2014 was a year of openings and closings in the DMV food scene. Old favorites closed, new endeavors didn’t pan out and new restaurants replaced them. And even though 2012 and 2013 saw a flurry of new restaurants, there was no slowdown in 2014.

The openings

Lupo Verde, a rustic Italian restaurant, opened at 1401 T St. NW in February after several delays. Owned by restauranteur Med Lalou and managing partner Antonio Matarazzo, it features small plates, house-made charcuteries, breads, pasta and antipasti along with 50 cheeses and house-made pizzas and cured meats.

Chef Richard Sandoval’s Toro Toro opens at Franklin Square in April. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

Chef Richard Sandoval opened another restaurant in the city in April. Toro Toro, a Pan Latin steakhouse, opened at 1300 I St. NW. Meat is the centerpiece of the menu.

In June, José Andrés opened his America Eats Tavern at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner, 1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean. The space formerly housed Michel Richard’s Michel and Maestro from Fabio Trabbochi. America Eats, originally a pop up in Penn Quarter in conjunction with a National Archives exhibit, features American cuisine such as chicken pot pie, she-crab soup, and hush puppies and Virginia hams. It also has an all-American décor with “We the People…” painted on the wall above the open kitchen and flags everywhere.

Boss Shepherd’s opened in July at 1299 Pennsylvania Ave NW next to the Warner Theater with a Southern menu. Also, Chaplin’s Restaurant & Bar, an Asian-inspired restaurant from brothers Ari and Micah Wilder, opened at 1501 9th St. NW in Shaw, and GRK Fresh Greek restaurant opened at 1140 19th St. NW in Dupont. The second location for the chain serves fresh, casual Greek food like gyros, tzatziki sauces, seasoned fries and Agean salad all made in house. It also sells fresh and frozen imported Greek yogurt.

Brookland Pint from the owner of Meridian Pint, opened in August at 716 Monroe St. NE across from Catholic University in the new Monroe Street Market. The bar has 24 beers on tap and the menu features locally grown and harvested foods, many of which are gluten-free or vegan.

Chuy’s Tex-Mex opened in Fairfax in September and at the new Springfield Town Center (above) in October. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

Chuy’s the quirky Tex-Mex restaurant from Austin, Texas, opened its first DMV location at 11219 Lee Highway, Fairfax in September followed by a second location at the new Springfield Town Center in October. The restaurant features all fresh-made dishes with fresh food delivered six days a week. The freezer is smaller than an average home refrigerator. The biggest opening was also in September with DBGB Kitchen and Bar, chef Daniel Boulud’s casual French American restaurant, opening mid-September at 931 H St. NW in CityCenterDC. There was a red carpet, live band, VIPs, celebrities and a Washington Monument carved out of ice. But so far, it hasn’t lived up to the fanfare or steep prices.

October saw DC Harvest open at 517 H St. NE. Chef Arthur Ringle serves a hyper-local seasonal modern American menu with most of the ingredients coming from within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Second State, the Pennsylvania themed restaurant, also opened in September at 1831 M. St. NW in the former Mighty Pint space. It caused an uproar when it initially tried to add a $1 upcharge for artisanal ice.

City Perch by James Beard winner and former Wolfgang Puck pastry chef Sherry Yard and former Occidental Grill chef de cuisine Matt Baker opened in late-November at the iPic Theater in the new Pike & Rose Development in North Bethesda. This was probably the most disappointing new restaurant. The highlight of the menu for the Washington Post’s Tom Siestema was the $10 bread board. He only gave the pricey restaurant one star. We wouldn’t be surprised to see it on 2015’s review in the closed column.

In early December, chef Seng Luangrath opened Thip Khao in Columbia Heights. The first Laotian restaurant in the city, opened at 3462 14th St. NW in the former Thaitanic II space

The closings

Palena in Cleveland Park closed in April. (Photo: DC Outlook)

Last year also saw several closings. The most mourned closing was Cleveland Park’s Palena, which closed in April after 13 years. It was evicted for unpaid rent. But fans of chef Frank Ruta won’t have to wait much longer. He’s been hired to take over The Grill Room and Rye Bar at the Capella hotel in Georgetown.

J&G Steakhouse in the W Hotel closed in June, less than a year after it remodeled. It was in the hotel five years. J&G was replaced by Pinea from chef Barry Kaslow, formerly the chef at DGS Delicatessen, featuring Mediterranean cuisine.

August, saw the rum bar Hugo and Chadwick’s both close.

Probably the shortest lived restaurant of 2014 was Fredrik de Pue’s Menu MBK in Penn Quarter. It opened early in 2014 then closed in October, less than nine months later. De Pue’s investors forced the closure when they weren’t receiving as much return on investment as they had expected. The building had previously housed de Pue’s short-lived seafood restaurant, Aqua.

CityZen at the Mandrin Oriental hotel shuttered in mid-December when chef Eric Ziebold left to open his own restaurant., Kinship, in Mount Vernon Triangle in September.

Duffy’s on U Street and Murphy’s of D.C. both closed in November followed by The Passenger and Summer’s Restaurant in Arlington at the end of the year. And though technically not 2014, the Jan. 3, 2015 closings of Lima Lounge and Fujimar Restaurant had been announced. The 10-year lease ended and some of the lounges events will move to The Park on 14th and Barcode and Lima may reopen elsewhere.

Coming in 2015

Jose Andres’ China Chicano, a Peruvian restaurant, is scheduled to open in Penn Quarter in January 2015. (Photo: Popville)

Several new eateries are on the horizon. First out of the gate in the new year is José Andrés, who will open his contemporary Peruvian restaurant, China Chilcano, at 418 7th St. NW in Penn Quarter in January and his vegetable-centric Beefsteak at 22nd and I Streets NW on the GW campus in February.

Nick Pimentel of Room 11 and Genevieve Villamorea will open Bad Saint, a Filipino restaurant at 3226 11th St. NW in Columbia Heights in early 2015.

The spring will see former Bibiana chef Nicholas Stefanelli open Masseria, his own Italian restaurant with southern influcences. at 1344 4th St. NE. Also, chef Jonah Kim, formerly of Baltimore’s shuttered Pabu, will also open Yona, a noodle bar and small plates eatery, at 4000 Wilson Blvd. in in Ballston this spring. Also, chef Amy Brandwein, formerly executive chef at Roberto Donna’s Alba Osteria, will open Centralina at 974 Palmer Alley in CityCenterDC. It will be part Italian restaurant and part market.

Mintwood Place will get a larger sister at 801 O St. NW in Shaw when chef Cedric Maupillier and co-owner Saied Azali open Convivial sometime in last spring or early summer. By day, it will be a more casual hangout and by night it will serve a French-American menu with an emphasis on vegetables and small plates.

Chala, which sells its vegetarian tacos at local farmers markets, will open a brick and mortar shop at 3207 Grace St. NW in Georgetown in June.

David Chang’s Momofuku will open in CityCenterDC this summer. Momofuku Milk Bar, headed by pastry chef and fellow northern Virginia native Christina Tosi, will join the restaurant at CityCenterDC. Also, Virginia native Jeremiah Langhorne comes to D.C. from the renowned McCrady’s Restaurant in Charleston, S.C., to open The Dabney at 1222 9th St. NW this summer. It will center around a wood-fire hearth and focus on ingredients from the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. The Columbia Room, formerly in The Passenger, will reopen in Blagden Alley above The Dabney at the end of 2015

After 10 years at CityZen, chef Eric Ziebold and his wife Celia Laurent Ziebold will open Kinship at 1015 7th St. NW in Mount Vernon Triangle in September.

Are you looking to revamp your wardrobe in 2014? If you want a fashion upgrade for the new year, take a cue from these trends seen on Spring/Summer runway shows, and enter the year in style!

Proenza Schouler leather gaucho wide-leg pants (Photo: Elle)

Wide-leg pants

I love when comfortable clothing is in fashion! Give the skinny jeans a rest in 2014 and go for a pair of wide-leg pants. The runways showed wide-leg pants in all prints and lengths, ready to wear for work or a night out. Proenza Schouler showed relaxed gaucho pants in suede and soft leather. Derek Lam showcased gauchos in menswear-inspired material and Alexander Wang presented classic, work-appropriate pleated trousers.

Pastels in Pamella Roland’s Spring/Summer 2014 collection (Photo: Pamella Roland)

Pastels

We’ve seen pastel pink as a surprising punch of color on coats this winter, and the trend will continue into the spring. Pamella Roland combined wide-leg pants, pastels and mesh in this look from her Spring/Summer 2014 collection. Listen to Rowland and dare yourself to pull off a pastel suit in 2014.

Mesh and fishnet by Anthony Vaccarello, Christian Dior, and Alexander Wang (Photo: Vogue)

Mesh and fishnet

As the runways indicate, mesh tops and fishnet detail will be everywhere in 2014. The sportswear-inspired look was seen on baggy t-shirts, crop tops and sweaters, designed in sleek and sexy ways to dress up the material. If you really want to show some skin, go for a mesh crop top (yes, crop tops will still be popular in 2014). If your style is more subtle, pair a long mesh top under a structured blazer.

Pleats

Go schoolgirl chic with pleats this year. Offset the sexiness of a mesh top with a delicate pleated skirt, floaty and romantic for Spring. Celine and Christian Dior showed pleated skirts in fine chiffon fabric. Prada showed box-pleated skirts not unlike a cheerleader’s uniform.

Art-inspired dresses from Chanel, Missoni, Prada, Celine (Photo: Kingston Style)

Art-inspired

If you really wish to go bold, dress up as a walking art piece. This look is perfect for a date to the museum or anywhere you want to get noticed. Chanel, Missoni, Prada and Celine showed these works of art in their creative, colorful collections.

I recently read an article about the seven worst ways to break up with someone. I immediately had two reactions about this: I’ve done five out of the seven, and, more importantly, this article had nothing on my breakups. And I mean nothing.

You break up with me over a text? Yeah, whatever. Dragging it out too long? Pfft! No biggie! In a previous article in December, I discussed how to kick bad dating habits in 2014. However, if you are more set on how to stay single in 2014 or perhaps you may just need a fresh start, I give you the actual seven worst ways to break up with someone so that you may at least keep things interesting in the coming year. I can tell you from personal experience, they truly work.

It might be time to shed the 2013 baggage and start fresh. (Photo: SheKnowsLove)

You can take your significant other to a halfway home. But since your significant other didn’t know you had gone to rehab until he/she met “the roomies,” this can either spark some interesting conversation or make your significant other wonder if he or she even knows your real name and how many felonies you’ve committed.

If you were always into drama in high school, but never followed your dreams, here’s a great chance to gather some theater experience. Fake your death! But don’t get too crazy with this one because you might just bump into your dumpee at Starbucks six months later.

Religion can sometimes create wedges in relationships. Take this to the next level by convincing your significant other he/she is atheist, even if he/she is devoted to some higher entity. Then, in full political Washingtonian style, tell him/her that you cannot date an atheist because what would your conservative friends think?

Fake having two extra jobs so you “don’t have enough time for a relationship.” Pick something obscure, though. Don’t say barista or bartender because people always want to visit you at work. Instead, opt for something like VP of Operations at some tech startup. Startups are currently popping up all over D.C. so this is believable, but difficult to check on.

Not looking to put a lot of effort into a breakup? Put your hard earned tax dollars to use. Take your date on the metro and do it there. It goes something like this:

You: We need to talk.

Your SO: OK, we can talk later.

You: No. We should talk now.

Everyone in the bus will be listening intently. If  you are on the orange or blue line, there may be tourists. If so, they may be craning their necks to have a view of the scene.

You: I can’t do this anymore. We should just be friends.

Perfect. Short, sweet and simple, then get off at the next stop and easily jump on the next train.

If none of these work, take him or her to a college bar (preferably if you are not in college). Once you are there, suddenly turn into the life of the party and dance with everyone but your date all night. This will most likely end up in him/her breaking up with you, in which case you will have won the breakup battle.

But if you have to resort to drastic measures, then randomly run away and get married. If we have learned anything from Kim Kardashian in 2013, it is the possibility of the 48 hour marriage. Take this beauty and run with it (in your case, you might want to take the running part literally).

So those are the absolute worst ways to breakup with someone. If you are a love grinch, I hope these will be helpful in the new year. If you are actually seeking love, then you are reading the wrong article and should in fact be clicking here. On the other hand, at least you now know what not to do. Happy dating in the New Year!

Every year we look forward to the best midnight kiss of the year — New Year’s Eve. There are plenty of great parties in D.C. to take your date on this New Year’s. Make sure you find yours as soon as possible since the good tickets and reservations are going to start going fast.

Don’t miss out on your New Year’s Eve kiss. (Photo: Formal Room)

One of the biggest bashes in D.C. is Big Night D.C.. As the name suggests, this party is huge. The party will be taking place at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at the National Harbor. Although a bit far for some of us, if you are looking for an epic party to attend with your date, this is will be your best bet. It promises 15 themed party areas and “tons of open bars” for $134.99-$1,999.99.

If you are not looking to venture out too far, check out Jack Rose Saloon’s NYE 2014 party. For $125, attendees will have open bar and complimentary hors d’oeuvres as well as a midnight champagne toast. If you are looking for some alone time with your date, there will be private seating available. a pre-party dinner, “Punch, pints and pork,” is available with all you can eat and drink from 6-9 p.m. for $45.

To keep things more romantic, head to Southwest for the Odyssey New Year’s Eve Dinner Cruise. The cruise will feature a three-course meal, dancing, dessert table and champagne toast at midnight. They even offer a romantic package that comes with a half dozen roses, a bottle of champagne and two souvenir flutes for $209.90.

There are also a plethora of New Year’s Eve parties in Dupont, Georgetown and on U Street. If you are not sure what your date may enjoy, take your significant other to his or her favorite bar. Be sure to check ahead though as most of these New Year’s Eve parties require presale tickets. And don’t forget the mints for that coveted midnight kiss.

As the end of the year approaches, it’s time to start thinking about New Year’s resolutions. When it comes to dating in D.C., we all have one or two terrible dating habits. Consider kicking some of these habits as part of your New Year’s resolutions.

Kick those bad dating habits goodbye in 2014. Photo: JupiterImages

It is our Washingtonian nature to be workaholics. We work long days and as a result end up being unavailable for dates or significant others a large majority of the time. Although it is never good to be “too available” for dates, try to strike a balance between work and play. Not being available enough for dates can send the message that you feel that your career is more important than your date’s career. In a ladder-climbing town, this is a horrible message to send and can be a quick road ending in a breakup.

Change dating behavior

Once you are actually setting time aside to date, take a look at your behavior on dates. Are you still ordering more after two drinks? Do you bring up your problems right away? Acting like a sloppy mess leads to nothing. Your date will become easily uninterested in what you have to say because he or she will think you are not taking the date very seriously. To clean up your act, try asking an honest friend for advice. Generally, we all have at least one friend we can count on to tell us the truth about how others see us.

If you do not have an honest friend you can trust, please try to find one immediately. But in the meantime, there are some basic ground rules to being classy on a date. Do not consume too many alcoholic beverages. Two drinks is your safest bet. Also, wear clothing appropriate to the venue. Definitely leave your tube tops or jorts (jean man shorts) at home. Neither of those options is ever truly appropriate. And of course, be mindful of the language you are using. Keep the cursing to a minimum, especially on a first date.

Quit lying

Another terrible dating habit of which to rid yourself in 2014 is lying. Everybody is guilty of this on a first date. I have been on many dates where I can tell the other person is either over exaggerating an aspect of his life or completely straight up lying. At the time you may feel that this lie is just a small white lie to get you to the next step, but when you are caught in the lie, you are sure to get dumped. The other person may never tell you that he or she knew you were lying, but you will know when you end up alone on your couch with yet another pint of Ben and Jerry’s.

Date differently

Finally, reevaluate your standards. Many of us have a list long enough to replace the Dupont metro escalator. However, listing these standards can put you in a rut. It is silly to believe that dating the same kind of person each time will eventually produce different results. I am certainly not suggesting that you lower standards and hook up with someone you find completely unappealing. I am, however, suggesting that you keep an open mind and date outside of your comfort zone.

It can be hard to make New Year’s resolutions happen, but if you start thinking about these dating resolutions now, you may just end up having a full 2014 dating calendar.