China Chilcano, 418 7th St. NW, is now offering weekend brunch service from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

China Chilcano is now serving brunch from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday with dishes like Jook.
(Photo: China Chilcano/Twitter)

Brunch at the contemporary restaurant in Penn Quarter showcases Peru’s deeply rooted and diverse culinary heritage through its native Criollo, Chinese Chifa and Japanese Nikkei cuisines. The new dishes include picante de huevos, poached eggs, ají panca, pork belly, potato, tomato, red onion and toast; tortilla China, egg foo yung, Edwards smoked ham, fresh crab, scallion, jicama, bean sprouts and oyster sauce; jook, congee of rice, pork belly, crisp shallots, tea egg and sweet soy; and chicharron de costillas de cerdo, crisp pork spare ribs, sweet potato, ‘cancha’ and salsa criolla.

Brunch cocktails, available by the glass, half-carafe and carafe, include Chilcano macerado, a choice of pisco macerado, lime, Amargo Chuncho bitters and Fever-Tree ginger ale; sabores toronja (grapefruit), fresa (strawberry) and pepino (cucumber); and yawar, sweet wine, blood orange, prickly pear and lemon.

Cashion’s Eat Place hosts family-style rockfish roast

Cashion’s Eat Place, 1819 Columbia Road NW, is celebrating summer and local seafood with a whole rockfish roast on Aug. 26. The family-style feasts will feature whole sustainable rockfish, roasted with all the fixings, salad and dessert for $55. Dinners starts at 6:30 p.m. and is limited to 20 guests.

Cashion’s Eat Place will serve a whole, roasted rockfish dinner on Wednesday for $55 per person. (Photo: Cashion’s Eat Place)

The line-caught whole rockfish, which weighs between 13-15 pounds, is roasted in the oven for an hour. The whole fish is served alongside various sides such as salsa verde, paprika aioli, marinated olives, fresh lime, house-made hot sauce, sea salt, olive oil and scallions.

The meal starts with a salad of local tomatoes, cucumbers, croutons, Kalamata olives, spring onions, Dodonis feta, mint and Laconian olive oil. For dessert, there is a local fruit clafoutis with buttermilk sorbet. For those who would like to pair the meal with wine, the Chehalem INOX Chardonnay, an unoaked Chardonnay from Willamette Valley, Oregon, will be available for $40 per bottle.

Reservations are required and can be made online.

City Tap House hosts Sour That Summer Is Ending party

City Tap House, 901 Ninth St. NW, will host a “Sour That Summer Is Ending” party from 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m. on Aug. 27. Guests can enjoy the last days of summer with a celebration of rare and unique sour brews from around the world.

City Tap House will host a sour beer takeover on Thursday. (Photo: Dan Swartz)

Sour beers are one of the most unusual beer styles. They range from a gentle sour tinge that helps provide complexity, to extreme mouth-puckering sourness. The organisms that create sour flavors usually contribute other aromas and flavors that are unattainable with normal yeast. City Tap House will dedicate nine tap lines to the complex brew featuring New Belgium La Folie, Prof. Fritz Briem 1809 Berlinerweisse, 3 Stars Cognitive Dissonance Berliner-rye, Union Old Pro Gose, Brouwerij Verhaeghe Duchesse de Bourgogne, Brouwerij Bockor Cuvee de Jacobins Rouge, Brouwerij Stubbe Ichtegems Ale; Oud Beersel Lambic, Rodenbach Grand Cru and more. Beer prices range from $6-$13.

701 Restaurant to close Aug. 30 for renovation

701 Restaurant, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, will close on Aug. 30 for five days to undergo a total makeover. It will reopen in time for lunch and dinner service on Sept. 4.

701 Restaurant will close for five days beginning Aug. 30 to remodel. (Photo: Joanna Morena/DC Spotlight)

Owner Ashok Bajaj has tapped James Beard award-nominated restaurant designer Martin Vahtra of Projects Design Associates in New York to create the new look for 701 Restaurant. Vahtra also designed Bajaj’s Rasika West End, which opened in March 2012, and Nopa Kitchen+Bar, which opened in April 2013. Among the changes is the addition of a private dining room that can accommodate 30 guests.

701’s new design features dramatic colors and wall coverings, in addition to a central wall sculpture. The bar will be more dramatic with new lights with gold leaf interiors. The 20 large white “egg” lights appear to be cracked, revealing golden interiors that sparkle. There will also be banquettes with Maharam fabrics of burgundy, blue and gold accents. New armchairs will be recovered in a striped fabric with colors ranging from burgundy to teal that complement the gold accents throughout the restaurant. Solid, exposed wood tables will be paired with Italian chairs of all different styles to give the room a less-formal ambiance. New carpet will include a pattern of bubbles that swirl around the floor.

The two existing private dining rooms, which can accommodate 12 and 20 people, will be refinished with paint, wall coverings and artwork. One will also incorporate a new set of glass doors for added privacy. The new 30-seat dining room is being created where the current elevated lounge is. It will be enlarged and surrounded by etched glass panels, which can be closed off with floor-to-ceiling draperies. Different sized lampshades will adorn the ceiling. It will feature an audio-visual system and it have its own bar.

Melanie Kurtz named pit master at Old Glory Bar-B-Que

Melanie Kurtz is the new pit master at Old Glory Bar-B-Que. (Photo: Old Glory Bar-B-Que)

Melanie Kurtz has been appointed pit master at Old Glory Bar-B-Que, 3139 M St. NW in Georgetown. Kurtz brings 11 years of experience to her new position. She most recently served as executive sous chef of Paolo’s Ristorante, which is also owned by Capital Restaurant Concepts.

A native of Huntington, Pa., Kurtz graduated from The Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts in 2004 with an associate degree in culinary arts. Shortly thereafter, she relocated to Washington, D.C. where she accepted an internship with Capital Restaurant Concepts. For four years, Kurtz worked her way up the ranks at Paolo’s Ristorante, beginning as a line cook before being promoted to sous chef in 2008. In 2009, she became a sous chef at Capital Restaurant Concepts’ Ovations, the on-site restaurant at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. After two years, she returned to Paolo’s as executive sous chef.

A new addition to Old Glory’s menu is Kurtz’s smoked chicken thigh sandwich, which is dry rubbed and smoked for four hours.

Lisa Marie Frantz is new executive chef at Majestic Café

Lisa Marie Frantz is the new executive chef at The Majestic Cafe. (Photo: The Majestic Cafe)

Lisa Marie Frantz has been named executive chef of The Majestic Café, 911 King St. in Old Town. She brings more than eight years of experience helming kitchens.

Originally from Northern California, Frantz grew up running around her father’s butcher shop. Realizing her first career choice – graphic design – was more of a hobby, she pursued culinary studies at Le Cordon Bleu in Scottsdale, Ariz., earning her associates degree in 2008. Interning at Dish Market & Bistro in Scottsdale while in school, Frantz soon became sous chef.

Frantz moved to Washington, D.C. in 2008, to assist in opening Founding Farmer’s flagship restaurant, where she was promoted to sous chef, working for executive chef Graham Duncan, who is now corporate executive chef for Alexandria Restaurant Partners, which owns The Majestic Café. In 2012, Frantz was appointed executive chef at Farmers Fishers Bakers, Farmers Restaurant Group’s project on the Georgetown waterfront. Most recently, she served as executive chef at Brickside Food & Drink in Bethesda from 2013 to July 2015.

Valerie Hill is new pastry chef at Nopa Kitchen+Bar

Valerie Hill is Nopa Kitchen + Bar’s new pastry chef. (Photo: Rey Lopez)

Valerie Hill has been named pastry chef at Nopa Kitchen+Bar, 800 F St. NW. She brings more than 25 years of experience to her new role.

A native of Chatham, Va., Hill pursued her interest in the visual arts at the Holden School of Art and Design in Charlottesville, Va., in 1983 leading her to study at Northern Virginia Community College in Sterling, before she gravitated to the culinary world. In 1998, she enrolled at L’Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda. Hill also took courses at the Pastry Institute of Washington, D.C. and the Culinary Institute of America, Greystone Campus in Napa Valley, Calif. Prior to joining Nopa Kitchen+Bar, Hill served for eight years as pastry chef of Johnny’s Half Shell in D.C., where she was responsible for the opening and operation of the pastry kitchen at the 350-seat restaurant. Hill also served as pastry chef at The Majestic Cafe in Alexandria from March 2001 to July 2006.

Astro Doughnut & Fried Chicken, 1308 G St. NW, began serving two new dishes last week.

Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken unveils a new breakfast sandwich with poached egg, chicken and bacon on a savory doughnut last week. (Photo: Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken)

The new breakfast egg sandwich has a poached egg on a savory doughnut for $4.50. A fried chicken version is available for $5. Diners can add an egg from Trickling Springs for $2, bacon or sausage gravy for 75 cents and Trickling Springs cheddar cheese for 50 cents. It is available from 7:30-10:30 a.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.-noon on Sarturday.

The Doughnut Ice Cream Sundae features ice cream and toppings on a brûléed vanilla doughnut. Ice cream flavors from Trickling Springs Creamery include butter pecan or vanilla and toppings include caramel or hot fudge, whipped cream and bacon (Bacon costs 75 cents extra> The Doughnut Ice Cream Sundae is available for $5.50 from 1:30-4 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon-3 p.m. Saturday.

Cashion’s Eat Place celebrates Rickey month

Cashion’s Eat Place, 1819 Columbia Road NW, is celebrating the city’s official cocktail — the Rickey – all month long with a pop-up Rickey bar featuring specials and flights of the staff’s own Rickey creations.

Cashion’s staff has created its own take on the classic Rickey cocktail, which traditionally just requires bourbon or gin, lime and soda.

Among the Rickeys will be the “Wild Thing” with Jim Beam Rye, a housemade “Northern Neck Farms Two-Way Tincture” and fresh lime, topped with Herout Cidre cotentin organic sparkling cider from Normandy, France. The tincture is made with fresh blackberries, hyssop and chervil steeped separately in grain alcohol and organic apple cider. After aging for four weeks, mixtures are strained and blended together to create the final product. Another is the Blue Shrub made by infusing Green Hat Gin with fresh mint and mixing it with house blueberry shrub, lime and soda. Finally, theres the Green Shipman made with Green Hat’s Navy Strength Gin, fresh basil, mint and simple syrup.

All three Rickeys are available a la carte for $10 each, or sampled as a flight of three for $12, from July 1-31.

Blue Duck Lounge debuts all-American cheese flight

The Park Hyatt Washington’s Blue Duck Lounge at 24th and M Streets NW, is honoring Independence Day with an all-American cheese flight throughout July.

The all-American cheese flight includes three one-ounce tastes of pre-selected artisanal American cheeses and three three-ounce drink pairings for $30 from 5:30-10:30 p.m. nightly. Sophie Slesinger, cheese specialist for Blue Duck Tavern and Blue Duck Lounge, will pre-select the cheeses while the restaurant’s sommeliers will select the suggested beer or wine pairings.

The cheese flight will change weekly. Guests can expect American cheeses such as Summer Snow (sheep) from Woodcock Farm in Vermont, Elsa Mae (cow) from Calkins Creamery in Pennsylvania and Chevrotin (goat) from Seal Cove Farm in Maine. Sample American wine pairings include: Honig Sauvignon Blanc, Tablas Creek Rhone Blend, and Elizabeth Spencer Grenache Rose. Sample American beer pairings include Flying Dog Dead Rise, Port City Optimal Wit and Goose Island Sofie.

Old Town Pour House gets shark-y

Old Town Pour House, 212 Ellington Blvd., Gaithersburg, will pay homage to Discovery Channel’s Shark week beginning Sunday through July 12 will a special Blueberry Chum cocktail.

Old Town Pour House in Gaithersburg will be serving the special Blue Chum cocktail for Shark Week. (Photo: Old Town Pour House)

All week long, guests can order cocktail featuring Midori, Blue Curacoa, lemon juice, simple syrup and blueberries and Sprite complete with a plastic shark garnish for $9 each.

Rasika to close for renovation July 5-8

Rasika, 633 D St. NW, will close for four days, July 5-8, to get a total makeover. It will reopen in time for dinner service on July 9. The restaurant will soon celebrate its 10th anniversary.

The remodeled 140-seat restaurant, designed by Harry Gregory of ARA Design of London, who designed the original interior, will feature silk effect wall covering in a soft range of mustard colors in the main dining room along with new chair upholstery, which will be in shades of olive green and brown. A whole new feel is being created in the 16-seat private dining room incorporating a specially made wall covering from Europe’s Timorous Beasties. New “artichoke” lights finished in a soft brushed-gold tone are being imported from U.K.-based Chelsom Lighting. Rasika will keep its signature red and clear glass crystal curtain.

Patterned fabrics from Rubelli in Venice, Italy, will also invoke the feel of India. The contemporary feel of the restaurant will be enhanced by new armchairs from Potocco, a company also based in Italy and specially sourced for the make-over. Finally a new feature wall with shelves and lighting will exhibit original artifacts brought from India by owner Ashok Bajaj including antique pots and vases.

“The make-over is necessary to maintain Rasika’s good looks and cutting edge appeal,” said Gregory in a press release. “Without transforming the restaurant’s appearance too much, it was decided to freshen up the interior by changing the color palette and by providing new lighting, fabrics and furniture. However the first step is to install a new acoustic ceiling to lower the noise level which will make the restaurant an even more pleasant space to dine.”

Macon Bistro & Larder serves lunch beginning July 7

Macon Bistro & Larder, 5520 Connecticut Ave. NW, will debut lunch service from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday beginning July 7. The menu will include classic dishes with a Southern twist.

Starters include a classic Caesar with romaine, anchovies, croutons and parmesan; niçoise salad with local greens, olives, onions, eggs and house-preserved tuna; Killed Salad with bacon vinaigrette, hard-boiled egg, pickled onion and croutons; fried green tomatoes with country-sausage gravy, cheddar, pickled chilies and fried egg; and chilled cucumber soup with toasted almonds, spicebush vinegar and herbs. Entrees include a city ham sandwich with cheddar, honey mustard and country bread; corned beef on rye bread served with house-made coleslaw; the Macon burger on a house-made bun with aged cheddar and fingerling potatoes; chicken salad with lettuce and grapes served on a baguette; a bistro fillet with béarnaise sauce and fingerling potatoes; and a market fish that will change daily.

Side dishes include Essie’s biscuits served with honey butter and pepper jelly; collard greens simmered in white wine and topped with bacon and garlic; Hoppin’ John with sea island red peas and Carolina gold rice; spicy kale with crispy grits, shallots, garlic and chilies; vegetables a la grecque made with spring vegetables and extra virgin olive oil; and ‘mac’on cheese with cheddar mornay and panko breadcrumbs.

Desserts include smoked pecan pie with vanilla ice cream and local sorghum; chocolate truffle cheesecake with mint syrup and fresh thyme; and almond custard with rhubarb compote, almond crunch and fennel merengue.

Black Salt plans Jackson Family Estates wine dinner

On July 8, BlackSalt Fish Market and Restaurant, 4883 MacArthur Blvd. NW, will partner with Jackson Family Estates to host a seven-course wine dinner. Leading the tasting will be two educators from Jackson Family Estates.

The dinner begins with a coromandel oyster with Italian Ossetra caviar and cucumber mignonette followed by Japanese Hiramasa sashimi with fresh wasabi, pickled local melon and radish. Next is a crispy soft shell crab with corn risotto, sweet peas and smoked guanciale then Spanish turbot with house gnocchi, wild mushrooms and shaved white truffle. That is followed by beef duo with roasted barrel of ribeye, braised deckle, baby vegetables and red wine jus followed by pecorino oro antico cheese with local honey, toasted hazelnuts and grilled bread. For desserts, guests will be served assorted house made cookies.

A welcome reception starts at 6:30 p.m., and dinner begins at 7 p.m. Dinner is $145 per person and reservations are required.

Enjoy breakfast for dinner at City Tap House

From 5 p.m. to closing on July 9, City Tap House, 901 9th St. NW, will host a tap takeover with Founders Brewing Co. featuring two of the breweries most sought drafts: Kentucky Breakfast Stout and Canadian Breakfast Stout.

For the perfect pairing, the restaurant will feature pancake specials in addition to the restaurant’s full a la carte menu. Pancakes include lemon, ricotta and blueberry with mascarpone cream and stout maple syrup; bananas foster with whipped cream and stout caramel sauce; and Benton’s bacon and chocolate chip topped with candied pecans, whipped cream and stout maple syrup.

Ambar taps Rico Wisner as brand mixologist

Rico Wisner has been appointed brand mixologist at Ambar, 523 8th St. SE.

Rico Wisner is Ambar’s new brand mixologist. (Photo: Ambar)

In his new role, Wisner will spearhead Ambar’s beverage program, which includes over 40 different varieties of Rakia, an alcoholic beverage produced by the distillation of fermented fruit popular throughout the Balkans. He will be responsible for the restaurant’s beverage focus both nationally and internationally as it expands. Wisner recently returned from Belgrade, where he developed the cocktail list for the new Ambar location in Serbia, which will open later this summer.

Prior to joining Ambar. Wisner was the bar manager for Graffiato. He was previously a bartender at BLT Steak and a lounge manager and mixologist at Kimpton’s Poste Moderne Brasserie. Wisner also managed the bar at McCormick & Schmick’s in Bethesda.

Wisner is a member of the D.C. Chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild and the D.C. Craft Bartenders Guild.

The newest restaurant from Passion Food Hospitality, Penn Commons, opens Aug. 4 at 700 Sixth St. NW.

Penn Commons from Passion Food Hospitality opens at 700 6th St. NW in Chinatown on Aug. 4. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

During a preview party July 26, DC on Heels got a peek at the restaurant and menu. The décor is dark wood, steel and brown leathers. The restaurant has an industrial vibe with exposed duct work, a cement floor and light bulbs. A sepia tone mural on the back wall features presidents playing sports.

Chef and partner Jeff Tunks sat down for a chat and told us that the restaurant was supposed to open as a beer-centric eatery called Townhouse Kitchen & Bar, but the owners went bankrupt three weeks before they could open. Tunks said the lights, banquettes and beer taps were already installed. “We saved a lot of money,” he told DC on Heels. “Basically, it’s what Townhouse was going to be. We just came in and put our fingerprint on it – finishes, votives, etc.”

The American tavern eatery’s menu will be similar to sister restaurant, District Commons, including Nana Sue’s meatloaf, brick-pressed chicken, shrimp and grits, and grilled Creekstone Farms ribeye with whiskey peppercorn sauce. And burgers from sister restaurant Burger, Tap and Shake. Passion Food Hospitality also owns DC Coast, Arcadiana, Cieba, PassionFish and Fuego Cocina Y Tequileria.

The U-shaped bar, which has six big screen televisions, will serve 40 beers on tap from across the country, 50 wines by the glass and bottle and 14 cocktails. A snack-friendly bar menu includes dips and spreads with grilled bread, pulled-pork hand pies, spicy Asian “Tuk Tuk” wings, District Commons’ braised beef sliders, seasonal hot dogs and crispy fried oysters.

New American and Southern influences dominate the dining menu, from Korean-style pork chops with spicy barbecue sauce to shrimp and grits. There’s also crispy tempura soft shell crabs, jumbo lump crab cakes, pan seared sea scallops and roast portobello mushrooms with quinoa.

At 10 p.m. nightly (9 p.m. on Sunday), the farm bell rings for a homey, family-style meals served at a communal table for $12. Monday’s meal includes chicken parmigiana, spaghetti, Caesar salad and garlic bread; Tuesday is a six buck chuck burger, fries and a Pabst Blue Ribbon beer for two; Wednesday is chicken fried steak and cream gravy, mashed potatoes and Monday’s green beans; Thursday is a sausage fest with a platter of assorted grilled sausages, beer mustard, saurkraut, a pretzel baquette and potato salad; Friday is pupusas with all the fixings; Saturday is huevos rancheros; and Sunday is fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and collard greens.

End the night with a dessert like a root beer float from BTS, three kinds of sundaes, Boston cream pie with salted caramel sauce, mini oatmeal cookie pies with blueberries and lemon custard or Nutella cream puffs. There’s also a spiked float for the adults.

Penn Commons is open 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday for lunch, 5-10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday for dinner and 5-11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday for dinner. After Labor Day, it will be open 5-10 p.m. for dinner on Sunday and from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for brunch.

Oval Room reopens Monday with new look, menu

The Oval Room, 800 Connecticut Ave. NW, will reopen Aug. 4 after closing for renovations on June 30. The restaurant, which originally opened in October 1994, has undergone a million dollar renovation changing both the menu direction and the design scheme.

The Oval Room reopens Monday after being closed a month to remodel and rework the menu. (Photo: Cityseeker)

James Beard award-nominated restaurant designer Martin Vahtra of Projects Design Associates of New York is responsible for the new décor. The restaurant’s new light-filled interior has a sleeker ambiance. Vahtra has incorporated a white Carrera marble bar and flooring, with dark mahogany wood accents throughout. There are bold art pieces, theatrical lighting, faux leather and plush fabrics with accent colors of burgundy and deep brown contrasting soft gray, beige and touches of lilac. A large painting combining abstract and representational styles by nationally recognized American artist Jennifer Bartlett is the focal point to the remodeled main dining room.

Executive chef Tony Conte will introduce a new a la carte menu as well as a four-course, prix fixe menu for $60 or $90 with complementing wine pairings, selected by the Oval Room’s new sommelier Alek Milford. The restaurant will also offer a $20 lunch special at the bar special that includes one glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, an entrée and sorbet. A new happy hour from 5-6:30 p.m. Monday-Friday will offer 20 percent off drinks at the bar or on the 35-seat patio, which also has new furnishings.

Conte’s new dishes will range in price from $10 to $36, and the menu is now organized into raw bar offerings, appetizers, entrees and sides. Raw bar choices include fluke with coconut, lime, togarashi and breakfast radish, and tuna with bonito ranch with ginger dressing and spicy crispy tapioca. Appetizers include dishes such as burrata with shaved summer vegetable salad and jalapeno vinaigrette, and gently smoked sweetbreads with brown butter, licorice and fennel-green mango salad. New entrees include kazu marinated duck with hazelnut-nastruim crumbs, carrots, turnips and duck jus; spice rubbed lamb rack with blackened eggplant, arugula and millet; and lobster with saffron ginger broth, market beans and potato gnocchi. Sides on the summer menu include fried Chinese eggplant and glazed squash.

“Oval Room is the boutique, fine dining experience within Knightsbridge Restaurant Group and this modern American restaurant is also celebrating its 20th birthday this October so it great timing for a fresh new direction,” said owner Ashok Bajaj in a press release. “Guests will enjoy an inventive menu that Tony has been working on for the last six months. The cooking technique is the same, but his dishes will be simpler and lighter.”

Also new is Simon Stilwell, who is moving from sister restaurant Rasika to be the opening general manager.

Oval Room is open Monday-Thursday from 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday from 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. and Saturday from 5:30-10:30 p.m.

Mio Restaurant celebrates National Coffee Month

August is National Coffee Month and Mio Restaurant is celebrating with four a la carte specials that showcase the bean. Each of the three dishes and one cocktail incorporate Mio’s premium blend of 100 percent Arabica sundried coffee beans grown exclusively for the restaurant in Puerto Rico.

Mio celebrates National Coffee Month in August. (Photo: Mio)

Available now through Aug. 31, the specials are priced from $9-$21. August specials include coffee rubbed beef short rib with five chiles — chile ancho, chile guajillo, chile cascabel, chile de arbol and chile chipotle; coffee citrus spiced cured salmon; and cheese whipped cream, Mio espresso granita and orange zest for dessert. Owner Manuel Iguina is also serving a new café colada, a variation of the classic piña colada with coconut cream, fresh crushed pineapple, Puerto Rican white rum and Mio’s espresso. Mio also has bags of the coffee for sale at $12 for an 8-ounce bag.

Mio is located at 1110 Vermont Ave. NW. It is open Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday from 5-11 p.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. for brunch.

Sauf Haus Bier Hall opens in Dupont

The Sauf Haus Bier Hall opened July 24 at 1216-A 18th St. NW in Dupont. The two-story German-themed beer garden includes an indoor bar and an open rooftop.

Sauf Haus Bier Garden brings German brews and outdoor drinking to Dupont. (Photo: Sauf Haus)

The restaurant’s décor is Bavarian with long wooden picnic benches and German regalia, plus a foosball table. At the bar, there are 16 taps devoted solely to German beers including liters and half-liters of Warsteiner Dunkel, Hofbrau Hefeweizen and Schöfferhofer Grapefruit. Beers in cans and bottles include craft domestics. House beer-tails include a mix of grapefruit, hefeweizen and house-infused vanilla vodka. A full bar is available, but you’ll only find a single brand of each spirit such as Tito’s vodka and Patrón tequila.

There’s no kitchen to speak so initially, Shake Shack downstairs will be your only option if you don’t want a soft pretzel. Eventually a cart on the top floor will offer Fells Point Meat’s brats and franks, and freshly shucked oysters.

Happy hour specials include $2 off all drinks from 4-7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Sauf Haus will be open year-round. Plans include a retractable roof for the deck and warm drinks such as mulled wine for when the weather turns chilly. Sauf Haus opens at 4 p.m. daily.

Pinea will replace J&G Steakhouse at W Hotel

Chef Barry Koslow, formerly of DGS Delicatessen, will lead the new Pinea restaurant, which replace Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s shuttered J&G Steakhouse that closed in June in the W Hotel, 515 15th St. NW. The name comes from the two-needled pine trees in Southern Europe that yield pine nuts.

Chef Barry Koslow will serve southern European-inspired fare—such as this Serrano-ham-wrapped fig—at Pinea, opening in September.
(Photo: Daniel Swartz/W Hotel)

Pinea will open in September and feature a menu that will favor “contemporary regional European dishes with a focus on France, Italy and Spain,” according to a press release.

Popular flavor profiles from the region including citrus, fresh herbs such as lavender and rosemary and special olive oils will enhance local vegetables and seasonally varying meat and seafood. Other menu highlights include handmade pastas and housemade spice blends, along with fresh seafood like whole grilled Branzino. A portion of the menu will be dedicated to sharable dishes inspired by the Italian “Merenda” or afternoon snack. Offerings like roasted Serrano ham wrapped figs with blue cheese to “Pissaladiere” — caramelized onion, black olives, and boquerones—will be on the Merenda menu.

The restaurant’s beverage program will include wines from Southern European regions such as Campania, Valencia and Languedoc Roussillon as well as unique craft cocktails and beers.

“I think the strength of Pinea lies in the versatility we will be offering, the freshness of the ingredients and the bold, clean flavors that we will produce,” Koslow said in the press release. “Pinea will be a restaurant that serves imaginative, elegant food in a simple and approachable style. The overall experience will be harmonious.”

Toro Toro offers express lunch

Toro Toro, located at 1300 I St. NW, recently debuted their On the Run Exec Express Lunch Buffet available Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The lunch option is $28 and includes the choice of a soft drink, iced tea or lemonade. Guests can enjoy a chef’s daily offering of Pan Latin favorites along with a rotating selection of signature salads, ceviche and carved meats. Guests can make multiple trips to try the various dishes and the buffet must be ordered by the entire table.

Toro Toro now offers a lunch buffet. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

Chef’s daily selections include Monday: adobo turkey breast with guajillo chili, cumin and garlic; Tuesday: chipotle barbecue pork shoulder with ancho chili, chipotle and Mexican chocolate; Wednesday: leg of lamb with adobo, chimichurri and mint; Thursday: glazed pork ribs with kabayaki, sesame and Chinese five spice; and Friday: achiote flank steak with Korean chili, achiote and roasted garlic.

Toro Toro’s signature salads, ceviche and carved meats can include offerings such as avocado salad with red onion, peppers, olive oil and lemon; tomato and mozzarella salad with tomato, mozzarella, basil, hearts of palm and a chipotle-balsamic vinaigrette; asparagus salad with grilled asparagus and chimichurri; shrimp cocktail with rocoto cocktail sauce; ceviche del dia as well as achiote chicken, chorizo and picanha.

Toro Toro is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

The Oval Room at 800 Connecticut Ave. NW will close June 30 for a complete renovation changing both the restaurant’s menu direction and design scheme.

The Oval Room’s dining room will get a makeover when it closes at the end of June for a month. (Photo: Oval Room)

To celebrate, executive chef Tony Conte’s most popular dishes will be featured during the month of June. Guests can order a two-course lunch for $25 or a three-course dinner for $50. Conte took over the kitchen of the 100-seat restaurant located one block from the White House in July 2006.

The June swansong menu includes Conte’s signature roasted baby beets with passion fruit, horseradish and ice wine dressing; white asparagus with morels, whipped egg sauce and toasted hazelnuts; truffle pasta with truffle fondue and shaved summer truffles; pastrami cured kampachi with Chinese mustard and tomato jam on pumpernickel; crispy snapper with fennel-tarragon, snap peas and licorice vinaigrette; kazu marinated duck with turnip kimchee, honey stewed shallots and confit; cassia butter poached lobster with pearls of peach and wasabi, and lemongrass broth; and veal tenderloin with artichokes, lemon balm and parmesan liquid. The dessert menu will feature beet-chocolate cake, buttermilk lime sorbet, dark chocolate mousse and passion fruit curd with frozen coconut yogurt and dried marshmallow.

Designer Martin Vahtra of Projects Design Associates of New York will create the new design for the Oval Room. Vahtra also designed Oval Room owner Ashok Bajaj’s Nopa Kitchen+Bar and Rasika West End. The Oval Room’s light-filled interior will take on a sleek ambiance with bold art pieces, theatrical lighting, plush fabrics and rich, deep accent colors of burgundy and blue.

“Oval Room opened in October 1994 and will be celebrating its 20th birthday this fall so it is a fitting time to give the restaurant a fresh new direction,” Bajaj said. “We will reopen in August and guests can anticipate a new menu to complement the décor too, so more fun surprises are ahead.”

Fieri, Sanchez gamble on restaurants in Baltimore casino

Food Network stars Guy Fieri and Aaron Sanchez will open restaurants in Ceasar’s new Horseshoe Baltimore Casino set to open later this year on the city’s south side.

Guy Fieri (Photo: Food Network)

Fieri, a restaurateur and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives host, will open Guy Fieri’s Baltimore Kitchen & Bar, a 350-seat restaurant. The restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night dining and serve casual foods including an extensive variety of burgers, wings, small bites and shareable food items. Drinkers can opt for eight varieties of shots served through a frozen tap system.

The decor, including an outdoor patio, will feature repurposed wood and steel. Fieri’s many tattoos will inspire the coasters, napkins and plate ware.

Fieri is no stranger to feeding gamblers. Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen & Bar opened in April, and an Atlantic City location is in the works.

“I’ve been to Baltimore many times – it’s an amazing city filled with fun-loving people who appreciate great food,” Fieri said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to bringing this exciting new restaurant concept to Horseshoe Baltimore and to making more friends in Charm City as we serve up a fantastic menu in an environment where people can feel free to have a great time.”

Aaron Sanchez (Photo: Aaron Sanchez)

In late April, the casino announced that chef and Chopped judge Sanchez and chef John Besh will collaborate on a 222-seat Mexican restaurant at Horseshoe called Johnny Sanchez. This is the first collaboration for the two and will serve lunch and dinner.

Johnny Sanchez will offer some substantial dinner plates, but the bulk of the menu will be tacos and tostadas, said Sanchez, who was in Baltimore for the casino’s announcement. It will also serve domestic and imported beers, tequilas, mezcals and bourbons.

“We’re not going to make [Johnny Sanchez] elite, not so chef-y that people won’t be able to embrace it,” said Sanchez.

A James Beard award-winning chef, Besh has hosted two national public television cooking shows, based on his award-winning cookbooks. Both chefs have experience in creating concepts for entertainment venues. In addition to his flagship restaurant Mestizo, Sanchez created the menu for Crossroads, the restaurant concept at House of Blues music venues nationwide.

Among his 10 restaurant projects, Besh has a steak house inside Harrah’s New Orleans casino hotel. Harrah’s and Horseshoe are both brands of Caesars Entertainment.

The casino will also feature the Baltimore Marketplace, a casual dining area on the first floor. Filling that area will be local eateries Heavy Seas Alehouse, which opened a second location on Wilson Boulevard in Rosslyn in February and features local beers and casual fare such as burgers, oysters and small plates with Baltimore flavors. Also in the marketplace will be The Mallow Bar, a dessert café located in Rosedale, Md., which features rice cereal treats and homemade marshmallows; Tark’s at the ‘Shoe from Tark’s Grill in Lutherville, Md., and serving traditional American grill fare with a focus on seafood and chicken specialties such as jumbo lump crab cakes, fried chicken, fresh-cut French fries and soups; Lenny’s Deli, which is known for its corned beef sandwich and has three locations in the area, will serve deli sandwiches, hot dogs and breakfast all day; and Pie-Zetta, a new spin-off of the Towson-based Mamma Ilardo’s pizza chain, which will allow customers to build their own personal pizza.

There will also be a Jack Binion’s Steak House, a Horseshoe-branded restaurant that has a presence at nearly every Horseshoe casino in the country.

Celebrity chef Robert Irvine plans Pentagon restaurant

Chef Robert Irvine of Food Network’s Restaurant: Impossible will open Robert Irvine Fresh Kitchen inside the Pentagon next February.

The chef tweeted Monday that he was on his way to D.C. for a meeting about the restaurant.

He also lunched at Founding Farmers, according to his Twitter feed.

The 75-seat restaurant, which will only be open to federal employees and contractors who work inside the Pentagon, will be part fast-casual, grab-and-go cafe and part sit-down restaurant, according to a spokesman. The cafe will serve coffee, fresh squeezed juices, smoothies and breakfast items in the morning and prepared sandwiches and salads during the day.

The sit-down part will also be open for breakfast and lunch serving salads, sandwiches and other items, including pizzas made in an exhibition pizza kitchen.

It will occupy a second-level space overlooking the food court that is currently occupied by Market Basket, a casual restaurant featuring sandwiches, a sushi bar and a hot bar. Market Basket will relocate within the food court at the end of the summer.

The Pentagon has several food courts featuring mainly fast-food options such Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Burger King, McDonald’s, Dunkin Donuts and Subway. There are also dining halls for each branch of the military, but those are open only for higher ranking officials. The Pentagon’s formal sit-down restaurant shut its doors earlier this year and the space remains empty.

Irvine was invited to submit a proposal due to his military connections, the spokesman said. The chef began his career in the British Royal Navy and served as a guest chef at the Navy Mess facility in the White House. He frequently volunteers his time with military charities.

If the concept works as expected, it could be the first of many Robert Irvine Fresh Kitchens that could open both in military facilities and elsewhere, the spokesman said.

Singer’s Significant Meats opens Bethesda pop-up

Singer’s Significaant Meats owner Douglas Singer, a former sous chef at Zaytinya, Café Saint-Ex and Oyamel who also worked at the Argonaut and Capitol Lounge, is opening Singer’s Delicatessen, a pop-up in Bethesda with Peter Smith, the former chef at Chinatown’s PS7.

Every Sunday and Monday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., the pair will take over the bar at Newton’s Table. 4917 Elm St., and transform it into a mostly Jewish deli. The menu will features Singers’ house-made corned beef and brisket along with Smith’s half-smoke on a Parker House bun. Fans of Pittsburgh’s Primanti Bros. can order the Pittsburgh with corned beef, pastrami, gruyere, French fries and a fried egg on a bun.

The sandwiches are served on bread from Bethesda’s Breads Unlimited.

The pop-up could be a precursor of things to come for Singer’s Significant Meats. The chefs are scouting for locations for a permanent retail spot.

Texas de Brazil to replace shuttered Budda Bar

Texas de Brazil Churrascaria, a Brazilian-style steakhouse with a location in Fairfax’s Fair Oaks Mall, will take over the former Buddha Bar space at 455 Massachusetts Ave. NW in Mount Vernon Triangle.

Texas de Brazil’s Fair Oaks Mall location. (Photo: Texas de Brazil)

Expected to open this year, the 9,400 square foot restaurant’s will be the Dallas based chain’s first location in the city. Similar to Fogo de Chao, servers at the Brazilian-style steakhouse will walk around with all-you-can-year fresh-off-the-grill beef, lamb, pork, chicken and Brazilian sausage that they will carve tableside. The restaurant will also feature a seasonal salad bar featuring 50-60 items.

A call to a Texas de Brazil spokeswoman has not been returned, but the restaurant’s website does list a Washington, D.C. restaurant as opening in 2014.

Café Deluxe opens in West End Hilton

Cafe Deluxe has opened its fifth location on the first level of the new Hilton Garden Inn, 2201 M St. NW.

The 5,000 square foot space is the American bistro’s second spot in the District, following the original restaurant on Wisconsin Avenue. The restaurant, which seats 124 people in the dining room and another 38 at the bar, was designed by GTM Architects and features rich-colored leather booths, mahogany furniture and oversized mirrors. Impressive floor-to-ceiling windows at the front of the restaurant open up onto the hustle and bustle of 22nd and M Streets. A patio seats up to 40. A private dining space can seat up to 40 people, while an additional 2,500 square feet of banquet space, which can be divided into thirds, is available for corporate and social events.

Cafe Deluxe West End serves breakfast, lunch, brunch, happy hour and dinner with menus that combine seasonal ingredients with bold flavors. Guests can continue to enjoy favorites such as gourmet flatbreads, artisan sandwiches, burgers, PEI mussels and classic entrées like the grilled salmon, braised boneless short rib and chicken pot pie. New items include a seared Ahi tuna steak served with mango relish, balsamic reduction and sautéed asparagus or a 14 oz. New York strip accompanied by Brussels sprouts, bacon onion marmalade and horseradish mashed potatoes. A gluten free menu is available upon request.

An expanded brunch menu is offered Monday-Friday from 6:30-11 a.m. and weekend from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Brunch features lighter choices, such as the healthy deluxe, egg whites folded over freshly roasted veggies served with salsa and avocado pico, as well as a selection of egg benedicts, specialty and build-your-own omelets, French toast and signature confections like beignets and Sully’s coffee cake.

The full bar features over 60 wines, an expansive beer menu with 13 selections on tap, including four rotating seasonal options, and a variety of new cocktails. Happy hour from 3:30-7 p.m. Monday-Friday will feature $4 Stella Artois drafts and house wines, $5 margaritas and cosmos, and $1 off all draft beers. Bar bites include prosciutto mac and cheese, sliders, crispy chicken rolls, apple and brie flatbread, calamari and mussels.

Cafe Deluxe West End is open 6:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6:30 a.m.-12:30 a.m. Friday, 7 a.m.-12:30 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday.

TKO Burger, chef Lance London’s new boxing-themed burger concept, will open Apr. 17 in Rhode Island Row, 2350 Washington Place NE, just steps from the Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood metro station. It will be London’s fourth restaurant in the DMV. He also owns the Carolina Kitchen with locations in Rhode Island Row, Largo, Md. and Hyattsville, Md. TKO Burger will be open for lunch and dinner.

TKO Burger will open Apr. 17 in Rhode Island Row. (Photo: Maura Judkis/Washington Post)

TKO Burger will serve 8-ounce certified Angus-beef patties as well as non-beef burgers including the brunch burger made with bacon, fried egg and American cheese; the mac ‘n cheese burger made with Carolina Kitchen’s homemade macaroni and cheese, bacon, cheddar cheese and TKO sauce; the soft shell crab burger, a battered seasoned fried soft-shelled crab po boy; the veggie burger made with lettuce, tomato, grilled pineapple, red onions and sweet and spicy mayo; and a black bean burger made with homemade guacamole, salsa, lettuce, Monterey Jack cheese and chipotle mayo. All the burgers are served on a toasted potato roll or brioche bun. Burgers will range from $7-$14.

Side dishes will include hand-cut fries, pickles, asparagus, onion rings, plantains, eggplant fries, fried okra, potato salad, baked beans and deviled eggs. Wings, hot dogs and specialty salads will also be on the menu.

There will be 12 beers on tap including a variety of IPAs, ales, domestics and Belgium beers priced from $4-$7 and 16 by the bottle priced from $4 to $14 each. The restaurant will also serve milkshakes including sweet potato pie, strawberry shortcake, chocolate banana and peach cobbler as well as t fresh-squeezed “Sucker Punch” lemonade.

TKO Burger will seat 40 guests with a large 22-seat communal table. Outdoor seating will be available during the spring and summer and seat 28 people. The restaurant will be open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-midnight Friday and Sunday.

Remodeled Härth restaurant reopens in Tysons Hilton

Härth has reopened with an enhanced kitchen at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, 7920 Jones Branch Drive, McLean. The restaurant will now serve a full selection of executive chef Thomas Elder’s contemporary American comfort food for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The dining room in the remodeled Härth Restaurant at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner. (Photo: Hilton McLean Tysons Corner)

A streamlined redesign of the entire kitchen has added more room to the prep lines with added Montague ranges and ovens. The pastry kitchen has additional refrigeration along with a state-of-the-art gelato machine that will churn out a variety of flavors year round.

The restaurant’s seasonal menu showcases local suppliers including Eco Farms in Lanham, Md., Parker Farms in Oak Grove, Va., and C&E Farms in Cheriton, Va. During spring and summer months, Elder hyper-locally sources a variety of produce and honey from the restaurant’s terrace level garden and rooftop apiary.

The chef grows 12 varieties of mint as well as peppers and chilies, including ghost peppers – the hottest pepper in the world. The menu will take full advantage of the kitchen’s wood-burning copper clad oven with a number of smoked and fire roasted dishes for dinner including a smoked pork chop with sweet, roasted butternut squash; a roasted half chicken served over a zesty combination of mustard, white wine reduction, sweet garden pepper jam and Brussels sprouts; and wood-fired flatbreads including a roasted mushroom topped with caramelized onion, fontina cheese and truffled sea salt.

Lunch includes a variety of hand-carved sandwiches, salads and main plates. The härth burger is a house ground patty made from Martin’s Angus Beef, The Plains, Va., Talbot reserve sharp cheddar, wood fired onions and apple wood smoked bacon. There’s also an apple and pear salad made with mixed greens, poached balsamic figs, candied walnuts and blue cheese tossed in apple cider vinaigrette and a bacon jam glazed salmon accompanied by cheddar grits and braised kale.

Breakfast is served daily from 6:30-11 a.m. Lunch is available Monday-Friday from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and dinner is available Monday through Saturday from 5-10 p.m.

Ardeo+Bardeo, 701 Restaurant debut Sunday Supper

Beginning tomorrow, restaurateur Ashok Bajaj’s Ardeo+Bardeo Restaurant and 701 Restaurant will begin their new three-course Sunday Supper.

The new Sunday night menu will change weekly and feature a starter, soup or salad and a fish or meat entrée with a vegetarian pasta option plus a dessert.

Ardeo+Bardeo in Cleveland Park (Photo: Popville)

The first Sunday Supper at Ardeo+Bardeo, 3311 Connecticut Ave. NW, will include burrata antipasti with grilled banquette, olio verde and chickpea-olive tapenade to start; and a second course of brick oven porchetta with Anson Mills polenta, dandelion greens, crispy fennel and natural jus. Each week, the menu will also include a dessert option such as chocolate peanut butter bar or lemon rosemary cake. All entrées will be paired with a choice of a glass of wine for $40.

701 Restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue NW (Photo: Joanna Morena/DC Spotlight)

At 701 Restaurant, Pennsylvania Ave. NW Executive chef Benjamin Lambert’s menu will include a rotating list of seasonal ingredients from spring vegetables to lamb, black bass, lobster and house-made pasta. A sample menu includes starters of spice crusted beef carpaccio with hearts of palm, bean sprouts, Thai basil and black garlic vinaigrette; roasted beets with goat cheese, red mustard greens, strawberries and pomegranate vinaigrette; or butternut squash soup with ginger fluff, toasted oats and fried Brussels sprouts. Entrees could include roasted flatiron steak with crispy potatoes, snap peas, spring onion and blue cheese sabayon; crispy skate wing with watercress, roasted fennel, pickled onion and caper raisin emulsion; or scorched wheat chitarra pasta with wild mushrooms, arugula, parmesan and a soft egg. Desserts could include olive oil semi freddo with strawberry salad and peppercorn sugar; coconut panna cotta with crispy vermicelli, jewel fruit and ginger tapioca; or Linzer torte with blueberry-thyme marmalade and brown butter lemon curd.

At 701, diners select the three courses they want, but both guests must order the same main course. Cost is $35 per person without wine or $55 per person with a bottle of featured wine. The a la carte menu will also be available and there will be live jazz music.

Celebrate National Beer Day at City Tap House

City Tap House at 901 9th St. NW is celebrating National Beer Day from 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m. on Monday with rye infused beers and rye whiskey cocktails.

City Tap House will celebrate National Beer Day on Monday. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

Beers specials include Atlas Brew Works’ Rowdy, The Bruery’s Sour in the Rye, Boulevard Brewing’s Rye-on-Rye, Firestone Walker Brewing’s Wookey Jack, Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye and Terrapin Beer’s Rye Pale Ale. Beers ranges from $6-$10 each. Rye whiskey cocktails include the Sazerac, Manhattans and old fashioneds. Catoctin Creek, Knob Creek, Smooth Ambler Old Scout, Filibuster, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey and WhistlePig Straight rye whiskey will also available straight or on the rocks for $9-$16 for a neat pour.

Food specials will include a French dip sandwich on homemade bread made using rye malts from Atlas Brew Works’ Rowdy. This sandwich is finished off with shaved beef ribeye, gruyère cheese, Filibuster Rye Whiskey mustard, Terrapin Rye au jus and served with duck fat fries for $13.

Trummer’s on Main hosts tiki party Wednesday

Trummer’s on Main at 7134 Main St., Clifton, Va., will throw a patio tiki party on Apr. 9 with a menu of beach-themed cocktails and complementing hors d’oeurves.

Trummers on Main welcomes spring with a tiki party on Wednesday. (Photo: Trummers on Main)

The first official patio party of the year will include a flight of summery cocktails including a pineapple and vanilla margarita made with fresh pineapple, vanilla beans and house made syrups; a white peach sangria and hot and cold daiquiri with vanilla-infused rum, lime juice, vanilla syrup and hot coconut foam. Passed spring hors d’oeuvres from executive chef Austin Fausett will include grilled pineapple with lime zest, chili and sea salt; spring garlic soup shooters with lemon vodka cream; and chicken satay.

A live band will provide music. Tickets cost $32. Grass skirts and coconuts are optional.

Felipe Milanes new chef de cuisine at Masa 14

Felipe Milanes is the new chef de cuisine at Masa 14. (Photo: Eatwelldc)

Felipe Milanes is the new chef de cuisine at Masa 14, Richard Sandoval’s Latin-Asian fusion restaurant, at 1825 14th St. NW. Milanes brings over a decade of experience to his new position.

Milanes earned an associate degree in food science and culinary arts at Stratford University in Falls Church in 2003. He has worked in area kitchens including La Colline, Vidalia Restaurant and Ardeo+Bardeo. He also served as junior sous chef at 2941 Restaurant in Falls Church before moving to Pocantico Hills, N.Y. in 2005 to work under Chef Dan Barber at Blue Hill at Stone Barns as a grade manager. Milanes then moved to Mount Kisco, N.Y. where he worked as executive chef at Ladle of Love and Café of Love restaurants for three years. In 2009, he became executive chef at 109 Commons overseeing daily operations at French American Bistro, FAB Café and Tre Contemporary American Cuisine in Connecticut.

In 2012, Milanes returned to the District serving briefly as sous chef at Think Food Group’s Zaytinya before becoming chef de cuisine of Eatwell DC’s Logan Tavern and Grillfish in August.