Jinya Ramen Bar Coming to Mosaic District
Los Angeles-based Jinya Ramen Bar will open the first East coast branch of its ramen restaurant in late spring at 2911 District Ave. in Fairfax’s Mosaic District. The 2,500-square-foot restaurant will be the chain’s 12th North American location.
“We love the sense of community and togetherness which Mosaic District offers,” said Steven Chiang, director of operations.
Jinya specializes in porky tonkotsu-style ramen, but has a wide menu that includes five different house-made broths from chicken to veggie simmered for 18 hours, two types of noodles, different dares and oils, and 20 different toppings so diners can customize their bowls. In addition, the 100-seast restaurant will offer rice bowls and small plates, such as quinoa salads, pork buns and dumplings.
A nine-seat bar will serve local craft beers, Japanese-inspired cocktails, sake, wine and seasonal house-made non-alcoholic beverages. There will also be a 34-seat patio.
“Fairfax is becoming more adventurous and sophisticated when it comes to different cuisines and flavors, the Mosaic District is the perfect representation for the diversity in options for the D.C. metropolitan area’s worldly palate,” said general manager Jordan Lee.
Jinya plans to open a second location in the former Ghana Café space on 14th Street NW next year. It will be twice the size of the Virginia location, covering two floors and with two bars.
Jinya Fairfax will be open for lunch, dinner and happy hour daily.
Requin Staying in Mosaic District
Requin, the French Mediterranean restaurant from chefs Jennifer Carroll and Mike Isabella, will stay in the 5,100 square-foot space at 8296 Glass Alley in Fairfax’s Mosaic District.
The restaurant originally opened as a pop-up in December, until the restaurant’s permanent location at The Wharf in D.C.’s Southwest Waterfront redevelopment opened in mid-2017. But it has enjoyed several months of success in the area. The space was supposed to be one of Isabella’s Greek Kapnos Kouzina restaurants once Requin opened in D.C.
“We’ve loved contributing to the energy and community vibe of Mosaic District, and look forward to making this our forever home,” Carroll said.
There will be some changes to the building and menu, including a pre-theater menu featuring quick-from-the-kitchen plates like artichoke and white bean rillettes, grilled swordfish and profiteroles. The dining room will be refreshed with new paint, window treatments, lighting, bar seating, reupholstered banquettes and dividers to create more privacy between tables. A roof-top patio with seating for more than 100 diners will also be added.
“We have had one of our busiest openings in the company with Kapnos Kouzina in Bethesda,” Isabella said. “While we had always planned to open a second location in Mosaic District, Requin has been so successful Jennifer and I decided to keep it running permanently, not just as a pop- up. Our popular Greek restaurants are now open in D.C., (Bethesda) Maryland and (Ballston) Virginia, and by making Requin a permanent resident at Mosaic District, we will continue to offer our one-of-a-kind French Mediterranean concept without a break before the D.C. location opens in 2017.”
Mussel Bar & Grille adds weekend brunch
Mussel Bar & Grille, 800 N. Glebe Road, Arlington, kicks off its new weekend brunch buffet today, April. 16. Brunch will be served Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
The $32 all-you-can-eat buffet includes a carving station with soy and ginger glazed roasted salmon with marinated cucumbers; ale brined turkey breast with bacon and onion gravy; and smoked beef brisket with house-made sweet BBQ sauce. Served up in cast-iron pans, guests can enjoy classics with choices like the egg white scramble with kale, fingerling potatoes and charred tomato Romesco or brioche vanilla French toast with whipped butters and organic syrups alongside Applewood smoked bacon or local maple sausage. There will also be light bites such as Greek yogurt with granola, berries and red wine syrup or European-inspired Bircher muesli with hazelnut flour, green apples and berries.
Lunch selections include entrées and accompaniments, such as buttermilk fried chicken, creamy garlic polenta and Mediterranean-style quinoa tabbouleh. Guests can opt for rotating passed items ranging from mini pot steamed mussels, deviled eggs or biscuits and gravy not to mention fresh oysters, available à la carte.
Area restaurants offer Tax Day specials
Taxpayers got a few extra days to file their income taxes this year, but Monday is the deadline. To help ease the pain a little, area restaurants are offering tax day specials.
BLT Steak, 1625 I St. NW, will offer 50 percent off all alcoholic beverages all day long. That includes craft beers, wines by the bottle and glass, and hand-crafted cocktails.
Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza will be offering a BOGO promotion all day at all four of its locations. Diners can buy a slice and get one free.
Slate Wine Bar & Bistro, 2404 Wisconsin Ave. NW, will offer all-day happy hour from 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. at the bar.
Trummer’s on Main, 7134 Main St., Clifton, Va., is offering half off oysters and sparkling wine. The restaurant will be serving Rappahannock Oyster Co.’s stingray oyster, its quintessential Chesapeake Bay oyster, which will be served with strawberry and elderflower granite. The oysters will be $8.50 for a half-dozen. Sparkling wines by the glass and by the bottle will also be half off, ranging from$4-$6 a glass.
Carmine’s celebrates National Garlic Day on Tuesday
Although garlic is found in almost every Southern Italian dish at Carmine’s, 425 Seventh St. NW, the restaurant will add a garlic cocktail to celebrate National Garlic Day on Tuesday, April 19.
The Pickled Garlic Martini is made with either vodka or gin, shaken and garnished with house-made pickled garlic and topped with a basil leaf for $11. Also on the menu is Half and Half garlic bread with mozzarella cheese melted on Carmine’s signature garlic bread, then topped with grated Romano cheese.
When you’re done, Carmines has mouthwash dispensers in the restroom.
Jack Rose opens tiki bar on Thursday
Jack Rose Dining Saloon, 2007 18th St. NW, will open its rooftop tiki bar for the season on Thursday, April 21. The bar, found just off the main rooftop terrace, will be open Thursdays through Saturdays with new tropical cocktails, beer, island-inspired food and a weekly Tiki Thursdays happy hour.
Bartenders are combining the boozy flavors of coconut, pineapple and guava with rums and spirits in a menu of tiki cocktails, such as the Coco Face with Hamilton Demerara rum, Ancho Reyes, almond-coco cream, cinnamon-chili honey syrup and pineapple; the rye-based Ryghty Tyghty with Dickel rye, tropical tea-Infused dry vermouth, house-made orgeat, lime and tiki bitters; and the Tidal Wave with Tanqueray gin, blue curacao, guava nectar and lime. A special tiki beer list priced at $6 each features fruit-infused and tart brews like the Avery Liliko’i Kepolo, a Witbier brewed with passion fruit; the Evil Twin Sour Bikini wild ale, Ballast Point Pineapple Sculpin, an American IPA brewed with pineapple juice; the New Belgium Heavy Melon Watermelon Lime Ale; and Cervezeria Costa Rica Imperial, a pale lager.
Island-inspired fare ranging from spicy sweet pork belly with charred pineapple slaw ($10) to ginger rum-glazed pit roasted chicken wings ($13) will come off the terrace’s wood-fired grill.
Tiki Thursdays, which also be this coming Thursday, features half-price cocktails and food from 5-9 p.m.
The tiki bar will be open Thursdays from 5 p.m. to close and Fridays and Saturdays from 7 p.m. to close.
Alphonse launches Corsi di Cucina classes
Alphonse Italian Market and Osteria, 1212 U St. NW, will offer Corsi di Cucina, a monthly cooking series. Each 2-hour, hands-on cooking class will begin with a brief history and background on the topic. Following the introduction, a cooking session will encourage guests to dive in and get their hands dirty while learning a new skill. The courses, which are open to people 18 or older, will be from noon-2 p.m. Saturdays and cost $45, which includes all of the ingredients, an apron, recipe cards, lunch, notes and refreshments and snacks. At the close of each course, attendees will feast on their creations and enjoy a glass of wine.
The first course is Artisanal Pasta Making on April 23. The class begins with a brief introduction to Italian pasta, the history behind it and the different types of pastas, such as fresh, hand-cut and extruded. Students will learn the tricks and tips to making the perfect pasta dough, ravioli filling and two types of sauces: roasted pepper and brown butter with fresh sage.
The second course is Mangia Mangia/Italian Sauces on May 21. Students will become saucier masters. After a brief history on different Italian sauces, their origin, their seasonality and the pastas that pair best with each sauce, attendees will not only learn basic sauce preparations, but will also create individual dishes with each sauce.
The third course in this series will be Artisanal Wood Hearth Bread on June 18. Students will learn the techniques behind creating “old world” wood hearth breads, which includes how to make the dough as well as how to bake it in a Neapolitan wood hearth oven. At the end of the class, there will be wine, breads, cheeses and salamis.
Additional courses will be announced later including Neapolitan pizza making and antipasti basics.
Pearl Dive Oyster Palace hosts annual crawfish boil
Pearl Dive Oyster Palace, 1612 14th St. NW, will host its annual crawfish boil on Saturday, April 23.
The traditional Louisiana-style crawfish will be accompanied by a variety of Southern sides including corn on the cob, roasted red potatoes, house-smoked sausage, cole slaw, fritters and potato salad. Other dishes include roasted gator and Pearl Dive’s Addie’s rolls stuffed with BBQ pork. Beverage options for those with a drink-inclusive ticket will include Shiner Bock, Hurricanes and house wine. To round out the meal, the restaurant will offer a build-your-own s’mores station for dessert.
Food tickets are $50 per person while food and drink tickets are $70. Seatings are available from noon-2 p.m. and 2:30-4:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online.
Editor-in-Chief Mark Heckathorn is a journalist, movie buff and foodie. He oversees DC on Heels editorial operations as well as strategic planning and staff development. Reach him with story ideas or suggestions at dcoheditor (at) gmail (dot) com.