With only 19 days til Christmas, there’s plenty of holiday events on tap to fill your weekend. If you aren’t out shopping, you can ring in the holiday season as Rosslyn lights up on Friday or Old Town at the Alexandria light up boat parade. There are plenty of bazaars to pick up a special Christmas present or sing along at one of the many holiday concerts.

Now through the holidays, Metro is curtailing weekend track work. This weekend, Red, Silver, Blue, Yellow, Green line trains will operate on a regular weekend schedule with trains every 12 minutes. The Orange Line will operate on a regular weekend schedule on Sunday. On Saturday, trains will run every 16 minutes instead of every 12 minutes.

Decorated boats sail in Alexandria Harbor last year. (Photo: R. Kennedy/ACVA)

Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights

The 15th annual Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights features live music and festive activities. Santa is scheduled to arrive on a fireboat around 4:15 p.m. in the water taxi slip near the Chart House restaurant. He will visit each floor of the Torpedo Factory to welcome guests. Throughout the evening the Torpedo Factory will offer free fresh-baked cookies and drinks, a choir singing and a gourmet hot chocolate bar. Yelp will host a hands-on activity making luminaries. At sundown, Alexandria’s harbor lights up as dozens of illuminated boats cruise the Potomac River at the historic waterfront, led by Alexandria’s fireboat Vigilant and Washington, D.C.’s fireboat John Glenn.The Waterskiing Santa will have a boat in the parade, to celebrate his upcoming show in Alexandria on Christmas Eve. The boats are dressed to impress a panel of judges who will award prizes in a dozen categories including Best in Show, Thinking Outside the Christmas Box and Hardiest Souls.

Dec. 6 from 4-9 p.m. at the Alexandria Marina, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria. Admission is FREE!

Rosslyn Holiday Market and Skyline Lighting Ceremony

Arlington buildings will light up tonight for the holidays. (Photo: Downtown Decorating)

Thirty-five vendors will be at the Rosslyn Holiday Market, which will showcase many local and renowned vendors who will be offering a variety of unique and high-quality gifts. It’s the one-stop shop for all your holiday needs. Find something for everyone from your boss to your pets and don’t forget yourself. As a special treat, at the close of Friday’s Market, there will be a ceremony for the lighting up of Rosslyn properties and the skyline. From 4:30-5:30 p.m. there will be a performance by Beltway Brass followed by remarks from 5:30-5:45 p.m. and the rooftop lighting at 5:45 p.m.

Dec. 5 and 6 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at 1500 wilson Blvd., Rosslyn. Admission is FREE!

Thip Khao grand opening

Thip Khao the new Laotian restaurant in Columbia Heights opens at 5 p.m. Friday. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

Thip Khao, chef Seng Luangrath’s Laotian restaurant finally opens in Columbia Heights after a few delays including an unexpected trip to Laos to visit her ill father. The D.C. offshoot of Bangkok Golden, the Thai and Laotian restaurant in a Falls Church strip mall, will focus exclusively on Laotian food. Though Thai and Laotian cuisine share many of the same ingredients — lemon grass, shrimp paste, galanga root — the main difference comes in the preparation. In Laos, cooking methods are less advanced, so there’s more stewing, steaming and grilling instead of wok cooking. Following the Vietnam War, Luangrath fled to refugee camps in the Laotian capitol of Vientiane with her family where she learned recipes from the northern and southern regions of Laos. Read our review.

Dec. 5 at 5 p.m. at 3462 14th St. NW. Thip Khao is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5-10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5-11 p.m.

Handel’s Messiah

The Washington National Cathedral’s choir sings Handel’s Messiah. (Photo: Washington National Cathedral)

The Washington National Cathedral’s Choir and Baroque Orchestra perform Handel’s Messiah nightly this weekend. The National Cathedral provides the perfect setting for some of the season’s most joyous music, performed by a team of international soloists with the Cathedral’s own combined choirs and Baroque orchestra. There is no better way to start off your holiday season. The concert includes all three parts of Messiah and runs just shy of three hours.

Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 6 and 7 at 4 p.m. at the Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are $25-$85 online or at the door.

Smithsonian Holiday Festival

Holiday events will be happening at all Smithsonian museums this weekend. (Photo: Smithsonian Institution)

Celebrate the season with the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian Holiday Festival will get you in the holiday spirit with musical performances, films, book signings, trunk shows, crafts for kids and more. Events include a family holiday photo beginning at 10 a.m. at the American History Museum, special holiday foods beginning at 10 a.m. at the American History Museum, freeze dried space food testing beginning at 11 a.m. at the Air and Space Museum and a holiday card workshop at 1 p.m. at the Postal Museum. Check the website for the whole schedule of events.

Dec. 6 and 7 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at various Smithsonian museums. Admission is FREE!

Swedish Christmas Bazaar

Swedish goods will be on sale at the House of Sweden Saturday. (Photo: SWEA)

Shop, eat, and win prizes at the Swedish Christmas Bazaar, the official Swedish Christmas celebration in Washington, D.C., hosted by SWEA Washington D.C., supported by the Swedish Embassy and House of Sweden. Experience Swedish Christmas traditions and enjoy excellent Swedish baked goods! Enjoy a café with home baked goods and Swedish sandwiches, raffle with great prizes including a round-trip ticket from Washington, D.C. to Stockholm, Santa Lucia Procession singing Swedish Christmas carols and Swedish arts and crafts; crystal, textiles, artwork, decorations and much more on sale.

Dec. 6 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at House of Sweden, 2900 K St. NW. Admission is FREE!

Jingle on Lake Anne holiday event

Santa arrive on a lake barge at Lake Anne Plaza. (Photo: Lake Anne Merchants)

Lake Anne Plaza invites people of all ages to head down to the lake for some warm merriment and holiday cheer as they host their annual family-friendly holiday event Jingle on Lake Anne. Community organizers and plaza retailers will host a variety of festive activities including a visit from Santa who will arrive at noon on a lake barge, strolling carolers, a petting zoo, music, wine tastings, merchant specials, children’s crafts, cookie & ornament decorating, holiday arts & crafts market, holiday entertainment and much more.

Dec. 6 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Lake Anne Plaza’s waterfront, 1609 Washington Plaza, Reston. Admission is FREE!

Holiday open house and Christkindlmarkt

The front parlor of the Heurich House Museum. (Photo: Heurich House Museum)

The Heurich House Museum welcomes the public to celebrate the winter season during its annual holiday open house and Christkindlmarkt. The museum will honor the Heurich family’s German heritage by recreating a traditional German public Christmas market in its garden. This holiday shopping event, Dupont Circle’s only holiday market, will feature goods from local artisans, including jewelers, ceramicists, chocolatiers, coffee roasters and makers of housewares, baby clothes and more. Visitors who enter the open house may stroll through the festively decorated historic mansion on a self-guided tour, enjoy the sounds of live holiday musical performances in the conservatory and bid on traditional Nutcrackers during a silent auction. The museum will be collecting new and gently used children’s books for a local children’s charity book drive and guests can create ornaments to adorn the museum’s holiday tree. Café Berlin will sell Glühwein, sausages, strudel and other authentic German treats.

Dec. 6 and 7 from noon-6 p.m. at the Heurich House Museum, 1307 Connecticut Ave. NW. Admission to the museum and Christkindlmarkt is $15 for adults and $5 for childen in advance or at the door. Tickets for the Christkindlmarkt only are $5 and will only be available at the door.

Holiday Sing-A-Long

Sing along with your favorite Christmas carols withl local choirs and the United States Marine Corps Band at Wolf Trap on Saturday. (Photo: Ginny Filer)

Once a year, Wolf Trap invites local choirs, the United States Marine Corps Band and you into the Filene Center for a free holiday sing-a-long. Bring a candle and your best ugly sweater and warm up your vocal cords for an evening of songs like Silent Night and Jingle Bells. Wolf Trap will accept donations to Toys for Tots before the event.

Dec. 6 starting at 4 p.m. at Wolf Trap, Filene Center, 1551 Wolf Trap Road, Vienna. Admission is FREE!
 
 

Rockin’ the Holiday

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington performs is rendition of Jingle Bells. (Photo: Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington)

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington brings their Christmas show Rockin’ the Holidays to U Street this year. Expect traditional and nontraditional takes on seasonal classics. The show features 220 singers performing signature holiday classics and new arrangements of seasonal favorites. Songs include Little Drummer Boy, Silent Night, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and Christmas (Baby Please Come Home). The concert will also include dancers, costumes, soloists and an appearance by Santa Claus.

Dec 6 at 8 p.m., Dec. 13 at 3 and 8 p.m., and Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. at the Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. Tickets are $25-$59.

Herndon Holiday Arts & Crafts Show

Shoppers check out holiday items at the Herndon Holiday Arts & Crafts Show. (Photo: Town of Herndon)

More than 80 artisans and craftspeople will exhibit and sell their work at the 36th Herndon Holiday Arts & Crafts Show sponsored by the Town of Herndon Department of Parks and Recreation. A variety of handcrafted items and fine art will be on sale including wreaths, quilts, jewelry, Christmas ornaments, decorations, original artwork, photography, stained glass and more.

Dec. 7 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Herndon Community Center, 814 Ferndale Ave., Herndon. Admission and parking are FREE!

Bendy Brunch participants practice yoga among art. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

Bendy Brunch

Release all your stress from the busy work week with this trifecta of art, yoga and brunch. At Bendy Brunch, hosted by Grip The Mat, you can explore yourr doshas while sipping mimosas and admiring the beautiful space at Blind Whino. Think of it as a mixed-level, sensory yoga class featuring art, yoga, food and drinks.

Dec. 7 at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at Blind Whino, 700 Delaware Ave. SW. Cost is $35 online or at the door.

Logan Circle Holiday House Tour

Tour Victorian homes decorated for the holidays in Logan Circle on Sunday. (Photo: logancircle.org)

The Logan Circle Community Association will host its 36th annual Logan Circle Holiday House Tour. The holiday house tour will take guests through some of Logan Circle’s most memorable and breathtaking interiors and will feature a variety of musicians and singers lending holiday cheer, as well as the always-warming and welcoming Wassail Reception at Studio Theatre. Guests will find block after block of 19th-century Victorian residences restored to their original grandeur amid soaring contemporary condominiums, together creating a community unlike any other in Washington, D.C.

Dec. 7 from 1-5 p.m. at Logan Circle. Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door. The starting point is the Studio Theater, 1501 14th St. NW at P Street).

Indie Arcade

The American Art Museum’s Kogod Courtyard is turned into a video arcade on Sunday. (Photo: Smithsonian American Art Museum)

The American Art Museum teams up with MAGFest and American University’s Game Lab to transform the Kogod Courtyard into an Indie Arcade complete with such classic games as Pac Man, Tron, Star Wars and Donkey Kong. There will also be indie games from local chapters of the International Game Developers Association and the chance to make games using the Hirshhorn Museum’s ArtLab+.

Dec. 7 from 1-7 p.m. at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Kogod Courtyard, Eight and G Streets NW. Admission is FREE!

A Collection of Funny True Holiday Stories

Story League, Washington D.C.’s home for funny stories, offers you Presents: A Collection of Funny True Holiday Stories about inappropriate gifts. Featuring Andy Christie, Robin Gelfenbien, Leslie Goshko, JiJi Lee, Adam Ruben, Jennifer Tress, D’Arcee Neal, Valentina Stackl and SM Shrake.

Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. at the Kennedy Center’s Theater Lab, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are FREE and will be available beginning at 5:15 p.m.

Winternational

Join the Ronald Reagan Builidng for its third annual Winternational celebration. Explore the different ways in which the world celebrates the winter season through food, culture, customs and traditions. The event will feature an international bazaar featuring 20 embassy exhibitors and artisans, a gingerbread cookie decorating station, complimentary cookies, hot cocoa and apple cider, a sampling of global bites and cultural performances. Participating embassies include Algeria, Azerbaijan, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Fiji, Guinea, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, League of Arab States, Nepal, Organization of American States, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Uruguay.

Dec. 10 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in the atrium of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Admission is FREE, but preregistration is required.

Diners will have to wait a bit longer to visit Thip Khao, the first Laotian restaurant in the District being opened by chef Seng Luangrath, who also owns Bangkok Golden in Falls Church. Although the restaurant hosted a soft opening last week by invitation only, the public debut for the restaurant at 3462 14th St. NW in Columbia Heights has been delayed until early December.

Thip Khao is set to open in Columbia Heights in early December. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

Luangrath is visiting her ill father in Laos before starting daily service in the space formerly occupied by Thaitanic II in the Allegro building. Luangrath fled Laos for a refugee camp in Thailand in 1981 amidst political turmoil lingering from the the Vietnam War. Stay tuned for an opening date.

Inside the 89-seat dining room, not much has changed except for the tables and some new artwork on the walls. In warmer weather, there will also be patio seating.

DC on Heels was invited to the soft opening. Let me preface this by saying this was my first Laotian food. Laos lies in the middle of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and China. I’ve been told that Laotian food is mainly influenced by southern Chinese and northern Thai cooking. While many of the ingredients are common, especially lemongrass, the food at Thip Khao was unlike either I had ever tasted.

Spice – hot, make-you-sweat spice – dominated many of the dishes my guest and I sampled. The meal started with complimentary board of hard boiled egg halves topped with a way-too-hot red pepper paste, pork rinds and dried seaweed topped with sesame seeds. I was braver than my guest and tried all three items, but most went back to the kitchen.

Appetizers (l to r) include Lao deviled eggs, seaweed and pork rinds; saioua pork sausage and chuenh peek gai chicken wings. (Photos: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

For appetizers, we orders saioua ($10), a pork sausage made with lemongrass, peanut and ginger and served with jaew mak len, a tomato-based dip, sort of a Laotian salsa; and the chuenh peek gai, crispy chicken wines in a house sauce. Both were good, and surprisingly, the wings weren’t that spicy. Appetizers ranged from $5-$12.

Pak nam crispy watercress salad with shrimp, cashews and mango. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

Soups and salads range from $7-$15. Surprisingly, the best dish of the night was the pak nam ($11), a crispy watercress salad with shrimp, shrimp, cashews, tamarind sauce, mango and green apple. The watercress was crispy as advertised and the sauce sweet. With the cashews, this was one crunchy bite after another.

Gai laab (left) minced chicken salad and knap pah grilled salmon wrapped in banana leaves. (Photos: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

For my entrée, I chose the classic gai laab ($11), a minced salad type dish with chicken, kaffir lime, leaves, toasted rice, shallots, garlic, green onion, cilantro and mint. The laab also comes in duck, pork, beef or tofu. While I like spicy food, this dish was way too hot and I had to send it back. After only three or four bites, my mouth was on fire. There’s no way I could have made it through the entire plate. Luckily, our server brought out a milder version that was much better. My guest had the knap pah ($14), grilled salmon wrapped in banana leaves with herbs, ginger and dill. It can also be served with Chilean sea bass. Entrees range from $9-$18.

Khao mao avocado sticky rice (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

The only dessert offered the night we visited – it wasn’t even listed on the menu — was khao mao ($5.95), avocado sticky rice, which was good, but not sweet and not what I’d consider a dessert. Also during our visit, Thip Khao had not alcoholic drinks, although it eventually will, and no soda. All the drinks such as Thai iced tea are sweet, so the only sugar-free option is D.C. tap water.

While thip khao is a sticky rice basket in Laos, there was no plain sticky rice on the menu – not even as a side dish. Prices were a bit high for the portion size, especially since the entrees came with no sides. I had expected a thip khao filled with sticky rice, since it is the main staple in Laos. Sticky rice is usually rolled into a ball and used to scoop up the other food, similar to the way injera bread is used in Ethiopian cuisine.

For a look at the entire soft opening menu, click here. Many of the menu items are vegetarian and gluten free, or can be made so. Hopefully, Chef Seng will make some adjustments prior to opening. For sure the menu needs to note the spice levels, especially when the ingredients don’t indicate how hot the dish will be. At the very bottom of the menu, way down below the undercooked meat warning, was a list of spice levels: phet noi (mild), phet lai (medium) and phet e’lee (Lao hot), but no indication which dishes fell into each category or an indication the diner was to specify the spiciness. If that is the case, the server should ask and the kitchen should not just assume phet e’lee.

When it opens, Thip Khao will be open from 5-10 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and 5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It will be closed on Tuesdays.

The second location of Chef Mike Isabella’s Graffiato at 123 W. Broad St. in downtown Richmond opens Wednesday, Sept. 10. The Italian-inspired restaurant is in a historic building that served as a furniture showroom as far back as 1909.

Graffiato Richmond opens in the former Popkin Tavern downtown on Wednesday. (Photo: Michael Thompson)

The interior of the historic Popkin Building has been updated with a wood-burning pizza and pizza bar. The design blends the industrial feel of Graffiato’s Chinatown location with the building’s unique historic features. The 6,700 square foot space will accommodate 210 seats, including 50 on the updated mezzanine and 12 at the new pizza bar.

“Richmond is such an exciting place to be right now. It’s an up and coming city with the makings to become a top-notch food scene,” said Isabella in a press release. “I’m thrilled to bring my take on Italian-American food to Richmond. Much like D.C., everyone from the farmers to our new restaurant and bar neighbors has been warm and welcoming. We can’t wait to open and become part of the restaurant community.”

Chef de cuisine is Matthew Robinett, formerly executive chef at Petit Louis Bistro and sous chef at Pazo Restaurant, both in Baltimore. The Richmond menu features many of the original restaurant’s best-selling small plates, like the sweet corn agnolotti, hand-cut spaghetti, roasted cauliflower and chicken with pepperoni sauce. There are also dishes unique to Richmond, including crispy artichoke with boquerones, capers and lemon; a dish of hearty eggplant caponata; and house-made cannelloni stuffed with shrimp and scallops. Dishes from the restaurant’s new wood-burning oven are featured prominently and include roasted vegetables and meats. The menu also reflects what is local and in-season from the Shenandoah Valley and regional farms.

Artisanal, hand-crafted pizzas are available including the Jersey Shore pie topped with fried calamari and cherry pepper aioli. New pizzas, available exclusively at the Richmond location, include the Clash of the Titans topped with clams, calamari, crab, tomato and arugula.

The beverage program features beer and Prosecco on tap and a wine list with both domestic and global selections, including varietals from Virginia. Taha Ismail, beverage director for all of Isabella’s restaurants, oversees the craft cocktail program. Offerings include originals the RVA Gin and Tonic, which mixes locally-crafted gin with strega and house-made tonic. Corporate wine director James Horn’s wine list includes a number of local bottles in its domestic offerings.

Travis Croxton, owner of Rappahannock Oyster Co., and Hilda Staples, partner in Graffiato D.C., have partnered with Isabella in Richmond. Graffiato Richamond’s bar will open at 4 p.m. daily with dinner service from 5-10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, 5-11 p.m. Thursday and 5 p.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday.

Del Campo throws a tiki party, cooking class

Del Campo South American grill, 777 I St. NW, is bringing back Del Campo at Dusk, a tiki party on the restaurant’s roof on Friday Sept. 12 from 6-9 p.m.

Del Campo (Photo: urbanscrawaldc)

Guests are encouraged to don their best island wear and enjoy panoramic city views while sipping tiki cocktails and sampling a menu of suckling pig, dumplings and spam musubi by chefs Victor Albisu from Del Campo, Scott Drewno from the Source by Wolfgang Puck and Jonah Kim formerly at Baltimore’s Pabu with drinks by Mary Kelly and Tom Brown.

Cost is $65 including tax and gratuity. Tickets must be purchased in advance online. The next Del Campo at Dusk will have a Day of the Dead theme with guest chef Michael Schlow of Tico on Oct. 31.

Beginning this Sunday, the restaurant is beginning a limited daily wine special, which will be posted on the Asado Bar chalkboard at 5 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday, which will be available throughout the restaurant. The special will present a handful of bottles of one of the restaurant’s best wines at deep discount, but when the bottles are gone, the special ends.

On Sept. 27 from noon-3 p.m., Albisu and Kim explore the parallels of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine with an East meets West cooking class. There will be cooking demonstrations and guests will receive recipes for ceviche, sushi, anticuchos and robatayaki. The class will be accompanied by lunch and beverage pairings. Cost is $98. Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant.

ThinkFoodGroup names Grant CEO, secures financing

Kimberly Grant, who joined José Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup in February as it chief operating officer, has been promoted to chief executive officer.

Kimberly Grant (Photo: ThinkFoodGroup)

The former president of Ruby Tuesday’s is replacing company co-founder Rob Wilder, who was named vice chairman of the company’s board of directors. Wilder will assume “a broader strategic role in helping shape the company’s future,” according to a press release. Andrés has been named executive chairman and will remain president as well, “retaining his current visionary and strategic role within the company and working closely with Grant to drive all aspects of its culinary crusade.”

The announcement comes as TFG announced a second round of financing from its investor group, which includes Fredrick Schaufeld and Todd Klein of SWaN & Legend Venture Partners, and Mike Klein, co-founder and chairman of CoStar Group. TFG did not disclose the amount.

The press release said the new funds would help the company expand into new markets and create a new brand, including a fast-casual concept the company said it hoped to launch in early 2015.

TFG did not provide any details about the fast-casual concept, but it did post ads on its website last month for a chef and brand manager for a fast-casual restaurant in D.C.

“The increased equity financing by our group of investors represents a very gratifying vote of confidence in our mission as a company, to literally change the world through the power of food,” Andrés said in the press release. “And in a very short time, Kimberly has proven to be a strong leader who will be an incredible asset in driving the company to new heights.”

Wilder said he and Andrés had identified Grant’s “vast experience and confident, thoughtful style as the perfect match for where TFG is heading.”

TFG currently operates some 20 full-service restaurants in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami and Puerto Rico, as well as the DMV including Jaléo in Penn Quarter, Bethesda and Crystal City; Oyamel, Zaytinya and Minibar in Penn Quarter; and America Eats Tavern, which opened in the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner in June. TFG opened Baraar Meats and Ku Noodle in the SLS Las Vegas Hotel and Casino last month and plans to open a Chinese-Peruvian restaurant called China Chilcano in Penn Quarter later this year.

Thaitanic II closes in Columbia Heights

Thaitanic II at 3462 14th St. NW in Columbia Heights closed on Aug. 31. The original Thaitanic is still open 1326A 14th St. NW in the Logan Circle neighborhood.

Thaitannic II has closed, a Laotain restaurant will replace it. (Photo: Popville>

The Columbia Heights restaurant will be replaced by Thip Khao, a Laotian restaurant by Chef Seng Luangrath, who owns Bangkok Golden in the Seven Corners Center of Falls Church.

Thip Khao translates to “sticky rice serving basket,” a staple on any Laotian table. Unlike Bangkok Golden, which features both Thai and Laotian cuisine, Thip Khao will focus more on food from Luangrath’s native Laos. Although it shares its western border with Thailand, Laos has developed its own style of cooking.

The traditional family-style menu will have about 30 items, including a variety of larb, a minced meat salad, and grilled items, plus some rotating specials. Fans of Bangkok Golden’s crispy rice salad will be happy to know it will also be served at the District locale. Luangrath is also interested in launching a brunch.

The restaurant will have a bar and house-made tropical sodas. The space will have about 90 seats plus an outdoor patio, which won’t debut until next year.

Tel’Veh in Mount Vernon Square to become Rudy’s Café

Tel’Veh wine bar, 401 Massachusetts Ave. NW, has had a rough two years. Going through three managers since it opened its doors in 2012.

Tel’Veh Wine Bar will reopen Monday as Rudy’s Cafe.(Photo” Otim-Williams)

Known for its wine list and bottomless brunch, Tel’Veh has struggled to stay above water. Although the summer fairly busy, the restaurant was affected by the lengthy construction along Massachusetts Avenue and their try new Turkish cuisine didn’t fare well with the new, younger residents in Mount Vernon.

Now, RuninDC reports Tel Veh will open on Monday as Rudy’s Café with the same ownership and Chef Kevin Taskesen, who will retool the menu to a more streamlined Mediterranean fare. Free tapas will be served to the first comers.

DGS Delicatessen plans Mosaic District restaurant

DGS Delicatessen, 1317 Connecticut Ave. NW, will open a second location in the Mosaic District in Merrifield, Va., according to the deli’s Facebook page.

DGS Delicatessen will open a second location in Merrifield’s Mosaic District. (Photo: Popville)

The new restaurant will open in the spring next to Brine, the recently announced restaurant from Rappahannock River Oysters co-owner Travis Croxton, according to Nick Wiseman, who co-owns DGS with his cousin, David Wiseman.

Unlike the original, where diners enter to the sight of the kitchen, visitors to the Mosaic location will find a 20-seat bar. The bar will have a vintage soda pull and an expanded list of sodas.

The 80-seat space is being designed by Edit Lab at StreetSense and will have more of a classic deli vibe with upholstered booths, black-and-white floor tiles and art deco lighting.

The traditional deli fare such as matzo ball soup, chopped chicken liver and pastrami sandwiches will be served, but dinner will be given greater emphasis. Among chef Brian Robinson’s new dishes will be chicken schnitzel with braised red cabbage and whipped potatoes and a grilled ribeye with latke tots.

The 1,000-foot basement kitchen at the Dupont Circle location, where the pastrami, pickles and smoked salmon are made, will produce the products for the new location, Wiseman said.

“We’ve put a lot into learning how to make this food and perfect these systems, and we have a production team that really knows what it’s doing,” he told Washingtonian magazine. “We felt like there was a lot of untapped potential here. We might as well tap the potential and keep going.”

A third DGS Delicatessen in Montgomery County may also be n the works, as customers have been lobbying for a while.