District Cuisine

Tru Orleans: What Happened?

When Tru Orleans (400 H Street, NE) first opened in the neighborhood, we thought that it had great potential. In fact, based upon our experience on opening weekend, we gave it a glowing initial review. It had a great atmosphere, attentive service, and quality food.

Patio at Tru Orleans

Since it opened almost two years ago, something has happened. The restaurant still has a very cool set up with its large patio and open second floor that has a New Orleans-esque railing and balcony. However, it doesn’t have much else going for it anymore. Over the past two years, our experiences have ranged from mediocre to just bizarre. One time during brunch, we watched in horror as a server argued with a table full of customers for several minutes when one of them mentioned that he had messed up their order. Another time during brunch our eggs benedict came out with an alleged “special” sauce on the side: it turned out to be caesar salad dressing. Cajun food that was initially promising (if somewhat expensive) has turned into overpriced dishes that lack freshness and taste (based upon their website it appears the initial chef has departed). Continue reading →

Tags: tru orleans, tru orleans dc, tru orleans h street

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Categories H Street Corridor

Sol Mexican Grill Officially Open on H Street

14 Apr

Sol Mexican Grill (1251 H Street, NE) officially opened on Friday for lunch, dinner, and late night service (open at 11am everyday until 9pm during the week and 3:30am on the weekend).

Chorizo and al Pastor Tacos at Sol Mexican Grill

Currently only the first level is open until they open their second floor and patio in a few weeks. When they open the upstairs section, it will feature a more expansive menu and table service.

We stopped by on Saturday to enjoy our first lunch. We tried several of the tacos and were very impressed. The chorizo and al pastor tacos reminded us of the authentic tacos that we used to enjoy out in L.A. and were quite delicious. We also recommend the fish tacos as well. Even though it was 1:30pm, Sol was doing a steady lunch business on its second day. We look forward to many more trips in the future.

Tags: h street mexican restaurant, mexican on h street, new h street restaurants, sol mexican grill, sol mexican grill dc, sol mexican grill h street

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Categories H Street Corridor, New Restaurants

Sol Mexican Grill Postpones Opening Until April 12th

4 Apr

We were told earlier today that Sol Mexican Grill needs to make a few minor adjustments before passing final inspection and will not open this weekend as previously planned. Instead, they plan to open next Friday, April 12th. In the meantime, you can check out our preview here and their menu here.

Tags: sol dc, sol h street, sol mexican grill, sol mexican grill dc, sol mexican grill h street

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Categories H Street Corridor, New Restaurants

H Street’s Horizon: What’s Coming Soon (Spring, 2013)

3 Apr

At the beginning of the year we took a look at what new bars and restaurants were planned for H Street in the coming year. Now that a quarter of 2013 has gone by, we wanted to provide an update on new openings, newly announced concepts, and progress towards opening. For each of these categories we list the establishments in order of going west-east down H Street. If we’ve missed a place, please let us know in the comment section.

Opened this Winter

Batter Bowl Bakery (401 H Street)–delicious new bakery from the owners of Ethiopic (next door) that is open all day and serves a variety of baked goods, sandwiches, and salads (see menu here).
Hikari Sushi and Sake (644 H Street)–new sushi restaurant with two floors and extensive bar. See our initial review here.
Thaaja Indian Food Bar (NoMa region, 1335 2nd Street, NE)–features customizable Indian food in a format similar to Chipotle. See our opening night review here. Continue reading →

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Categories H Street Corridor, New Restaurants, NoMa Restaurants

Sol Mexican Grill Opening Next Weekend

31 Mar

Entrance to Sol Mexican Grill

After quickly completing a full renovation of its space, Sol Mexican Grill (1251 H Street, NE) plans to open next week for lunch, dinner, and late night service. Sol currently operates two food trucks serving tacos, burritos, and burrito bowls in the downtown area. Sol took over the space previously occupied by Danny’s Carryout and transformed the space into a beautiful two story restaurant, featuring an upstairs bar and patio area.

Upstairs Bar at Sol Mexican Grill

Sol’s new restaurant will have two parts: a downstairs area featuring quick and takeout service much like its two trucks and an upstairs area (including the patio) that will feature table service and a full bar (and tableside guacamole service). You can view the extensive full menu here.

Patio at Sol Mexican Grill

The owners plan to open Sol in two phases. The first phase next weekend will be for the downstairs area. They plan to have a soft opening Friday night and then a full opening for the downstairs area on Saturday night. In approximately three weeks, they will open the upstairs section and patio for complete service. Continue reading →

Tags: H Street restaurants, mexican restaurants h street, new h street restaurants, sol h street, sol mexican grill, sol mexican grill dc, sol mexican grill h street, sol restaurant, sol truck dc

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Categories H Street Corridor, New Restaurants

Menu at Sol Mexican Grill

31 Mar

Here is a copy of the menu at Sol Mexican Grill at 1251 H Street.

Menu for Downstairs Section at Sol Mexican Grill

Upstairs Menu at Sol Mexican Grill (Part One)

Continue reading →

Tags: h street mexican food, new h street restaurants, sol food truck, sol food truck h street, sol h street, sol mexican grill, sol mexican grill dc, sol mexican grill h street

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Categories H Street Corridor, New Restaurants

TD Burger Moving into NoMa

26 Mar

Washington City Paper had written several months ago that Top Chef participant Timothy Dean was looking for a space to open his second TD Burger somewhere in D.C. and likely in NoMa (Dean currently has one in Maryland). ANC Commissioner Tony Goodman tweeted earlier today that TD Burger will officially be moving into the retail spot at the Loree Grand building in NoMa (3rd and K Street, NE where Zuppa Fresca was).

From the Washington City Paper preview several months ago:

The D.C. location of TD Burger will be similar to the original, which serves burgers, Neapolitan-style pies, sandwiches, milkshakes, and more, but with the addition of a full service bar. Dean will also rename the burgers after various presidents who he’s cooked for or crossed paths with over the years, including Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. And instead of the Martin O’Malley burger, which is available at his Maryland location, a D.C. councilmember may also get his or her own meat patty.

Tags: noma restaurants, TD Burger, timothy dean, timothy dean dc restaurant, timothy dean noma restaurant

Comments 5 Comments
Categories New Restaurants, NoMa Restaurants

Former Zuppa Fresca Chef Offering Brunch Class

26 Mar

Alfio Celia, formerly of Zuppa Fresca in NoMa, is offering a special brunch cooking class through Groupon. The deal goes on sale tomorrow and is available for one or two people. Chef Alfio’s class will feature a complete brunch menu with mimosas. You can check out the deal here.

Tags: alfio celia, zuppa fresca

Comments 1 Comment
Categories NoMa Restaurants

Thaaja Hosting Opening Event Tomorrow

14 Mar

While the restaurant has been open for awhile now, Thaaja Indian Food Bar in NoMa will be hosting an “opening” party tomorrow. The first one hundred customers at lunch time will get a free bowl or wrap (these items will be $3 the rest of the day). Our first impressions of Thaaja have been really positive so far. You can check out our preview of Thaaja here and a review of our first visit here.

Tags: thaaja, thaaja dc, thaaja indian food bar, thaaja noma

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Categories New Restaurants, NoMa Restaurants

Owners of Hikari Sushi Plan Second H Street Restaurant

27 Jan

We’ve confirmed that the owners of Hikari Sushi (644 H Street, NE) are planning to open a second restaurant on H Street that will be a hibachi restaurant. They are still in the process of looking for a building for the second restaurant, but we’ve heard that they are looking towards the western end of the corridor. We’ll update as we get additional details.

Tags: h street hibachi, hikari sushi and sake bar, hikari sushi dc, hikari sushi h street

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Categories H Street Corridor, New Restaurants

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