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Texas de Brazil Opens Today on Massachusetts Avenue

10 Jun
Outside of Texas de Brazil

Outside of Texas de Brazil

We attended the soft opening of Texas de Brazil (455 Massachusetts Avenue, NW) on Tuesday evening in preparation for the launch of full service on Wednesday.  The Brazilian steakhouse (or churrascaria) has locations across the United States and in several other countries.  At Texas de Brazil you have the option to eat at their extensive salad bar or to do the salad bar and eat as much as you want (or can) of their freshly grilled meats.

steak at texas de brazil

A wide variety of meats are brought around by servers ranging from bacon wrapped chicken to sirloin to filet to leg of lamb to garlic steak to pork to sausage to ribs.  Many of the meats are hand carved by servers directly at the table.  You are given a double sided card that is red on one side and green on the other.  Green indicates that you are ready for more meats to be delivered to your table.  As our server joked to us, Texas de Brazil guarantees that you will not leave hungry!

acai drink at texas de brazil

This location is in the large space that Buddha Bar previously occupied several years ago, in between Chinatown and Union Station.  It is a very nice design that will also have some outdoor seating.  They are initially only open for dinner but plan to roll lunch out in the future.  Our service was very friendly, and we enjoyed the food as well.  Our favorites included the sauteed mushrooms and scalloped potatoes from the salad bar and the garlic steak and Brazilian sausage. Continue reading →

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Sixth and H Bar and Grill Now Aiming for Mid-June Opening

9 Jun

We first heard about Sixth and H Bar and Grill (523 H Street) last October, and for several weeks, it has appeared ready to open (it has had a coming soon sign outside for quite awhile now).  They initially had targeted being open in time for March Madness this year.  We reached out to the owner recently and were told that they are hoping to get their final inspection done soon with the hope of opening by mid-June.

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Masseria Hoping to Open This June in Union Market Area

3 Jun
Construction Progress at Masseria

Construction Progress at Masseria

Masseria, a free standing Italian restaurant by former Bibiana chef Nick Stefanelli, hopes to open this June just to the west of Union Market (1340 4th Street, NE).  The building is undergoing a complete renovation currently and will have a large outdoor patio area in the front.  According to Masseria’s owners, the restaurant’s design “will combine the raw and simple look of an Italian country estate, the industrial grit of the Union Market district.”  The restaurant is in the industrial/warehouse section of Union Market, approximately one block away from Eden’s Union Market (you can view our entire series on the future of Union Market by clicking here).  However, the building immediately to the south of Masseria is slated to become a large residential building with major ground floor retail space and there are several other residential areas planned nearby to Masseria.

Masseria's Chef Nick Stefanelli

Masseria’s Chef Nick Stefanelli

Masseria will feature fine Italian cuisine with “touches of coastal cultures.”  According to Masseria’s team, “the restaurant’s name carries a heartfelt meaning, defining the charming agricultural farm of the Puglia region.”

A sneak peak of one menu item sounds delicious: Cavatelli Grano Arso–burnt wheat cavatelli pasta with fennel coffee sausage, bitter greens, red chillies, and Pecorino cheese.

On the drink side, Stefanelli will be bringing an impressive team with him to Masseria when it opens: former City Zen sommelier David Kurka and Julien-Pierre Bourgon from PX in Alexandria. Continue reading →

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Opening Today: Sally’s Middle Name

3 Jun
Sally's Middle Name

Sally’s Middle Name

Sally’s Middle Name (1320 H Street), a new table service restaurant featuring a rotating menu, opens today (Wednesday) in the space that used to house Pizza Parts and Service.  They will initially start with dinner service and then open for brunch on the weekends starting June 13th.  The restaurant’s owners have developed strong ties to local farmers and are trying to source as much as possible within a 100 mile radius.  Their menu of seasonal small plates will rotate daily (you can view it here).  In addition to the daily menu, ice cream and coffee service will be priorities for the restaurant.  Their ice cream will be made from Trickling Springs Dairy products and for coffee they will grind Vigilante coffee to order.

View More: http://jessicaburdgephotography.pass.us/sallys-middle-name

Initially they will not be serving alcohol due to their pending liquor license, but they hope to offer a drink menu soon.  We look forward to checking them out soon!

*Photos courtesy of Jessica Burge Photography

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Wunder Garten to Open in May

30 Apr

Good news for NoMa today–Wunder Garten, the beer garden planned for 150 M Street, NE in NoMa, is planning on opening in the month of May.  You can see our preview here.  Wunder Garten received building permits this month and over the past several days we have noticed light construction activity taking place inside.

Complete press release from NoMa BID:

NoMa Beer Garden Opens in May

WASHINGTON, DC, April 30, 2015 — In May, Wunder Garten beer garden is opening at 150 M Street, NE, just steps from the NoMa/Gallaudet U Metro station. The beer garden will occupy the last parcel in the 2.5 million SF Constitution Square development. The 300-seat venue is styled as a Bavarian beer garden and is a place neighbors and friends can meet, socialize,or take an outdoor education class with REI. The drink menu will feature Bavarian, Austrian, and German beers, as well as regional microbrews. Food will be provided by a rotating selection of the region’s most popular food trucks.

“I’m looking forward to sitting down and having a Hefeweizen with my friends,” said Robin-Eve Jasper, President of the NoMa Business Improvement District. “We’re tickled to combine great outdoor education, craft beers and good food in a fun neighborhood space.”

Wunder Garten is operated by Proust Partners, which is owned by Christopher Lynch (co-owner of L’Enfant Cafe in Adams Morgan) and Biva Ranjeet. Munich native Allon Pultuskier advised on the beer garden’s design and ambiance. The owners have been working with property owner StonebridgeCarras and the NoMa BID over the last year on this initiative.

REI, which is opening a 52,000 SF flagship store in the Uline Arena just a few feet away, will hold free classes at the beer garden on a wide range of topics on how to live a life outside. Whether locals want to learn a new activity or advance their skills, REI will offer its expertise on bike repairs, camping, the best local outdoor destinations and more. REI will also host fun events like presentations from outdoor personalities and celebrations of the local nonprofits that take care of DC’s trails, bike lanes and rivers.

Wunder Garten will use umbrellas and tents to shade benches and tables on the rear of the lot. Decorative landscaping will create a causal and inviting atmosphere and transform a currently unused lot into an urban oasis.

“We are excited to provide an inviting space for the neighborhood and the city to gather, enjoy themselves outdoors, and have a beer,” said Christopher Lynch. “With all the rapid growth in NoMa, bars and recreational spaces were two things we have consistently heard that residents want.”

Operating hours are as follows:

Monday — Thursday: 4 PM to 10 PM

Friday: 12 PM to 12 AM

Saturday: 12 PM to 12 AM

Sunday: 12 PM to 10 PM 

For more information, visit wundergartendc.com.

 

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Wunder Garten in NoMa Applies for Alcohol License

31 Mar

wunder garten license

In a promising sign, Wunder Garten–the large proposed outdoor beer garden in NoMa–has applied for an alcohol license.  You can read our preview post here.

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Construction at Fare Well Bistro and Bakery Progressing on H Street

24 Mar
View of Construction (from backside) of Fare Well Bistro and Bakery

View of Construction (from backside) of Fare Well Bistro and Bakery

Fare Well (406 H Street), the vegan bistro and bakery serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner by the owner of Sticky Fingers Bakery in Columbia Heights, is aiming to open by this spring or summer.  However, before opening, the building needed a complete renovation and reconstruction.  The building’s construction has significantly progressed over the past several weeks and a wood skeleton of the building is now up.  There is still significant construction ahead, but the building is steadily progressing at this point.

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Sally’s Middle Name Hosting Popup at Boundary Road on March 29th

17 Mar

Sally's Middle Name popup

Sally’s Middle Name (1320 H Street), the restaurant that will be replacing Pizza Parts and Service on the eastern end of H Street, will be having a popup tasting at Boundary Road (414 H Street) on March 29th from 10pm-12am.

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Construction Begins at Future Nando’s on H Street

16 Mar
Future Nando's Site at 411-413 H Street NE

Future Nando’s Site at 411-413 H Street NE

There is still a ways to go, but construction has begun on the site for the future Nando’s chicken on H Street.  The initial plan was for the restaurant to open in the spring, but now it looks more like fall or later in the year.

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Wunder Garten, a Pop-Up Beer Garden and Park, Coming to NoMa in April

9 Feb

Last summer, NoMa came close to getting a beer garden in the vacant lot in between the NoMa-Gallaudet Metro station and the Flats 130 apartment building (at 150 M Street, NE).  The large lot has previously been used as a construction staging area but is now vacant for the time being.  At that time, negotiations between the potential business partners and Stonebridge Carras, the landowner, did not work out.  Now, however, negotiations have resumed and it seems very likely that the beer garden will become a reality this spring.

Business partners, including the owner of L’Enfant Cafe in Adams Morgan, are planning a hybrid beer garden and park that will cater to guests of all ages (and will likely allow dogs as well).  The fenced in lot will be leveled and landscaped in a way that maintains a large open area for recreational activities.  The partners in Wunder Garten are working closely with the NoMa Business Improvement District on the design to maximize the park area as NoMa currently has a deficit of parks.  There will be beer benches like one would find in a German beer garden and a significant portion of the space will have a tent over it for rain.  They will have multiple beers on tap at the bar they will build on site that will mostly be German and Austrian, but they do plan on having a few local microbrews as well.  The space will not have a kitchen (the nearby Harris Teeter that is technically on the same land restricts what kinds of food can be sold in the space); however, there will be 2-3 food trucks in the space that will rotate.  High end portable restrooms will be available for customers.  In all, the space will be designed to fit 200-300 people inside.

Continue reading →

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