FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 4, 2008

WHAT'S NEW ON THE DC RESTAURANT SCENE

Here's what's new and what's coming soon for DC visitors with an appetite for the foodie side of the city:

DC's Chinatown neighborhood recently welcomed Nando's Peri-Peri (819 7th St., NW, 202-898-1225), a South Africa-based Afro-Portuguese restaurant specializing in flame-grilled chicken spiced with the peri peri chile pepper. The DC location is their first restaurant in the USA.

Just a few blocks away in Penn Quarter, the owners of OYA, a popular sushi and Asian-fusion restaurant, are set to debut two new thematic dining concepts in late 2008 or early 2009. Ray (901 I St., NW) will join OYA in Penn Quarter and offer local and regional seafood specialties against the backdrop of a 100-foot-long fish tank filled with stingrays. Sei (444 7th St., NW) will also join the neighborhood, offering primarily sushi, but also other interesting menu-items like French fries with wasabi tartar.

The environmentally-friendly (and New Haven-inspired) Pete's Apizza (1400 Irving St., NW, 202-232-7383) is a new neighborhood fixture in Columbia Heights. The restaurant uses only biodegradable materials and uses healthy, organic ingredients that are locally-sourced whenever possible. The menu features pastas, salads and of course, pizza, with ingredients like sautéed Savoy spinach, fried Italian eggplant and caramelized onion.

DC's international side shines with new Belgian restaurant Et Voila (5120 Macarthur Blvd., NW, 202-237-2300), in the Palisades neighborhood. Joining other DC Belgian outposts like Marvin and Belga Café, Et Voila (which opened in May) offers Belgian cuisine in a bistro-style environment. The restaurant only uses organic, locally-grown produce and according to restaurant insiders, offers a not-to-be-missed dessert menu.

Georgetown recently welcomed Bodega Spanish Tapas and Lounge (3116 M St., NW, 202-333-4733), featuring an impressive wine list and a wide assortment of hot and cold tapas. Just north of Georgetown, try Enology (3238 Wisconsin Ave., NW, 202-362-0362), a new wine bar from the owners of Veritas in Dupont Circle. The cuisine's theme is "All-American," and almost eighty wines are offered by the glass; upwards of 200 are available by the bottle.

A new sushi restaurant, Sticky Rice (1224 H St., NE, 202-397-7655), has entered the Atlas District's dining scene. The Richmond-based eatery offers fun sushi rolls like the g.i. jane and shiitake happens along with unexpected menu items like tater tots with special tot sauce.

Policy (1902-1904 14th St., NW), a multi-concept restaurant, will descend upon the U Street corridor in late September. The venue will feature a seasonal American restaurant on one floor and a sushi operation by Wasabi Sushi on the second floor. A sample menu for the American part of the restaurant includes dishes like crispy veal sweetbread nuggets with fig jam and roasted domestic elk chop with parsnip-apple puree.

Housed inside a beautiful building on 14th Street, Posto (1515 14th St., NW), will offer Northern Italian cuisine in a casual environment. The menu will focus on locally-sourced meat, fish and produce, and the restaurant's opening is tentatively slated for this month.

In-House Dining
New hotel restaurants and lounges continue to pop up throughout the city, including Cure Bar & Bistro (1000 H St, NW, 202-637-4906), which opened inside the Grand Hyatt this past April. Formerly Butler's Cigar Bar, the space has been totally revamped, and in a nod to the restaurant's name, the menu features cured fish, meats and cheeses. Menu items to look out for include bourbon house-cured salmon, smoked garlic sausage and dark ale and cheddar soup.

The St. Regis Hotel is soon to debut a new restaurant concept all its own. This fall, James Beard award-winning Chef Alain Ducasse will introduce Adour (923 16th St., NW, 202-509-8000) to the nation's capital, featuring contemporary French cuisine against the warm backdrop of beautiful black, silver, brown, cream and gold hues.

The Liaison Hotel, Capitol Hill's new Affinia property, will soon welcome James Beard Award recipient and frequent Oprah guest Chef Art Smith, who will open Art and Soul (415 New Jersey Ave., NW, 202-434-0126) inside the hotel. The restaurant will feature indoor and outdoor patio seating and built-in conversation areas, contemporary lighting, 16-foot rolling glass walls and stainless steel curtains to create an atmosphere of stylish urban sophistication.

The Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown (2800 Wisconsin Ave., NW) will debut a new steakhouse in December when California chef Michael Mina (famous for his four-star dining room in San Francisco) introduces Bourbon Steak to the nation's capital. The restaurant, with locations in Detroit, Miami and Scottsdale, offers beef that is slow-poached in clarified butter and herbs before it's grilled over a wood fire. The restaurant will replace the hotel's Garden Terrace lounge.

Dupont Circle: DC's Newest Sweet Spot
With the success of home grown bakeries like Cake Love and the introduction of new cupcake shops like Georgetown Cupcake come more sugary additions to the nation's capital. Dupont Circle is becoming DC's newest sweet spot, with the opening of Tangysweet (2029 P St., NW, 202-822-2066), a tart frozen yogurt shop offering classic, green tea and pomegranate yogurt with fresh fruit or crunchy cereal topping. In a nod to environmental awareness, Tangysweet's modern design utilizes sustainable products and energy-efficient LED lighting. Also try the newly-opened Mr. Yogato (1515 17th St., NW, 202-629-3531), another yogurt shop offering nearly 20 flavors like peppermint, blueberry and mango and more than 40 fresh fruit and dry toppings.

Next is Hello Cupcake (1351 Connecticut Ave., NW), opening this month just a few blocks away. Two dozen chairs offer ample seating for coffee-drinking, and there's a delectable cupcake menu to boot, including flavors like Triple Coconut, Peanut Butter Blossom and Peppermint Penny.

On a different (but equally savory) note, new gastropub Darlington House (1610 20th St., NW, 202-332-3722) has also recently been introduced to the Dupont Circle dining scene. It's a multi-concept restaurant featuring three dining experiences under one roof - a casual Cantina below ground serving reasonably-priced seasonal menu-items like Crunchy Chorizo Raviolis and Giovanni Pizza with fig, rosemary, goat cheese, arugula and hazelnut oil, a Dining Room and Circle Bar on the ground level featuring higher-priced items like Pacific Halibut and Veal Sweetbreads, and a second floor Library, which offers cheese, charcuterie, wine and free WiFi.

Ben's Chili Bowl Turns 50

For 50 years, Ben's Chili Bowl has been a staple and a go-to for Washingtonians and visitors alike, made famous by the likes of Bill Cosby, Duke Ellington and Miles Davis during the early 1960s. On August 21-22, Ben's is throwing a birthday celebration - and fans of its famous "chili half-smokes" and "Ben's chili burger sub" are invited.

On Thursday, August 21, Ben's Chili Bowl will host a free 50th Anniversary Gala at the historic Lincoln Theatre next door, with Bill Cosby acting as the Master of Ceremonies. On Ben's official birthday, Friday, August 22, the restaurant will hold a press conference just in front of the Bowl with a special tribute from city officials and special guest speakers, followed by a block party with live music, entertainment, activities for the kids and more. Later that night, "friends of Ben's" will throw a free concert at the 9:30 Club, another DC institution for the past 28 years. For more information, visit benschilibowl.com.

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About Destination DC: Destination DC, the lead destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital, is a private, non-profit membership organization of more than 1,000 businesses committed to marketing the area as a premier global convention, tourism and special events destination with a special emphasis on the arts, cultural and historic communities. Destinationdc.com.