New year, new dining options. Familiar faces and newcomers are debuting food halls, casual neighborhood joints, and glitzy hotel restaurants in 2019. Here are some highlights, in rough order of anticipated opening dates.
Hanumanh (1604 7th Street NW)
Lemongrass, ginger, and earthy galangal root will soon be simmering in Shaw. Thip Khao chefs Seng Luangrath and Bobby Pradachith plan to evoke a Laotian night market in their newest space, which will offer a vegetable-forward menu and a come-as-you-are atmosphere.
Olivia (800 F St. NW) and an unnamed concept (2132 Florida Ave. NW)
You can already sample food from this next Ashok Bajaj-owned venture at Nopa Kitchen + Bar, the concept that Olivia will replace when it opens in January. An inky-black rice seafood stew and a crimson mujadara—a blend of lentils with rice and sauteed onions—take inspiration from Europe’s and Africa’s Mediterranean traditions. Bajaj also purchased the building that once housed pioneering organic Restaurant Nora, and told the Washington Business Journal that he hopes to open an offshoot of an existing establishment in 2019.
Coconut Club (540 Penn St. NE)
Think the tropics, only right behind Union Market. Perennial “Chopped” champ Adam Greenberg will debut Coconut Club, originally slated for a summer 2018 opening, in January, Eater reports. Guests can expect to fill up on jerk chicken, poke, and other Hawaii-inspired delights.
Roy Boys (2108 8th St. NW)
Occupying Shaw’s Atlantic Plumbing building come January will be a fried chicken and fresh oyster restaurant. Worry not, takeout fans: the owners plan to make full use of the takeout window that former tenant Tasty Burger left behind, Washingtonian reports.
Cane (403 H St. NE)
Coming to H Street this February is a tribute to sugarcane, the plant that made Trinidad and Tobago a nexus for African, South Asian, and European influences. Chef Peter Prime’s team will serve roti rolls, jerk wings, and rum, with spice levels not for the faint of heart.
La Betty (420 K St. NW)
Early in 2019, the team behind Baked & Wired will launch a sister restaurant in Mt. Vernon Triangle, next to their A Baked Joint cafe. This time, they’re starting with dinner only. Sit and stay awhile: this concept will be about slow food with a homecooked feel.
Unnamed Korean BBQ concept (1924 8th St. NW)
Rejoice, all ye who crave piping-hot bulgogi but cringe at the thought of an hourlong car ride to Annandale. The owner of Duke’s Grocery and Duke’s Counter is opening D.C.’s first Korean barbecue restaurant in Shaw’s The Shay development early in 2019, Washingtonian reports.
Busboys and Poets (2004 Martin Luther King Jr. SE)
The fifth Busboys to open in D.C. proper is notable for its location. Andy Shallal’s latest outpost, which broke ground in Anacostia back in 2016, will be one of just a handful of sit-down restaurants in Wards 7 and 8 when it finally opens. Shallal recently told the City Paper that he is looking at the first quarter of 2019.
Pupatella Pizzeria (Location TBD)
The Arlington darling with food truck roots will sling Neapolitan pies at the first of eight new locations in 2019. New neighborhoods could include Capitol Hill and Dupont Circle.
Donut Run (6904 4th St. NW)
Who says you can’t make a donut with soy milk? Certainly not husband-wife team Shawn Petersen and Nicole Dao, who after two years’ worth of pop-ups will open D.C.’s first brick-and-mortar vegan donut shop in spring 2019. Classics like Boston creme will take their place alongside experimental creations like matcha, all washed down with coffee.
Jônt (1906 14th St. NW)
This spring, Chef Ryan Ratino is inviting guests on a new journey. Inside Ratino’s Michelin-starred restaurant Bresca, at an 18-seat chef’s counter, diners will enjoy as many as 11 courses of meticulously aged meats or fermented delights.
Cut by Wolfgang Puck (1050 31st St. NW)
Georgetown’s Rosewood hotel gets a steakhouse with star chef power in the spring. Like Puck’s other steakhouses, this one will emphasize dry-aged meats and caviar, but it will also look to Mid-Atlantic ingredients for inspiration.
Shilling Canning Company (1331 4th St. SE)
The Navy Yard descendant of the canning business in Chef Reid Shilling’s family will serve Mid-Atlantic cuisine, highlighting Chesapeake seafood. Watch for Shilling’s 25-year-old starter to find use in loaves and more when the spot opens in the spring.
Liberté (3251 Prospect St. NW) and an unnamed concept (2300 N St. NW)
Restaurant mogul Hakan Ilhan is bringing the greatest hits from his eateries of Ottoman Taverna, Mirabelle, and more to the West End. The eclectic spot, opening this spring, will serve falafel sandwiches, pizza, pasta, and brunch favorites. A rosé wine garden will occupy an outdoor patio. Meanwhile, in Georgetown, a multimillion-dollar makeover will transform a Morton’s Steakhouse location into French brasserie Liberté, which will open a few months after the as-yet-unnamed West End property.
Surfside (4200 Wisconsin Ave. NW)
Late-night mahi-mahi taco cravings are not to be dismissed. Next April, Tenleytown (read: American University students) and The Wharf can feed the beast at new locations of the 24-hour beach-themed operation.
TABU (88 District Sq. SW)
The first quarter of 2019 will mark the first time Sushi Taro chef Nobu Yamazaki is taking on a new venture, Washington City Paper reports. Rather than focusing on Japanese flavors exclusively, the newest Wharf restaurant will incorporate more of the Pacific Rim, Hawaii in particular.
Menomale and Salumeria (33 N St. NE)
Soon, NoMa denizens will have easy access to painstakingly sourced Sicilian anchovies or an authentic Neapolitan pizza laden with lightly sweet San Marzano tomatoes. Brookland’s sources for all things Italy are both opening new locations by summer 2019, on the ground floor of a luxury apartment building.
Albi (1346 4th St. SE)
Michael Rafidi once was executive chef at Requin and Arroz. Come summer, he’ll helm a kitchen inspired by locations across the Middle East, paying homage to his roots in Jordan, Palestine, and Lebanon. The Navy Yard location will adjoin a second location of Maxwell Park; sommelier Brent Kroll will spearhead Albi’s wine program as well.
Emilie’s (1101 Pennsylvania Ave. SE)
Don’t just label Chef Kevin Tien’s new venture as Himitsu with elbow room. Opening in Capitol Hill during the second half of 2019, Emilie’s will feature a roving oyster cart and a beef rib with condiments as diverse as Greek tzatziki and Korean sauces
Reveler’s Hour (1777 Columbia Rd. NW)
The newest project from Tail Up Goat’s owners, opening summer 2019 in Adams Morgan, is a swing-by, come-as-you-are neighborhood joint. The team’s beloved pastas will be here, but the focus will be on the bar, The Washington Post reports.
Benning Market (3451 Benning Rd. NE)
Developers are planning a multi-stall hall for food entrepreneurs where a fast food restaurant once stood on Benning Road in Northeast. The Washington Business Journal reported that the project, slated for opening October 2019, raised over $250,000 through crowdfunding. That’s short of the developers’ $600,000 goal, but the company plans to continue the project with their own funding or a bank loan.
Seven Reasons (2208 14th St. NW)
Dinners and weekend brunches at this 14th Street restaurant will draw inspiration from South America, namely, generous Argentinian cuts of meat and Chinese-influenced Peruvian gastronomy, Washington City Paper reports.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (680 Rhode Island Ave. NE)
D.C. proper finally gets an offshoot of the offbeat Austin-based movie theater chain in 2019. The 44,000 square foot theater, located steps from the Rhode Island Avenue Metro, will include a standalone bar and a full-service restaurant. The highlights of the Ashburn, Va. outpost’s menu might be predictive of D.C.’s, so watch for Tex-Mex staples like brunch chilaquiles, or a quinoa bowl that features hotter-than-jalapeño serrano peppers in the dressing.
Unnamed Latin market (1270 4th St. NE)
Philadelphia-based celebrity chef Jose Garces broke ground on his food hall concept in 2016. After Garces’s bankruptcy filing earlier this year, Eater reported that the food hall project is still on track.
