Brasserie Beck Gaithersburg
Moules frites will soon be on the menu in the Kentlands development, where Robert Wiedmaier is setting up a sibling of his downtown DC Belgian eatery. Expect a similar lineup, with shellfish platters and various preparations of mussels, plus a spacious patio and a wraparound bar for sipping Belgian brews.
311 Kentlands Blvd., Gaithersburg.
Expected opening: spring.
China Chilcano
José Andrés may be an internationally known chef and restaurateur, but Penn Quarter remains his home base. Joining Minibar, Jaleo, Zaytinya, and Oyamel will be this Latin-Asian fusion spot, specializing in the chifa cuisine popular with Chinese immigrants in Peru. It’ll have everything from ceviche to dim sum as well as chilcano, the Pisco cocktail that gives the restaurant its name.
418 Seventh St., NW.
Expected opening: summer.
City Burger
Chef Michael Harr and the team behind Cabin John’s Fish Taco and Bethesda’s Food Wine & Co. are jumping into the burger game with a casual patty shop. The namesake dish will be fashioned from local, grass-fed beef but otherwise kept simple and inexpensive (under $6). House-made half-smokes, Old Bay-seasoned fries, and milkshakes will round out the menu.
7015 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase.
Expected opening: late February.
Gypsy Soul
Rogue 24 chef RJ Cooper goes suburban for his second restaurant, a 135-seat spot in Merrifield’s growing Mosaic development. The ground floor of the bilevel space will feature a menu divided into such categories as “snacks,” “offal,” and “the pig,” while a roomy 70-seat roof deck will turn out grilled fare and tiki-style cocktails from talented barman Bryan Tetorakis.
2905 District Ave., Fairfax.
Expected opening: spring.
Heavy Seas Alehouse
A bit of Baltimore lands in Rosslyn with this 170-seat, nautically accented restaurant (rope sculptures, porthole windows), serving such beer-friendly dishes as wood-grilled half chicken and crab pretzels alongside the Charm City brewery’s roster of IPAs and cask ales.
1501 Wilson Blvd., Suite 105, Arlington.
Expected opening: February.
Maketto
After a series of pop-ups, Erik Bruner-Yang of Toki Underground and Will Sharp of the fashion house Durkl are readying their restaurant/retail hybrid inspired by Southeast Asian night markets. On the edible side, there will be Taiwanese, Thai, and Cambodian street snacks plus a Vigilante Coffee Company shop.
1351 H St., NE.
Expected opening: early spring.
The Partisan
Carnivores will find a new destination at Red Apron Butcher and this adjoining 62-seat restaurant, helmed by chefs Nate Anda and Ed Witt. You’ll be able to pick up bone-in rib eyes and more than 50 types of charcuterie from the butcher shop or dine in on dishes categorized by preparation (rotisserie meats, braises), which can be washed down with 20-plus wines on tap.
709 D St., NW.
Expected opening: late February.
Unnamed Jose Garces Steakhouse
The trend of Philadelphia restaurateurs setting their sights on Washington continues with an Argentinean-style steakhouse from Iron Chef Jose Garces. The eatery in the Loews Madison Hotel will showcase wood-oven cooking and a variety of meats.
1177 15th St., NW.
Expected opening: April.
America Eats Tavern
José Andrés is reviving this history-steeped American pop-up restaurant—which ran for a year in DC’s Penn Quarter—in the Tysons Ritz-Carlton. An all-day lineup will include riffs on classics such as s’mores made with foie gras, a butter-poached lobster roll, and, for Andrés’s first-ever local breakfast menu, a “croissantini” with smoked salmon.
1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean.
Expected opening: spring.
DBGB Kitchen and Bar
New York chef Daniel Boulud finds a DC home in the new CityCenterDC development, creating a spinoff of his lower-Manhattan brasserie of the same name. Look for robust French and American fare in a buzzy atmosphere, with an array of sausages, burgers, raw-bar specialties, and throwback desserts like baked Alaska.
931 H St., NW.
Expected opening: fall.
This article appears in the February 2014 issue of Washingtonian.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
