There’s a relatively new place to slurp oysters and drink cocktails at National Harbor. The Walrus Oyster & Ale House, 152 Waterfront St., Oxen Hill, opened last September in the former Ketchup space across the street from Rosa Mexicano with a seafood-heavy menu and drinks the size of a fishbowl.

The Walrus Oyster & Ale House is a seafood-centric restaurant in National Harbor inspired by the Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore. (Photo: Walrus Oyster & Ale House)

Owned by Star Restaurant Group (not to be confused with Stephen Starr’s group of restaurants), the 6,700-square foot, 150 seat restaurant is based on the Lewis Carroll poem The Walrus and the Carpenter. The light wood décor designed by Baltimore’s SM+P Architects is accented with beige banquettes, white chairs and black walls painted to look like blackboards with diagrams of boats and maps on them. Overhead doors lead out to the 75-seat deck in warm weather. There are also verses from the poem on the walls inside and outside.

The Walrus Oyster & Ale House has a beach theme with an outdoor deck. (Photos: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

The menu, designed by James Beard Award winner Bob Kinkead features Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore inspired dishes. There’s a shucking bar that offers 17 different varieties of oysters from the East and West Shores. Local oysters include Ugly Oysters from Barren Island, Sweet Jesus from St. Mary’s County and Chesapeake Gold from Hopper Island, all in Maryland, and Rappahanock from Topping, Chincoteague Salts from Chincoteague, Barcat from Rappahanock River and Stingray from James River, all in Virginia. A chef’s dozen of three different varieties are $30 and a platter with three oysters, three littleneck clams and three chilled shrimp is $18. If raw oysters aren’t your thing, you can order a basket of fried oysters (shrimp or scallops too) and fries for $18 or a basket of all three for $24.

The restaurant has seafood for every taste including New England clam chowder ($7), classic or curried P.E.I. mussels ($15), calamari ($14), peel and eat Old Bay shrimp ($17), harbor clams casino ($14), Buffalo stuffed oysters ($14) and Waterman Rockefeller ($14). Sandwiches, served with fries, include Walrus Po’ Boys – shrimp, oysters or scallops — on garlic French bread ($18), jumbo lump crab cake on a brioche bun ($18) and Maine style lobster roll ($24). Shore-inspired entrees include fish and chips ($20), pan seared Atlantic salmon ($22), blue crab stuffed Gulf shrimp with cheesy grits ($26), baked scallops ($26), Maryland jumbo lump crab cakes ($34), Maine lobster mac ‘n cheese ($24) and surf and turf with N.Y. strip and roasted Gulf shrimp ($32).

For those not into fin fare, there’s gumbo ($8), field green ($9) and wedge ($11) salads, the Walrus bacon cheeseburger ($14) and an ancho chile pulled chicken sandwich ($14). Non-seafood entrees include a half roasted chicken with garlic mashed potatoes ($20) and N.Y. strip steak with fries ($28).

Dishes at the Walrus Oyster & Ale House include deviled eggs (clockwise from top left), scallop po’ boy, fish and chips, and raw oysters. (Photos: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

There are also weekday specials. Monday is a Chesapeake crab boil with littleneck, blue crab, mussels, corn, Gulf shrimp and Andouille sausage. Other specials include Maine lobster pot pie on Tuesday, Applewood bacon wrapped sea scallops on Wednesday, spaghetti and seafood meatballs with blue crab cream on Thursday and spicy rock shrimp stew on Friday.

During a recent visit, we started with the deviled eggs, which were underwhelming. Four halves topped with slivers of deli sliced ham and chives were $7. The filling was bland with an odd taste aftertaste. Luckily, the entrees and drinks made up for it. We had the scallop po’ boy and fish and chips. Both were crispy, but not greasy, although the scallops were on the small side and a bit skimpy. The fresh, hand-cut fries were especially good. And the complimentary bread basket with warm popovers and cornbread was delicious.

Drinks include the 52-ounce “Walrus bowl” sangria (left) and the 20-ounce goblet of Harbor Hurricane punch.
(Photos: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

The drink menu, designed by Kris Carr, includes big and beachy drinks. Groups can order boozy punches made with fresh fruits in 52-ounce “Walrus bowl” for $22 or 20-ounce single serving goblets for $11. Punches include the Harbor Hurricane with Brugal Anejo rum, fresh-squeezed tangerine juice, passion fruit, cranberry cordial and fresh lime, and one that changes weekly. On our visit, the second was sangria made with strawberries and blueberries. Both were fruity and tasty, and would be good for sipping on the deck on a warm day watching the Capitol Wheel and the boats on the Potomac.

Other sips include blood orange mimosas, Baltimore Crushes with Finlandia tangerine or grapefruit vodka, fresh juice and club soda, the Raspberry Dark and Storm and a Spicy Bloody Maryland. There are also oyster shooters, beer cocktails, draft, canned and bottled craft beers as well as wine on tap and by the bottle.

The Walrus Ale and Oyster House is open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday through Friday,10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday. Brunch is served from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. weekends. Happy hour is from 3-6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Tysons Corner was a good location choice for the new Founding Farmers. Some big name chefs haven’t had as much luck out in the Virginia suburb, but Founding Farmers has found that not to be the case.

Founding Farmers Tysons made $300,000 a week in its first month. (Photo: Founding Farmers)

Richard, Michel Richard’s third area restaurant that opened in 2010 in the Ritz-Carlton and closed about two years later in space that previously was filled by Maestro by Fabio Trabocchi from 2001-2007. It is the same space at the Ritz where José Andrés America Eats Tavern opened last fall.

Fellow culinary names Bob Kinkead, who owned Colvin Run Tavern, and Jonathan Krinn, who operated Inox, have also tried and failed in Tysons Corner. Those before Richard had warned that “no one will want to fight the suburb’s notorious traffic.” Even Rainforest Café, which has locations across the U.S. including Disneyland, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney World and the Mall of America, as well as internationally in Tokyo, London, Paris, Dubai and Niagra Falls, couldn’t make in Tysons Corner Center and closed in 2007.

The list goes on and on: Bertucci’s Brick Oven Restaurant, Konami, Narita Japanese restaurant, Panache, Ega, Koi Asian Bistro, Vino Volo and on and on But those restaurants all tried to make a go of it before Metro’s Silver Line opened.

The trains bring the city dwellers out to shop at Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria and also take the suburban dwellers to their jobs in the city. Early last month, Founding Farmers opened its third and biggest location near Tysons Galleria where Krinn’s Inox had been. A restaurant spokeswoman said the restaurant is off to a roaring start with about a third of its diners trekking out from either D.C. or Maryland.

It seems as if the area is starved for a local homestyle, farm-to-table restaurant. Sales Feb. 5 through Mar. 6 averaged $250,000-$300,000 a week, according to spokeswoman Jennifer Motruk. More than 1,000 diners were served on opening day and the number of guests average 1,200 daily. With 280 seats inside, including the bar, that means the seats turned a little over 4.25 times per day. The average breakfast check was $14.40, lunch was $26 and dinner was $37.75, Motruk said.

More than 1,000 diners visited Founding Farmers Tysons on opening day, and guests have been averages 1,200 daily. (Photo: Founding Farmes)

Other numbers from Founding Farmers Tysons show more than 4,700 diners have bought the weekend buffet brunch, more than 3,000 have ordered the spicy fried chicken and Jefferson donut, the restaurant’s version of chicken and waffles making it the most popular entrée, more than 880 have ordered the Cucumber Delight cocktail and 87 percent of guests have ordered something from the bar, Motruk said.

“We estimate that approximately 65 percent of the guests that dine at Founding Farmers Tysons are locals from Fairfax County, in and around Tysons,” Motruk said. “Some portion of that number are guests that live elsewhere, but work in Tysons (like about 100,000 others), but we also know that there are only about 18,000 people that actually live in the 10-mile radius of Tysons Corner. The remaining 35 percent of guests are coming from Maryland or D.C., but there isn’t a true tracking system or documentation of that info – we’re recognizing previous guests from other restaurants and some guests are volunteering that information.”

From the Tysons Corner Metro platform, you can see the building that houses Founding Farmers (top right) as well as PriceWaterhouse Coopers and HSBC bank. (Photo: The Tysons Corner)

The restaurant doesn’t track how diners get to the restaurant, but Motruk believes many come from Metro along with much of the staff.

“We believe that we were in the right place at the right time, primarily because of the Silver Line. The central Tysons Corner station just one block from our restaurant has made it that much easier for our staff and employees to get to work in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Many of the servers, front of house staff, kitchen staff and some managers use the metro to get to Founding Farmers Tysons,” she said.

“We’re not as solid on the Metro being a means for our primary guest/target demographic to get to the restaurant, however. We know that the Reston station out West on the Silver Line is the busiest on that line in Virginia, so the logic is that the people that use the line from that station are headed right downtown, bypassing the Tysons stop,” Motruk said. “But, we do see a LOT of people walking past our restaurant, coming from the Metro, so by further deduction some small percentage of those guests would eventually be in our restaurant. If nothing else, it’s a great landmark for us to use to direct guests to the restaurant.”

Capitol Hill will soon have a new destination for classic American cocktails and cuisine, with the early 2015 opening of Stanton & Greene at 319 Pennsylvania Ave. SE in the former Pour House space. It is owned by partners Eli Hengst and Jared Rager of Sonoma and August Paro of Beuchert’s Saloon. The new restaurant could open as early as the end of this month.

Stanton & Greene will open in the former Pour House space early this year. (Photo: Popville)

The three story, the 180-seat Stanton & Greene will evoke the feeling of the city’s bars of the early- to mid- 20th century. The ground floor is home to a traditional American bar and brasserie with period details: a classic thick-edged marble bar top, handmade brass sconces, a custom-milled oak bar rail, hand-stitched cognac leather booths, the original tin ceiling pattern, honed tobacco-colored floor tile and vintage crackled porcelain wall tiles. The bar and restaurant will be open seven days a week for lunch, dinner, brunch and drinks.

A restored oak staircase leads to the second floor with 16-foot ceilings with original skylights, an Art-Deco bar hand hewn from American ash and three huge windows overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue. The second floor bar and lounge will be open to the public and also available for private events. Like its downstairs counterpart, the upstairs bar will offer a classic cocktail menu and draft local craft beers.

The restaurant is named after Capitol Hill’s Stanton Park and the statue of Revolutionary War General Nathaniel Greene, which sits in the park.

The focus of Stanton & Greene is cocktails and a carefully-curated classic cocktails, although seasonal and artisanal specials will be available. Its spirits program will have a distinctly American imprint featuring an expansive selection of local, regional and national distilleries balanced between gins, whiskies, vodkas and other craft spirits.

Mixologist Erik Holzherr, proprietor of both Wisdom and Church & State, designed the cocktail program and has partnered with Stanton & Greene to develop a selection of early to mid-20th century classics, along with a signature cocktail menu. The bar will also offer a small selection of American and Old World wine selections and highlight the best local and East Coast wineries, as well as local draft and bottled beers from breweries like DC Brau, 3 Stars and Port City.

The restaurant menu, developed by executive chef Josh Hutter and chef de cuisine Damian Brown, will offer American classics updated to reflect a commitment to local and naturally-raised ingredients.

Z-Burger Mobile food truck to launch Jan. 20

Z-Burger’s Peter Tabibian plans to launch the Z-Burger Mobile food truck on Jan. 20. The truck will serve the brick and mortar locations’ regular and vegetarian burgers, hot dogs and 14 different flavors of hand-spun milkshake. However, the fries and onion rings will be missing from the menu.

The Z-Burger Mobile will take to the street Jan. 20. (Photo: Peter Tabibian)

The Z-Burger mobile plans to hit the streets in D.C. neighborhoods and around Montgomery County, eventually targeting areas with heavy night life traffic in the evenings. Customers will be able to pinpoint the truck’s location via Z-Burger’s Twitter accounts @zburger and @zburgermobile.

To celebrate the truck’s launch, it will offer groups supporting the Martin Luther King Jr. Service Day on Jan. 19 by serving lunch to a group of volunteers on-site of a community service project in D.C. Interested groups and organizations are urged to request the new truck to feed their team by sending an email to [email protected]. Entries should include the type of project, location, number of participants and timeframe. One group will be served lunch with a choice of burger or hot dog with a side of Z-Burger’s new signature potato chips and a drink. Entries are required by Jan. 14.

Tabibian, who opened the first Z-Burger in 2008 in Tenleytown, is in the process of suing his business partners, Mohammad and Ebrahim Esfahani, over ownership and trademark infringement. Tabibian claims the brothers never paid him his share of the profits. Tabibian claims in his lawsuit that Mohammad Esfahani has essentially locked him out of the businesses, “informing Z-Burger employees, suppliers, accountants and agents that Tabibian was no longer involved with Z-Burger.”

His partners have counter-sued him, claiming he was never an owner of the burger chain, but a manager. They also claim he trademarked the logo without their knowledge or permission.

Tabibian doesn’t expect that case to affect the operations of the truck, though he also is optimistic about the case’s outcome.

Mio Restaurant adds Chef’s Counter Tasting Experience

Mio Restaurant, 1110 Vermont Ave. NW, began a new Chef’s Counter Tasting Experience last Wednesday. Two guests per seating will be treated to sitting at the elevated chef’s counter looking into the working kitchen so they can interact with executive Roberto Hernandez as he prepares a nine-course, prix fixe tasting menu for them.

chef Roberto Hernandez prepares a nine-course tasting menu at the new chef’s counter. (Photo: Mio)

The tasting portions will showcase the best of Puerto Rican cuisine. Two seatings are available every Wednesday through Saturday at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

The prix fixe tasting menu is $95 per person or $135 per person with four suggested cocktail, beer or wine pairings. Dietary restrictions must be announced when booking a reservation and a vegetarian menu is available upon request.

Isabella to open Kapnos Kouzina in Bethesda

Chef and restaurateur Mike Isabella announced plans this week to open a new Greek restaurant in the 5,200 square-foot space at 4900 Hampden Lane, Bethesda, in the Bethesda Row development. Kapnos Kouzina, set to open in summer 2015, is a sister restaurant to Kapnos, his Northern Greek-inspired eatery, which opened in D.C. in July 2013, and the forthcoming Kapnos Taverna, set to open in Arlington later this month.

“We’ve had our eye on Bethesda for a long time,” Isabella said in a press release. “When we began preparations to move into Virginia, we knew Maryland couldn’t be far behind. We are so excited about the spot in Bethesda, we see a real opportunity to build something that the neighborhood has been lacking: casual, chef-driven dining that is as good for after-work get-togethers as it is for special occasions. Those familiar with the original Kapnos are going to find something different in Bethesda, it’s a little more casual, a little more traditional and a little more neighborhood-y.”

While Kapnos draws inspiration from inland Greek flavors, and Kapnos Taverna will focus on coastal and island cuisines, Kapnos Kouzina will serve a homestyle take on regional Greek cooking that is more traditional and classic than its sister restaurants. Kapnos executive chef/partner George Pagonis will draw heavily from his experience growing up in a big Greek family and working at his father’s Greek diner in Alexandria to build a menu of comforting Greek classics.

While still a small plates concept like its sister restaurants, Kapnos Kouzina will also feature a section of large-format platters meant to be shared by two to four guests. Signature dishes will include Greek spiced crispy chicken with attiki honey; braised lamb top round served with lentils, eggplant, tomato and harissa; and whole roasted branzino in a spicy clam broth with tomatoes, peppers and pearl onions. The Kapnos Kouzina menu will also include some signature dishes from the original Kapnos, notably the stone bread and Greek spreads. Unlike the original, the Bethesda location plans to open for weekday lunch.

Kapnos Kouzina will boast an expansive bar program, similar to the original with cocktails on tap and a large wine list highlighting a diverse selection of new and old world wines with a particular focus on the wines of Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean.

The décor will be washed in deep, earthy tones with natural wood and olive green and grey accents. Natalie Park Design Studio and Eimer Designs are behind the interior design, which features approximately 160 seats, including a 14-seat communal table, a 31-seat bar and chef-counter seating for 12, and an additional 94-seat patio.

Zengo debuts Test Kitchen: Mexico to Korea

Zengo, the Latin-Asian inspired restaurant at 781 7th St. NW, has introduced its next “Test Kitchen” series. Every few months owner Richard Sandoval and his culinary team research and develop new recipes featuring the cuisine and spirits of one Latin and one Asian country. The result is a special menu featuring small plates and cocktails that feature some of the bold flavors and techniques from each region.

Achiote mahi mahi tostadas from Zengo’s Test Kitchen: Mexico to Korea menu. (Photo: Zengo)

From Monday through Mar. 31, chef de cuisine Jason Streiff is preparing Test Kitchen: Mexico to Korea with dishes inspired by a recent trip by the culinary team to Guadalajara. The specials are offered during dinner service beginning at 5 p.m. Menu items are marked with the “TK” symbol on the menu, noting that they are exclusive and available for a limited time.

The menu for this Test Kitchen will feature four dishes including achiote mahi mahi tostadas with chile morita salsa, black bean puree, avocado, pickled onion and cabbage slaw; Roseda Farms beef cheek albóndigas, Mexican-style spicy meatballs, chipotle tomato sauce and cotija cheese, served with a warm baguette; kimchi and tofu soup with pozole, cabbage, guajillo broth and tortilla strips; and spicy Korean-style Rhode Island squid with rice cakes, dried shitake mushrooms, scallions, gochujang and sesame. Item range from $8-$14.

To complement the dishes, Rob Day, Richard Sandoval Restaurant’s national beverage director, is crafting new cocktails, priced at $13 each, with the flavorful fruits, spices and spirits of Mexico and Korea. The special cocktails are the watermelon soju margarita with Agavales Tequila Reposado, Korean charm soju, watermelon juice, sour mix and serrano pepper, and the Dimelo with Korean Jinro 24 soju, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, Patron citrónge, thyme simple and grapefruit juice.

Blue Duck Tavern Lounge introduces warm raclette

The Blue Duck Tavern Lounge in the Park Hyatt Washington at 24th and M Streets NW, is serving an artisanal Vermont raclette cheese starting at 6 p.m. nightly at the marble cheese display table.

Raclette is indigenous to parts of Switzerland and is a semi-firm cow’s milk cheese. The raclette will be heated table side and served with traditional warm sour dough bread and house made pickles. It is priced at $18 per serving and perfect for two people to share.

Blue Duck’s cheese specialist Sophie Slesinger will be on hand to answer questions about the raclette and other winter cheeses and charcuterie, which are sold by the ounce and served with house-made seasonal chutney and jams.

To pair with the cheese, the lounge is featuring a Wimmer-Czerny, Gruner Vetliner, Wagram, Austria 2012 priced at $15 per glass and $60 per bottle.

Daikaya offers whiskey “bottle keep” program

Daikaya, the izakaya and ramen shop at 705 Sixth St. NW, has launched a Japanese whiskey “bottle keep” program. Bottle keep is a common practice in Japan where customers can buy a bottle at a discounted price, and the bar will keep it for three to six months.

Nikka from The Barrel Japanese whiskey. (Photo: Daikaya/Facebook)

At Daikaya, diners wishing to purchase a bottle of Japanese whiskey to enjoy at their leisure in the restaurant can choose from six to 12 rotating selections each month with prices ranging from $160 for a Nikka Taketsuru 12 year-old whiskey to $600 for the Suntory Yamazaki 18 year-old whiskey. Most of the bottles are 750 ml, which provides 12 two-ounce pours.

Patrons will buy a bottle and Daikaya will label it with a display tag containing the owner’s name written in both English and Japanese with the date of purchase. Information will also be kept on a master list for cross reference, and Daikaya will keep the bottle for up to six months from the date of purchase, stored behind the bar on display shelves. The owner will need to present ID to be able to access his or her bottle on return trips to the restaurant.

Anyone purchasing a bottle during February will get a free raffle ticket with every purchase of a 40 ml pour of the “Nikka from The Barrel” priced at $35. One winner from the drawing held on Saturday, Feb. 28, will receive a prize bottle of Nikka Taketsuru 21 year-old whiskey, valued at $410, for the bottle keep shelf at Daikaya.

Japanese whisky tends to fall, stylistically, somewhere between Lowland and Speyside malts, typically having characteristics of being floral with light peat and delicate smoke. Because of the diversity in climate in the northern part of Japan, there tends to be more interaction with the wood through the aging process, setting Japanese Whisky further apart from American or Irish whiskeys.

Will Artley takes over kitchen at BLT Steak

BLT Steak, 1625 I St. NW, has named Will Artley its new executive chef.

Will Artley is the new executive chef at BLT Steak. (Photo: Evening Star Cafe)

Artley’s blackboard menu will emphasize his healthful lifestyle, accenting the BLT Steak menu with more health-conscious vegetable-based options. New dishes could include a grilled mushroom fricassee with sunflower root and cauliflower or a roasted monkfish with eggplant BBQ and carrot caramel. Artley will also add more high-end A5 Wagyu and other premium cuts.

He attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and staged at restaurants such as Aquavit in New York City under chef Marcus Samuelsson and worked under chef Seth Bixby Daugherty at his renowned D’Amico Cucina Minneapolis. After graduation, he joined chef Bob Kinkead at the newly opened Colvin Run Tavern in Tysons Corner and cooked at restaurants such as Butterfield 9, Indebleu and Kinkead’s.

He then moved to the Evening Star Café, where he won several awards, which included being invited to serve as guest chef at the White House, and showcased his locally-sourced, refined American comfort food. Artley oversaw Evening Star for almost six years, before he was tapped to head the kitchen at Pizzeria Orso, where he became certified by the VPN and the Italian government as a Master Pizziaolo.

John Melfi replaces Tony Conte at Oval Room

John Melfi was recently named executive chef of the newly renovated The Oval Room, 800 Connecticut Ave. NW. Melfi brings 12 years of experience to his new position having previously worked at restaurants in Washington, D.C. and Charleston, S.C.

John Melfi is the new executive chef at The Oval Room. (Photo: Blue Duck Tavern)

Conte was executive chef at the eatery for nine years. He left to open Pizzeria Inferno in North Potomac, Md., which is expected to open in March and feature a Neopolitan cuisine as well as small plates similar to what he created at The Oval Room. Last summer, The Oval Room underwent a $1 million renovation.

Prior to joining The Oval Room, Melfi was the opening executive chef of Fiola Mare under Fabio Trabocchi. Prior to that, Melfi served as chef de cuisine for 2.5 years at Blue Duck Tavern. Previously, he worked as executive sous chef at Vidalia from April 2008-May 2011.

Before moving to D.C., Melfi lived in Charleston, where he served as sous chef at Slightly North of Broad, a low country bistro. His culinary career also includes working as executive chef of Charleston’s Island House Restaurant. He also spent time in Naples, Fla. cooking at the Hideout Country Club, Audubon Country Club and Quail Creek Country Club.

Melfi graduated from the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute in February 2002, earning top honors as class salutatorian. Melfi lives with his family in Arlington.

Campono casual Italian eatery opened Friday in the Watergate at 600 New Hampshire Ave. NW. The new restaurant near the Kennedy Center is owned by longtime D.C. chef Bob Kinkead.

The interior of Campono features wood on the walls, tables and stacked along the walls to fire the pizza oven. (Photo: Campono)

The restaurant in the former Cup’a Cup’a space is named for the village in Italy’s Marche region where Kinkead has family. The menu features Neapolitan rosso and bianco (red and white) pizzas, hot and cold subs, salads, breakfast, coffee and house-made gelatos and sorbeti.

The traditional, whole wheat and gluten-free pizzas are baked in an 800-degree wood-burning oven and cost $9-$18 for the red and $12-20 for the white specialty pizzas such as the Abbruzzo with tomato sauce, Italian sausage, broccoli rabe, mozzarella and olives or the white Sicilia Bocci with sautéed cauliflower, leek cream, raising, pine nuts, garlic bufala mozzarella and parmesan. Diners can also top their own one-topping pizza for $12 (small) or $16 (large). Additional toppings cost extra.

Among the subs are the cold Lazzio with capacola, salami, mortadella, ham and provolone or the hot Stacoto with beef brisket, onion agrodolce, spicy slaw and horseradish sauce. Sandwiches range from $8.50-$10.

The breakfast menu includes breads, pastries, yogurts, fruits, breakfast sandwiches, quiches and breakfast pizzas such as the bacon and egg pizze, a white pizza with smoked bacon, sliced tomato, sautéed onion and sunnyside up eggs; the carbonara pizze with sliced pancetta, four cheese, cream, black pepper and eggs; or the fig and gorgonzola pizze with roasted red onion, fig conserva, walnuts, gorgonzola dolce, prosciutto and saba.

The 55-seat restaurant is beside Kinkead’s Ancora restaurant, which is currently closed for renovations. Everything on the menu can be ordered to-go. It is open from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.

Hank’s Oyster Bar in Dupont starts daily lunch on Tuesday

Hank’s Oyster Bar at 1624 Q St. NW in Dupont will begin serving lunch between 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays beginning Apr. 1, the restaurant tweeted on Friday. The Dupont location along with its sister restaurants on Capitol Hill and in Old Town Alexandria serve lunch only on Fridays now.

With the expanded lunch hours, the Dupont location will expand its mid-day menu to include sandwiches such as grilled cheese with tomato jam, a beer-battered cod sandwich with tartar sauce and Old Bay French fries, oyster and shrimp po’ boys and small plates plus steamed mussels, oysters on the half shell or a veggie-plate.

Also, Hank’s Dupont will host its 7th annual oyster fest with all-you-can-eat fresh oysters on the half shell, fried oysters, barbequed oysters, popcorn shrimp, Old Bay fries and onion rings plus all-you-can-drink premium draft beers for $80 on Apr. 26 beginning at 11 a.m.

Mission Mexican restaurant opens in Dupont

Mission Mexican restaurant, owned by Reed Landry and Fritz Brogan of Georgetown’s George and Mason Inn, opened Tuesday at 1606 20th St. NW in Dupont Circle, the former One Lounge location.

Mission Mexican recently opened in Dupont. (Photo: Mission)

The menu from chef Rodrigo Albarran, who owns R&R Taqueria in Elkridge and Perry Hall, Md. that he’ll continue to operate, includes traditional Mexican cuisine such as fajitas and chicken, beef and pork tacos like at R&R along with specialty tacos such as mahi mahi, chipotle shrimp, chorizo, picadillo, pablano peppers and potatoes, and pork belly. Tacos and fajitas range from $11-$15. There’s also tilapia baked in a banana leaf, cactus sopes, whole clam soup, mole chicken, steak with chorizo and ribs with a spicy barbeque sauce. Entrees range from $13-$18. The menu also includes a chorizo burger, a caliente burger with ghost peppers and pepper jack cheese, and Cubana burger with egg, ham, a beef hot dog, pineapple and cheese. Burgers range from $11-$14. Sides include grilled jalepenos and nopales cactus, black beans, refried beans, sweet plantains and waffle fries. The bar has almost 50 types of tequilas and mezcals as well as margaritas and has eight beers, including Mexican varieties, on tap.

The restaurant has a wooden, 23-seat bar lined with electrical outlets to charge your phone downstairs plus a marble-topped bar upstairs, three dining rooms and a 35-seat outdoor patio for warmer weather. There is also a loft space with its own bar. Mission is decorated with longhorn horns, stained glass, a fake fireplace and reclaimed church pews with wood, exposed brick, brown leather and exposed lightbulbs. There is also a phone booth on the second floor with a phone that doesn’t work, but outlets to charge your phone and make calls.

Mission opens at 5 p.m. daily for lunch, but will add lunch and brunch in the spring.

Cheesetique looking for third location

Cheesetique, the specialty cheese shop with a wine shop and restaurant in Del Rey and Shirlington, is looking for a location to open a third shop.

Cheesetique asked its Facebook friends on Friday to suggest possible locations.

“Welcome, cheese fans! It is with tremendous excitement that we announce the hunt for Cheesetique #3! We don’t know exactly where. We don’t know exactly when. But we do know exactly WHY – because we love cheese and we love the people who love cheese!” they company said on a new https://www.facebook.com/Cheesetique3 Facebook page.

“Got a great location we just MUST consider? Let us know here! As we go through the process, we’ll post lots of updates so you’ll feel like you’re right there with us – through location scouting, permit bliss, build-out heaven and the final big opening.”

So far, fans have suggested Kingstowne, Merrifield/Mosaic, Ashburn, Old Town, Richmond, Union Market, Logan Circle and in NW D.C. where Cowgirl Creamery was.

Vinoteca opens patio and backyard bar

Vinoteca at 1940 11th St. NW has opened its front patio and backyard Plaza Bar. Al fresco diners can enjoy an expanded new grill menu of housemade hot dogs, burgers and other grilled snacks, sip new spring cocktails, play a round of bocce or enjoy a brunch in the sun.

Vinoteca’s Plaza has opened for the spring. (Photo: Vinoteca)

Equipped with a full outdoor grill, chef Lonnie Zoeller has amped up his grill offerings with an expanded menu of housemade hot dogs and burgers just for the spring season. Zoeller began making his own hot dogs last year and has added several new varieties including the Who Dat Doggy, a boudin pork dog with grilled red onions and remoulade, and the Barbie Dog, chicken dog with BBQ, cheddar and apple. These join the classic Plaza Dog topped with ketchup, mustard and relish, the Frankfurter topped with homemade sauerkraut and caraway mustard, and a spiced-up veggie dog. All hot dogs are $7 with $1 off during happy hour..

Burger lovers now have three juicy, grilled-to-order choices: the O.G. Bocce, a local beef burger topped with basil aioli, fresh mozzarella, grilled red onions, lettuce and tomato; the Holy Mother of Pork topped with fig and bacon jam, gruyere and frisee; or the Ciao Fungo, a portobella mushroom burger topped with roasted red pepper, feta and arugula. The O.G. Bocce and Holy Mother of Pork burgers are $9 ($8 at happy hour), and the Ciao Fungo is $7 ($6 at happy hour).

Other grilled snacks include beef skewers with chimichurri, onions and queso fresco; chicken skewers with honey, lime, garlic and cashews; and grilled cauliflower with Asiago cheese and chives.

Mixologist Horus Alvarez has created a new spring cocktail menu to enjoy on the Plaza, starting Apr. 1. Vinoteca’s take on a Caipirinha, the Pra Caramba! ($11) combines Velho Cachaça, grilled mango juice, fresh lime and sugar garnished with a fresh mint sprig; Green Excitement ($11) is a gin and tonic creation combining Green Hat gin, cucumber-mint-jalapeño water, orange bitters and tonic water; and the Sidecar’s Sidekick ($12) was inspired by the classic Prohibition cocktail made with Paul Beau 6yr Cognac, Combier orange liqueur, Pür Pear Williams Liqueur, fresh lemon juice, sugar and orange zest.

Rammy Awards voting now open

Voting in the four public voted categories of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington’s annual Rammy Awards is now open. The public can vote through Apr. 27. Winners will be announced at the 32nd annual awards gala on June 22 at the Washington Convention Center.

This year, the public will decide the winners of the Favorite Gathering Place of the Year category, awarded to a neighborhood hangout where the atmosphere and vibes are just as important as the food and drink. The nominees are Bar Pilar, Bistro du Coin, Cashion’s Eat Place, Hank’s Oyster Bar in Dupont and Tune Inn.

The public will also decide the Favorite Fast Bites award given to a fast-casual restaurant that demonstrates a dedication to great food and superb service. The finalists are Amsterdam Falafelshop, Bayou Bakery, Buzz Bakery, Red Apron Butcher and Woodward Takeout Food.

Also, the public will choose the winners of the Upscale Casual Brunch and Everyday Casual Brunch winners, presented to restaurants that demonstrate dining excellence and service for their brunches, one in the upscale environment and the other in a more casual, everyday environment. Nominees for the upscale brunch are Art and Soul, Blue Duck Tavern, Mintwood Place, The Source by Wolfgang Puck and Vermilion. Finalists in the casual brunch category are DGS Delicatessen, Et Voila!, Pearl Dive Oyster Palace, Pizzeria Orso and Ted’s Bulletin on Barracks Row.

Each weekend through Apr. 13, any diner who tweets a picture of brunch using @RammyAwards or #RAMMYSBrunch will be entered to win a pair of tickets to the 2014 Rammys Gala. The winner will be announced the week of Apr. 28.

You can cast your votes at ramw.org.

Republic Kitchen and Bar open in Ballston

Republic Kitchen and Bar, a “modern comfort food” restaurant, has opened at 801 N. Quincy St. in Ballston in the space formerly occupied by Leek American Bistro, which closed in November, and Thai Terrace before that.

Republic Kitchen and Bar has opened in Ballston. (Photo: ARLnow)

Republic had a soft opening last week serving dinner beginning at 4:30 p.m. and will open for lunch as well beginning this coming week.

The restaurant is making everything, except French fries, from scratch daily, general manager and owner Anthony Catselides told Arlnow.com. “We’re serving high-quality good at a medium price point” he said. No entrée is priced over $20 and most cost less than $15.

Owner and executive chef is Alan Newton, formerly of McCormick and Schmick includes hints of international, Asian fusion and Southern cooking in the menu.

America Eats Tavern to open in Tysons Ritz

Jose Andrés newest 150-seat restaurant, America Eats Tavern will tentatively open in late May at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner, 1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean. Chef Nate Waugaman, formerly of Tallula and EatBar in Arlington, will lead the kitchen.

Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup originally launched the concept in 2011 as a pop-up in the former Café Atlantico.

Waugaman, who joined ThinkFoodGroup after leaving Neighborhood Restaurant Group late last fall, has been working with the company’s research and development team creating a menu designed to be friendly to upscale hotel diners.

A menu with appetizer, entree and dessert sections will replace the free-flowing menu from the pop-up, but many of the most popular dishes, like vermicelli prepared like pudding (ie pioneering mac ‘n cheese), Hangtown fry oyster and bacon omelet, and oysters Rockefeller will still be on it. Burgers, hot dogs and po’ boys will likely join them. The restaurant will be the first of Andrés’ eateries to serve weekday breakfast in the DMV, although locations outside our area do serve the morning meal.

Work is ongoing to transform the space, which formerly was Michel Richard’s short-lived Michel from October 2010-February 2012 and Fabio Trabocchi’s Maestro before that. Vincent Celano of the Celano Design Group is overseeing the new look. A large bar will greet diners and the space will be open and light with wood floors and exposed brick.

Drink the Vote at The Coupe in City Primary

While many D.C. residents are tempted to hit the bottle when it comes to city politics, The Coupe at 3415 11th St. NW in Columbia Heights is taking a “straw poll” in the city’s primary election this Tuesday.

Now through midnight on Apr. 1, customers can order their favorite candidate’s drink to cast a vote. The restaurant has also invited each candidate to put campaign materials on display at the restaurant.

“We see one of the main roles of The Coupe to be a community gathering place, a place for our guests to engage with not only our restaurant community but with the DC community at large,” general manager Maxwell Hessman said in a release. “There’s been a lot of talk about many D.C. residents not being engaged or informed about local politics during this primary election; we see this as our opportunity to help get some information out to voters and also have some fun with it.”

The Cocktails & Candidates menu from The Coupe. (Photo: The Coupe)

The Coupe says the “pairings of cocktails to candidates is totally random and no reflection on them or what we think they might drink.”

The candidates and their cocktails are:

• Carlos Allen (D), musician and promoter — Bas Bulles with Armagnac and Benedictine
• Muriel Bowser (D), Ward 4 councilwoman – Harvard with Gilles Brisson VSOP cognac, Dolin rouge and angostura bitters
• David Catania (I), at-large councilman – Reviver Royal with gin, yellow chartreuse and Pierre Ferrand dry curacao
• Jack Evans (D), Ward 2 councilman – Byrvardier with High West double rye, byrrh and aperol
• Vincent Gray (D), incumbent mayor — French Bikini with Rhum agricole blanc, coconut cream, life and hibiscus syrup
• Reta Jo Lewis (D), State Department official — Pomme d’Or with calvados, Dolin dry, yellow chartreuse and thyme
• Bruce Majors (Lib), real estate agent – Suzette with suze, brown butter French gin, Liquor 43, dry curacao and lemon
• Vincent Orange (D), at-large councilman — Kir Royal with crème de cassis and sparkling wine
• Andy Shallal (D), owner of Busboys & Poets — Left Ear with absinthe flamed and a sugar cube
• Tommy Wells (D), Ward 6 councilman — Fraise Royal with strawberry puree and sparkling wine

 
Also, The Coupe and sister restaurants The Diner, Open City and Tryst will offer expanded happy hour drinks ad a free iced tea with any purchase to diners with an “I voted” sticker on election day.