| THE WALKTHROUGH 05.21.07 12:33 PM |
PRINT | SEND TO A FRIEND |
|
| Banking on Bistros |
| Several high-profile local chefs are stepping into bistro-land, opening more affordable and casual dining spaces. |
|
The latest trend in Washington dining seems to be a spate of new bistros. Here's a sampling:
Eamonns and PX
Chef Cathal Armstrong of Restaurant Eve owns Eamonns, a 20-seat fish-and-chips spot in Alexandria that opened in August. Waitstaff-free (guests order at a counter from a chalkboard menu), the rustic yet stylized venue is decorated in dark woods with simple crystal chandeliers hanging over the bench seating. Upstairs is PX, a speakeasy-themed social club also from Armstrong that opened in September. The hard-to-find space is signless, and reservations are a must; guests enter through a secret side door illuminated by one dim blue light. Inside, blue velvet couches adorn an intimate room for 30. |
|
CONTINUED > |
|
|
PHOTO GALLERY |
 | The pub-style dining room at Eammons.
Photo: Ken Wyner |
|
|
 | The upstairs lounge at PX.
Photo: Ken Wyner |
|
|
 | The
dining room at Central.
Photo: BizBash |
|
|
 | The entrance to Brasserie Beck.
Photo: Michael Moran |
|
|
 | The dining room at Brasserie Beck.
Photo: Michael Moran |
|
|
 | Brasserie Beck's coffee station.
Photo: Michael Moran |
|
|
 | The bar at Brasserie Beck.
Photo: Michael Moran |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Central Michel Richard
Citronelle devotees can now head to Central Michel Richard, the chef/owner’s homage to American cuisine with a French twist, on Pennsylvania Avenue. Open since January, the 130-seat dining resto, designed by Tom Mulhearn of Group Goetz Architects, is open and airy, with light-wood furniture and large windows and mirrors lining the walls. Maroon and cream lampshades hang from the dining room ceiling, and a gold mesh curtain separates a 20-seat semiprivate room. Adjacent to the open kitchen, an additional 16-seat private room features a long, country-style table and full audiovisual capabilities. The 35-foot marble-topped bar offers ample seating, including a cozy window seat at one end. The restaurant’s two glass-walled wine rooms, which separate reds from whites, feature huge transparent images of the chef and the Statue of Liberty. Specialties include the 72-hour beef short ribs, a goat-cheese Caesar salad, and Richard’s signature dessert, a new take on the KitKat chocolate bar with hazelnut chocolate between crispy layers.
Brasserie Beck
Open as of April 25, the latest enterprise from chef Robert Wiedmaier (of Marcel’s) is a modern take on the Belgian brasserie. Designed by Yui Designs, Brasserie Beck is located on K Street, just steps away from the convention center, and features a glowing glass-and-steel solarium housing a large-scale open kitchen. The main dining room is dotted with giant mirrors and offers 165 seats and 50 in the bar, while a private dining room can seat as many as 100. Also on tap: several small private dining parlors for 30, coffee stations punctuating the bar area, and a fresh seafood station. Telling The Washington Post there are too many high-end restaurants in the District, Wiedmaier went out of his way to make meals at Beck’s affordable—dinner for two is said to cost less than $100, a fraction of what you’d pay at Marcel’s.
—Monica Bhide & Anne E. Stewart
MORE THE WALKTHROUGH STORIES
Birch & Barley: Neighborhood Restaurant Group's New Beer-Themed Venue With Private Dining
Long View Gallery: New Location in Warehouse Space for 400
Kellari Taverna Opens With Private Dining
Masa 14 Opens With Private Dining and Tequila Lounge
Courtyard by Marriott Chevy Chase Opens With Event Space
MORE STORIES ABOUT
Washington's Top Food & Restaurant Industry Events 2009
| More Suppliers/Venues to Consider |
ADVERTISEMENT |
|
|
|
The National Press Club
The headquarters of the National Press Club, the world's leading professional organization for journalists, functions as a communications venue as much as a special event venue. On the 13th floor of the National Press Building are eight conference rooms and the Fourth Estate Restaurant with a private dining room. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
|
IML
IML is the market leader in interactive electronic voting and audience-response systems. Its keypads enable your audience to send live text messages and vote during PowerPoint presentations—you can even use the keypad's built-in microphone during Q&A sessions. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
|
Sara McGregor's Capitol Catering
Beautiful meals and Washington's finest events—Sara McGregor's Capitol Catering has been making memorable moments in the nation's capital and beyond for more than two decades. Capitol Catering is a full-service catering company, meaning they can do as much or as little as you like! More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
