Former Top Chef contestant and local restaurateur Mike Isabella. Photo by Matt Dunn.

In a recent profile, the City Paper’s Chris Shott hinted that maybe Top Chef alumnus and local restaurateur Mike Isabella was being a little too ambitious with his fast-growing food empire. Today, Isabella somewhat proved him right, announcing two new restaurants for 14th Street NW—and they’re next door to each other:

Top Chef All-Stars Runner-Up, Mike Isabella announces plans to open two new restaurants at a 7,000 square foot space at 1326 W St. NW in early 2013. Kapnos, Greek for smoke, is the Greek restaurant Chef Isabella has been conceptualizing for years. Next door he will open G, a sister restaurant to Graffiato serving sandwiches by day and a four-course tasting menu in the evening.

“I’ve been cooking Greek food for a large part of my career, so opening my own place was only a matter of time. With Kapnos, I want to bring something totally unique to DC; daily whole animal spit-roasting is a side of Greek cuisine that no one else is doing in this city,” said Chef/Owner, Mike Isabella. “G is a sister to Graffiato, but the menu will be more traditional Italian – a place to get a meatball hero for lunch and a four-course dinner.”

Isabella certainly is on the move. Beyond Graffiato, his flagship restaurant that opened last year, the chef will soon open Bandolero, a Mexican-themed restaurant in Georgetown. By the time Kapnos and G open up, Isabella will have marshaled four restaurants from concept to cuisine in just under two years.