Neither Mozart nor Hockey Themed
Washington works hard to burnish its dining credentials. D.C. fat cats who are literally fat need somewhere to eat, and they're not going to throw down lobbyist dollars for just any slop. No. D.C. is a dining destination, beckoning the up-and-coming chefs and their myriad foodie followers. People are noticing, too. From the New York Times to the National Geographic Traveler, we're a getting noticed -- enough so that a certain big time chef is heading this direction. Who? His name rhymes with Golf Pang Shuck.

L.A.'s top toque is indeed opening a home on the shores of the Potomac. Wolfgang Puck's The Source is coming to town, and service will be starting soon. DCist went for a hardhat tour of the new restaurant—located in the new Newseum complex on Pennsylvania and 6th St, NW—with Executive Chef Scott Drewno to see what he and Puck have in store for D.C. diners. Drewno is late of Ruby Foo's Updtown, and was tapped personally by Puck to helm The Source from inception to birth and beyond. He led us though a tour of the new restaurant amidst a couple dozen workers who were busy installing the new bar, flooring, and lighting for for an October 8 target opening.

The restaurants will be three levels, each of which will offer a different dining experience. The ground floor will house a bar and lounge, which will seat nearly 90 guests, features an open kitchen at one end of the bar, and will offer up light fare, Puck's signature pizzas, wood-grilled dishes, and American appetizers. The main restaurant is on the second level, which connects to the lounge by a grand staircase and two-story wall-long wine refrigerator.

This main dining room will be the area for fine dining, and will feature Asian American foods. "It's not fusion," Drewno said, emphasizing the originality of the menu. The main dining room will seat 140 diners, with space for about 20 on the terrace overlooking 6th Street. The kitchens, which will be responsible for both the restaurant and the catering services for the Newseum's meeting spaces, are massive. "We'll have about 40 kitchen staff," Drewno said, and they'll be working 4 salamanders, a three-wok range, a traditional Chinese steamer, an 1800º broiler, and two dish rooms. The Source will also offer a private room for events and meetings.

According to the Newseum's staff, the restaurant is on schedule for its target date—which is more than can be said for the Newseum itself. Originally slated for an opening next month, the Newseum won't be completed until next Spring. Construction is coming along nicely, however, with meeting facilities nearly done and exhibit space taking shape. Two terraces on the Pennsylvania Avenue side of the museum offer some spectacular views of Washington, including a two-fer of both the Capitol and the Supreme Court (a rare view indeed), and an eagle-eye perspective of the Mall—which looks like a verdant and welcoming park from this location. Newseum staff also made a point to show us what will be an incredible theatre with "4-d" features (seats will move, wind will blow, etc.). The theatre seats 535—Newseum execs made a point of mentioning—one for every Senator and Representative. When we asked if the non-voting delegates would just have to stand in back, we were met with silence. "We'll see if we can squeeze a few more seats in here if they get a vote," they said.

Even if she doesn't have a seat in the theatre, I'm sure The Source will be more than happy to welcome Congresswoman Norton to its dining room. Maybe they can take the taxes off the meals of D.C. residents, just to make a point. There's a protest we can really get behind.

Learn to Pull an Espresso the Old-Fashioned Way
Going out Guru Erin brings us the news that Counter Culture Coffee is opening up a training center in the heart of Adams Morgan, and their grand opening party is tomorrow from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. This is great news for Washington's javaheads, who will surely benefit from what we hope is a proliferation of professional baristas in our area.

Those of us who grab our coffee at places like Murky Coffee and Dolcezza are already familiar with Counter Culture roasts, and are jealous that the smell of the delicious beans will be filling the neighborhood around 1836 Columbia Road, NW instead of right outside our houses. We also know that Counter Culture does good deeds, and they are living up to their reputation by co-sponsoring (along with Baked & Wired, Big Bear Café, Murky Coffee, and Revolution Cycles) a Ride for Rwanda to benefit Bikes to Rwanda, a charity that provides cargo bicycles to Rwandan coffee farmers to improve their communities. The ride kicks off at 3:30 at Kalorama Park, and will end with the party—including drinks and eats, not just coffee—at the new training center.

Small Bites
Maybe They Also Need Someone to Make Paiutes for Dessert
Frequent Photo contributor Kyle Walton sent us this Craigslist gem. Seems very specific, if you ask me.

Greek Festival This Weekend
The Greek Orthodox Church at 4115 16th St. in Crestwood is hosting their annual Greek Festival this weekend. If you like homemade Greek food, this is a must-attend. The festival starts at noon and runs until 9:30 tonight and Saturday, and 8:00 on Sunday. Mmmm, dolmades.

Dogfish Head Alehouse Getting Closer to D.C.
The second area location (after Gaithersburg) of the Dogfish Head Alehouse will open in Falls Church on September 26. How about moving right into the District, hmm?