| THE WALKTHROUGH 05.08.08 3:16 PM |
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| Chocolate Restaurant Finally Opening Monday; Event Space Coming Next Next |
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Back in January, The Washington Post reported that a new Penn Quarter addition, Co Co. Sala, planned to open in time for Valentine's Day. Washingtonians waited patiently for the 130-seat restaurant, which is named for its function as a cocktail and chocolate lounge. (Sala translates to lounge in several languages.) Now, almost three months later, the spot will officially open May 12.
A partnership between pastry chef Nisha Sidhu and Bharet Malhotra of event management company Cvent Inc., the venture includes an ambitious design, which took more time than expected. The major delay: Cohiba labrador gray granite shipped in from Italy for the space's countertops arrived in late March and took three weeks to install.
Dubbed by Malhotra as a "fine-dining lounge," the venue is luxe looking, awash in shades of chocolate brown, with Italian porcelain tiled floors, an undulating ceiling, and faux emu leather chairs. The Co Co. Sala logo in one entrance (there are two, with one leading to the evening dining area and the other connected to the lunch and breakfast space) features fine red silk captured between two panes of glass. |
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | One entrance (planned for daytime diners) includes low red cushion seating in front of floor-to-ceiling windows.
Photo: BizBash |
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 | Casual seating fills up the daytime dining area, with sugar sculptures by co-owner Nisha Sidhu on display in glass cases.
Photo: BizBash |
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 | The bar is covered in Italian gray granite, with a flat-screen TV that will project video of the glass-enclosed chef's preparation area (pictured, to the right).
Photo: BizBash |
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 | The dining space designated for dinnertime guests has velvet banquettes along one wall and an undulating brown textured ceiling.
Photo: BizBash |
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 | The two-sided bar that separates the space features brown and red tiling and stool seating.
Photo: BizBash |
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The 4,000-square-foot space, split by a two-sided bar, has seating for 92 (including a bar facing the glass-enclosed chef prep area) and room for a 140-person reception. Plans are in the works for a 40-seat outdoor area and a 1,000-square-foot space next door, which will function as the venue's event wing, with space for an additional 100 and a separate entrance. (Malhotra estimates that the space will open in eight to 10 weeks.)
Co Co. Sala's menu—"familiar food with global flavors," as described by Malhotra—combines small savory plates, including three kinds of mac and cheese (with bacon and four cheeses or shrimp and jalapeños) and sliders (such as Moroccan swordfish and tandoori chicken versions), with an ambitious menu of four five-course chocolate tastings and cocktail pairings. The Aztec Experience starts with churros, cinnamon cream, and hot chocolate soufflé, while the Childhood Favorites dabbles in mini Boston cream donuts and orangesicles with chocolate caviar.
For those on the go, the lounge also has hot chocolate flights (ranging from dark to milk) and boxed sets of its artisanal chocolates, which can be ordered as party favors for on-site events. Full buyouts of the space are available.
—Danielle O'Steen
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