaries, etc., robbing our state and industry of valuable income while undermining the relationship we have come to build with them. These very customers tend to be some of our best, and we would very much like to accommodate them.

Stay tuned. This could be the year corkage restrictions are lifted in Maryland.

Photo by Flickr user Theo Geo using a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

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

Let's get straight to the news:

• 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)
• Tis the season for tying one on. Tis the season for hangover remedies, too. A number of local heavy hitters explain their best morning-after cure. (Brightest Young Things)
• Eater looks back on R.J. Cooper's unfortunate loss on Iron Chef America on Sunday, while Best Bites Blog runs a Q&A with Cooper's sous chef for the challenge, David Guas, who explains how the whole contest went down.

• 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)
• Just before Thanksgiving, President Obama dished out two presidential turkey pardons outside the W Hotel. The spared birds were aptly named "Apple" and "Cider." (WeLoveDC)
• The Thrillist folks take us through a first look of Penn Quarter's newest joint: Merzi. (Thrillist)
• Foxhall sandwich shop Jetties will be opening a second location in Bethesda early next spring. (Bethesda magazine)
• Can't make up your mind on savory or sweet? The Cakespy's recipe for cinnamon rolls stuffed with Thanksgiving pie leftovers should do the trick. (Serious Eats)
• Bubbly anyone? On Dec. 11, EatBar is hosting its annual Sparkler Tasting and Sale, where you can sample all things bubbly, from your standard champagne to imported sparklers from Italy and Spain.
• 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)

Photo courtesy of Boqueria via Eater.com

D.C. diners were shocked when he decamped for Frederick to open Volt. Location-wise, he remained within arm’s reach of the nation’s capital, but from his perch in Maryland, broadened his regional appeal. And his profile. (A Top Chef appearance doesn’t hurt either.)

Some of the hardest-to-score reservations in the area are in Frederick!

Now, Voltaggio is scouting for a second location. Missy Frederick of the Washington Business Journal confirms the chatter about Voltaggio’s plans, though “the second concept will not necessarily be another version of Volt.”

Let's see if his real estate acumen is still sharp ... The Frederick County Chamber of Commerce must be salivating right now. (But what if Voltaggio is looking farther afield?)