Despite the recession, Penn Quarter continues to grow with new and expanded venues. In mid-January, the Boston-based Legal Sea Foods chain completed an extensive renovation of its 7th Street location, opened in 2001. Designed by the Atlanta-based Johnson Studio, the reconfigured, 4,000-square-foot, 190-seat dining room is divided into three areas with frosted-glass partitions defining the space. New features include a white-marble floor and a bowed-beam ceiling resembling the hull of a ship. The refurbished and expanded semiprivate dining room can accommodate 24.
The expansion into an adjoining, historic building made way for a 54-seat, 1,500 square-foot bar featuring a Victorian-style vaulted ceiling and ornate plasterwork. Wide, cushioned stools offer guests views of a gleaming, glass-enclosed, 1,300-bottle wine-storage system and four flat-screen TVs. Both the bar and restaurant are available for full or partial buyouts.
Legal Sea Foods operates more than 30 restaurants on the East Coast, including a Washington-area branch at Reagan National Airport.
