1. Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj opened upscale Italian eatery Bibiana Osteria Enoteca in September. A 10-seat semiprivate space is concealed behind floor-to-ceiling steel bead curtains, while a 48-seat private dining room features windows overlooking downtown. Two lounges seat 24 on white leather banquettes.
2. In December 2008, chef Michael Mina opened Bourbon Steak, his much buzzed-about dining and drinking spot in Georgetown’s Four Seasons Hotel. The 5,400-square-foot lobby-level space has contemporary decor in the 144-seat main dining room and 42-seat bar and lounge. A private room seats 22 and has large windows that overlook the C&O Canal.
3. In July, chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten opened the 96-seat J&G Steakhouse in the new W Washington D.C. Twenty-foot ceilings and massive arched windows grace the dining area, and two private rooms seat eight and 10. Downstairs, the wine bar has slate floors, exposed brick walls, and a 20-seat communal table.
4. Bilevel restaurant and lounge Blue Ridge opened in two adjoining Glover Park town houses in June. The venue’s minimalist decor was inspired by an early-20th-century Shaker farmhouse. Bartenders pour Prohibition-era cocktails to complement chef Barton Seaver’s cuisine. Event spaces include a 24-seat private dining room, a 24-seat lounge that opens onto a deck, and a seven-seat garden café.
5. Potenza opened in March 2009 and occupies 10,000 square feet on the ground level of the historic Woodward Building. Architectural details were preserved in the bar, four dining areas, and two semiprivate spaces that seat 22 and hold 75, respectively.
