‘Hank’s Oyster Bar’
courtesy of ‘jichen2’
Running Indefinitely: Kushi Izakaya & Sushi will donate 100% of the sales of its popular Buta Bara Kushiyaki (Pork Belly Kushiyaki) to the Japanese Red Cross to support earthquake and tsunami disaster relief in Japan. The Pork Belly Kushiyaki, made with North Carolina pigs and cooked sous vide for several hours, is Kushi’s best-selling menu item averaging monthly sales of approximately $7,500.00.
Getting Bigger…Come May Hank’s Oyster Bar will double in size, adding a bar & lounge as well as a private dining room. So what does this mean? Late night hours! Two am on weeknights and 3 am weekends. Our devoted readers might also remember that restaurant partners Jamie Leeds and Sandy Lewis from Hank’s sold CommonWealth Gastro Pub in Columbia Heights last month.
Opening: Because I live for press releases with a lot of adjectives and love the movie Burlesque…”From the restaurateurs behind distinctive dining concepts OYA and SEI comes SAX, an exclusive lounge and restaurant with provocative live entertainment designed to amuse, please and divert the senses with opulent grandeur.” Look for it in May.
‘TaKorean Sampler’
courtesy of ‘yostinator’
Food Trucks and Brick & Mortars=LOVE…Starting March 31st, Chinatown Coffee Co. will host a joint happy hour each Thursday evening from 6:30 – 8:30pm with a different DC food truck. The week’s featured truck will be parked outside the shop. Customers will be able to purchase food outside and bring it into the shop to eat and enjoy some beverages. Chinatown Coffee Co. will offer $3 beer specials, in addition to a selection of wine and absinthe. First up is Takorean.
Also in food trucks: the ubiquitous Spike Mendelsohn of Top Chef fame is rolling out his Sixth & Rye truck with Sixth & I Historic Synagogue next month. But will it be kosher? According to The Feast: “…Spike won’t be seeking the rabbinical certification necessary to be considered as such. Instead, it’ll be kosher-style, which means no pork, no seafood, and no mixing of milk and meat.”
More restaurants on the Way: The Mount Vernon neighborhood keeps doing big things. Sixth Engine, a new American bistro, will move into the Douglas Development-owned Engine 6 firehouse at 425 Massachusetts Avenue in late 2011.
‘Pound the Hill’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’
Closings….Pound Coffee just opened up its second location in DC, but the Capitol Hill joint is now their only location. Eater reports that in the midst of its CapHill opening, Pound had to close down its NoMa store because of issues with the landlord as well as dealing with a kitchen that was just too small. Navy Yard, guys? Starbucks could use some friendly competition.
Finally, Metrocurean interviews Mike Isabella, who will be opening up Graffiato soon (can’t wait!). What’s one of his favorite dishes in DC? Roasted bone marrow at Blue Duck Tavern…guess I know what I’ll be trying this weekend. Watch the video here.
Happy Eating!
