September is almost here, and the Washington restaurant circuit is buzzing with the eateries coming to town in the fall. Here's a quick look at a few spots to watch.
Eventide in Clarendon is scheduled to open in mid-October in the former meeting space for the Odd Fellows fraternal organization. The three-story restaurant will offer several dining options, starting with a 20-seat bar on the first floor, which seats 40. The second floor will take advantage of the building's 18-foot ceilings with wall-length royal blue curtains in the 90 seat dining room, which also includes tiger-striped granite tables and three semiprivate areas. Up on the roof, Eventide's terrace will offer views of the city and seat as many as 60.
The Neighborhood Restaurant Group, which owns Tallula/EatBar and Rustico, is also opening a multi-part property. Slated for October, Birch & Barley/ChurchKey is the first D.C. restaurant from the Virginia-focused group. Set on two levels in the former Dakota Cowgirl space, the spot is headed up by Rustico chef Frank Morales. Downstairs, the 90-seat Birch & Barley dining room will offer modern American fare and a 14-seat chef's table. Upstairs, the 3,200-square-foot bar ChurchKey plans to pour some 500 beers.
Further into the fall, an edition of Bourbon Steak from California chef Michael Mina will open at the Four Seasons in Georgetown. Scheduled for December, the restaurant is replacing the Garden Terrace Lounge (as part of the hotel's ongoing $40-million renovation) with an 8,000-square-foot 140-seat space designed by New York's David Rockwell. The restaurant also will include a 32-seat private dining room complete with a 60-inch plasma screen and views of the C&O canal. Although a chef has yet to be named, Mina has already announced that the menu for this project will differ from his other Bourbon Steak spots in Miami, Scottsdale, and Detroit.
