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.

J&G Steakhouse owned by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten at the W Hotel will close permanently on June 23. The hotel and Vongerichten’s Culinary Concepts Hospitality Group have ended their five-year contract.

J&G Steakhouse at the W Hotel downtown, which just remodeled last fall, will close permanently later this month. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

The restaurant closed last August and September last year to remodel and retool its menu.

Hotel officials have not revealed any details on the new concept, but said chef Richard Wiggins will replace Philippe Reininger and oversee all dining including the rooftop P.O.V Lounge and room service. Wiggins has worked with Starwood Hotels the past eight years, most recently at the Westin St. John Resort & Villas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Plans for the new eatery are to be announced in the coming weeks, with a late-summer opening.

Barry Koslow, the chef behind DGS Delicatessen since its opening at 1317 Connecticut Ave. NW, will leave the restaurant June 20 to helm the W Hotel’s new upscale eatery. Brian Robinson, a sous chef at DGS, will replace Kaslow there.

“It’s a very exciting opportunity for me,” says Koslow of the new spot, which he says is a fine-dining restaurant. “I’m returning to my roots.”

American Eats Tavern debuts at Tysons Ritz-Carlton

José Andrés’ America Eats Tavern, a recreation of his 2011 Penn Quarter pop-up, opened June 2 in the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner, 1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean. The space formerly housed Michel Richard’s Michel, which closed in 2012, and Maestro, an acclaimed restaurant from Fiola chef Fabio Trabbochi before that.

The new America Eats Tavern at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner. (Photo: R. Lopez)

The restaurant is an ode to American cuisine. It originally opened as a pop-up at 405 Eighth St. NW in the space that once housed Café Atlántico and Minibar in conjunction with the National Archives’ exhibit “What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam?”

The décor and menu both pay homage to America, Andrés’ adopted home. The restaurant is decorated with antique furniture pieces, classic American books, Mason jars and “We the People…” on the wall above the open kitchen.

Executive chef Nate Waugaman, formerly of Tallula, is serving up regional dishes such as chicken pot pie and she-crab soup using local ingredients.

The restaurant is serving breakfast, a first for Andrés in Washington. The morning menu includes classics with Andrés twist such as an egg-white omelet soufflé with asparagus and morels, johnny cakes, eggs a la benedick made with pork belly, waffles a la mode, shrimp n’ grits, maple glazed scrapple and house-made doughnuts with blackberry jelly. There’s also a Hangtown Fry – scrambled eggs, fried oysters and bacon — which according to the menu comes with notes on the food—scrambled eggs, fried oysters, caramelized onions and bacon—which according to the menu originated during the gold rush in 1849 in Hangtown, Calif., a rough mining town known for public hangings and gold strikes. When a prospector struck gold he celebrated by ordering this dish at the Carey House Restaurant.

The lunch and dinner menu includes Chesapeake soft-shell crabs, hushpuppies, Buffalo wings, chicken and dumplings, Virginia hams and peanut soup. Entrees include chicken pot pie, crawfish jambalaya for two, fried chicken with “cold slaw” and house-made hot sauce. Texas-style beef short ribs, blackened scallops and mutton with oysters.

The drink menu includes “locovore” cocktails, featuring local spirits and ingredients, such as the Peach Grove with bourbon, peach puree, lemon and demerara syrup; the Tractor Pull with bourbon, orange marmalade, maraschino, lemon and elderflower vinegar; the Counting Chickens Before They Hatch with white whiskey, strawberries, rhubarb and lime; and the Green Acres with vodka, cucumber, fennel, lime and grapefruit bitters. There are also classic cocktails, beer and wine by the bottle or glass.

American Eats Tavern is open daily from 6:30-11:30 a.m. for breakfast, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. for lunch and 4:30-10 p.m. for dinner.

Brookland’s Finest to open on June 9

Brookland’s Finest Bar & Kitchen, 3126 12th St. NE, will open Monday. The family friendly restaurant located in the Brookland section of northeast D.C. will serve American comfort food for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Brookland’s Finest will open on Monday. (Photo: Popville)

Owner Frank Hankins describes the restaurant’s look as rustic industrial with exposed beams and brick, plenty of natural light and concrete and metal accents.

Chef Shannan Troncoso will oversee a comfort food menu featuring soups, salads and small plates including a charcuterie board, bay shrimp and grits, Maryland crab cake sliders, oven roasted butter beans and Lardon bacon mac and cheese. Small plates range from $12-$15. Sides are $4-$5 and include crispy Brussels sprouts chips, pretzel bites, house cut fries, tempura onion rings and a spiced nut sampler.

Sandwiches, which range from $12-$14, include the Colonel burger with pickled onions, Tillamook cheddar, apple wood smoked bacon on a brioche bun with tempura onion rings; a Baltimore style pit beef sandwich with tiger sauce and pickled ramps on a brioche buns and hand cut fries; porchetta with roasted suckling pig, sausage and arugula, mozzarella with whole grain mustard sauce on Italian bread with hand cut chips; a fried green tomato “B”LT with braised portabella mushroom, spinach and sweet onion aioli on soda bread with hand cut fries; a blackened chicken club with apple wood smoked bacon and roma tomatoes with Dijon aioli on brioche bread and hand cut fries; and a turkey Panini with goat cheese, cucumber, sundried tomato spread and creamy vinaigrette with hand cut chips.

Entrees, which range from $16-$27, include a bone-in pork chop, oven roasted half chicken, seared salmon and grits, spaghetti and meatballs, a porcini rubbed rib eye steak, friend Maryland catfish and a seasonal pasta.

Brookland’s Finest will open at 7 a.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. on weekends.

Pinstripes to open second area location in MoCo

Pinstripes, the bowling and bocce bistro that opened in the Shops at Georgetown Park in February, will open a second location in the DMV in 2016.

Pinstripes, which opened in Georgetown in February, will open a second area location in North Bethesda in 2016. (Photo: Pinstripes)

The restaurant, which serves Italian and American cuisine and wines, and has bocce courts and bowling lanes, signed a least with with Federal Realty Investment Trust for Phase II of its new Pike & Rose mixed-use development in Montgomery County. Located at the intersection of Old Georgetown Road and Rockville Pike, Pinstripes will occupy 32,000 square feet of first and second floor indoor/outdoor space.

The Pike & Rose location will feature 14 bowling lanes, 10 indoor and outdoor bocce courts, a bistro and wine cellar, outdoor patios with a fireplace and event space that will hold 20 to 600 people.

“The energy and diversity of amenities and attractions at Pike & Rose perfectly complements our entertainment and dining venue which provides a completely unique customer experience,” stated Dale Schwartz, Pinstripes founder and CEO. “The development has successfully combined shopping, cultural, dining and entertainment uses that positions Pike & Rose as the gathering spot and center for nighttime activity in Montgomery County.”

Pinstripes will be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, and will soon be taking reservations for private events and parties.

Pike & Rose, currently under development in the North Bethesda area where the Mid-Pike Plaza formerly stood, will include 3.4 million square feet of mixed-use development including 1.1 million square feet of commercial office space; 430,000 square feet of retail space; 1,500 residential units; a boutique hotel and approximately 4,000 parking spaces. It is within walking distance to the White Flint Metro Station.

Phase I, scheduled to open this fall, will include an iPic Theatre, Del Frisco’s Grille, Protein Bar, Roti, ShopHouse, Chipolte, La Madeleine, Stella Barra Pizzeria and Summerhouse restaurants. Also, Strathmore will open its AMP music venue there. In mid-2015, Neighborhood Restaurant Group will open a beer garden on Muse Alley.

Dangerously Delicious Pies closes in Union Station

Dangerously Delicious Pies has closed its location in the Union Station food court, just two years after opening in the old Vacaro’s location.

Dangerously Delicious Pies in Union Station has closed. (Photo: Chris I./Yelp)

“We just closed last week as they begin renovations and begin replacing the escalator, which is currently shut down, that ran directly in from of our spot in the food court,” said owner Sandra Basanti. “There is some major construction going on in that wing. We had so many lovely regulars visit us that have reached out and we are sad to not be able to serve them every week, but we hope to be invited back to serve pies at Union Station perhaps after renovations or in a new spot.”

Dangerously Delicious Pies’ other two locations, the original DC location at 1339 H St. NE and their newest location at 901 7th St. NW, as well as its food truck are still open.

Home of $1,000 sundae closes

Serendipity 3, 3150 M St. NW, the Georgetown restaurant that offered the $1,000 Golden Opulence sundae has closed. Between a temporary closure due to health-code violations and a brawl between the owners, Serendipity has had a bumpy ride in Washington since opening in the former Nathan’s space in 2011.

Serendipity 3 in the old Nathan’s hot dog shop in Georgetown has closed because it owed almost $100,000 in back rent and utilities. (Photo: Google Maps)

The pricey sundae was made with a vanilla bean ice cream infused with Madagascar vanilla and covered in 23K edible gold leaf served in a baccarat Harcourt crystal goblet with an 18 carat gold. The restaurant also offered a $25,000 Frrrozen Haute Chocolote, made with a frozen hot chocolate mix that contains 14 rare and secret cocoas from Africa and South America and shavings from the world’s most expensive truffle served in a baccarat Harcourt crystal goblet with an 18 carat gold and white diamond bracelet attached to the neck.

According to court documents, the landlord, 3150 M Street LLC, filed a lawsuit in the Landlord and Tenant Branch of D.C. Superior Court seeking to evict the restaurant on March 12. The landlord sought base rent of $20,000 per month for February and March along with unpaid utilities, taxes, late fees and attorney fees totaling $98,921.54.

According to court records, operator 3150 M Street Restaurant Group LLC, owned by Rodrigo Garcia and Britt Swann, has been sued four other times since 2011 in small claims court including suits by ADT Security, Register Equipment Co. and Cannon Fish Market. All those have been closed. However a civil case filed by linen company ALSCO is seeking $8,480 for unpaid linen rentals and additional fees is still open.

“I am the owner of the Serendipity 3 brand and for nearly 60 years I have operated the New York Flagship restaurant,” said Serendipity 3 founder Stephen Bruce in a statement. “The Georgetown restaurant was not operated by me. It was operated through a license agreement with an entity named Dessert Concepts headed by Britt Swann and Rodrigo Garcia. I had grown increasingly displeased with the quality of food and service offered at the Georgetown location and rather than allow our good name to be tarnished, I made my concerns known. It appears that rather than meet my exacting standards, they chose to close their doors. As for any landlord tenant issues, neither I nor Serendipity 3 had any dealings regarding the space. The lease would presumably have been between the landlord and Dessert Concepts.”

Under Armour founder Kevin Plank recently bought the building as well as a luxurious home nearby. Rumors of a sports clothing store moving into Wisconsin Avenue and M Street NW have abounded since. We’ve reached out to the Under Armour team to find out more.

Rare Sweets moving into City Center DC

Meredith Tomason, owner of Rare Sweets (Photo: Washington Post)

RareSweets, a bakery by Meredith Tomason who produces her treats at Union Kitchen and sells them in area stores and coffee shops, is opening a bricks-and-mortar location at CityCenterDC this fall.

Rare Sweets will sell layer cakes, ice creams, cookies, brownies and breakfast hand-pies along with doughnuts. Most of the sweets are based on Tomason’s family recipes or on recipes from one of the many historic cookbooks she has collected over the years.

The shop will have seating for 10 along with patio seating in warm weather. It will join Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, an upscale steakhouse; DBGB Kitchen and Bar, a burger and bistro concept; and Mango Tree from chef Richard Sandoval and a European restaurant group. Famed New York chef David Chaing is negotiating to bring a Momofuku Noodle Bar location to the development as well.

Bayou Bakery to open location on Capitol Hill

Chef David Guas, who will host the Travel Channel show American Grilled starting in July, said he will open another location of his Arlington Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery at the historic Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital at Ninth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue SE this fall.

He historic carriage house at the Hill Center will be the next location for Bayou Bakery. (Photo: Hill Center)

It will be the first retail operation and restaurant to occupy the Carriage House, the two-story 1866 structure that housed the horse-drawn ambulance and medic team commissioned by Abraham Lincoln the year before his death. It was built adjacent to the oldest naval hospital in Washington, D.C. Now, it serves as a thriving arts, culture and education center.

Guas will serve his Southern cuisine including the muff-a-lotta, pressed cubano, GW stoneground grits, BBQ shrimp and red beans and rice. The D.C. menu will expand to include various seafood specials from a fried oyster and shrimp po-boy, known as the Peace Maker, to “chew dats” like baked oysters or thinly-sliced fried catfish and coleslaw.

The 19th-century interior of the Carriage House will retain many of its distinctive original accents such as the ceiling-high stable doors, stall partitions, wooden hay chutes, feed troughs, exposed brick walls and renewed wide-plank wood floors. The existing glass garden room on the eastside will be flooded with an abundance of sunlight through the framed, leaded floor-to-ceiling windows.