Chef Duo, the Shields, to Set Up Restaurant on Potomac Street

Chef duo and married couple John and Karen Urie Shields is looking to open a new restaurant, and they have their eyes locked on a Georgetown location. The two left their former, acclaimed Town House in Chilhowie, Va., over a year ago in order to pursue a Washington, D.C., spot. After a lengthy search, the couple has taken a strong interest in 1050 Potomac St., NW, and plans to sign the lease within the week.

The new undertaking, which has not yet been named, will be a Town House follow-up. It will, therefore, feature a menu heavy in vegetable and marine options.

Before taking on the Town House, John and Karen Shields were well renowned in Chicago for their work at Charlie Trotter’s as sous-chef and head pastry chef, respectively. John Shields later worked as sous-chef at Alinea in Chicago and was listed on Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs in 2010.”

The two were brought on to assist with a revamping of Town House in 2008 by its co-owners Kyra and Tom Bishop. The Shields turned the Town House around, leaving it a booming hot spot in Chilhowie, which is west of Roanoke.

But now they’re set on Washington, DC. “I’ve always loved D.C.,” John Shields has said. “It’s got a great vibe.”

The space they’re eying consists of an outdoor patio as well as carriage house, allowing more space for restaurant guests.

Assuming the couple does sign the lease, a grand opening would, realistically, still lie nine months to a year down the road.