The Latest Dish- February 26, 2014

Matchbox Food Group is on a roll – or a tidal wave, as the case may be. Their classic comfort-food concept, Ted’s Bulletin, kicked off February with an opening in Reston Town Center where Uno’s used to be. Matchbox Food Group veteran Jacob Hunter is their opening executive chef. Kelsey Pitta has moved up to pastry chef, handling the new location as well as the Ted’s Bulletin locations on Capitol Hill and 14th Street.

Chef and Manager Updates: Josh Fatemi has been named bar manager for the new cocktail program on the first floor of Roofers Union in Adams Morgan. Previously, he was at Pearl Dive Oyster Palace and Black Jack and Bourbon. . .Vanessa Ochotorena has been named pastry chef for Roofers Union as well as its big sister, Ripple. She trained at Ripple under Alison Reed and Marjorie Meek-Bradley. Giovanni Carlo, former chef of Panache in Tysons Corner, is now the chef at Ovvio in Merrifield, Va. He had worked under Roberto Donna at Galileo. . .Bluejacket Brewery has a new beer brewer, Owen Miller, who joins beer director Greg Engert as well as Bobby Bump and Josh Chapman on the Bluejacket brewing team.

Upcoming Openings: A new Cafe Deluxe is slated to open in early May in D.C.’s West End in the Hilton Garden Inn currently under construction. This will be the fifth Cafe Deluxe. Other locations include Cleveland Park, Tysons Corner, Bethesda and Gaithersburg…Bryan Voltaggio is planning to open Lunchbox at the Chevy Chase Pavilion in late summer, bringing yet another of his concepts to the D.C. market His Range eatery is already at that property. Heavy Seas Alehouse in Rosslyn plans to open by the end of February. . .A new restaurant and club called Mpire Club is slated to open near Dupont Circle by the end of the first quarter of 2014.
 
Helen Wasserman of Helen’s Catering plans to take over the Rockville location where Addie’s used to be. With her headwaiter, Kevin Bullock, she will open Crave by Helen, featuring an “East meets West” menu. Helen owned and operated Helen’s on D.C.’s 18th St., NW, in the mid-1980s. The caterer envisions nights devoted to Asian cooking, dishes from El Salvador and meals prepared for take-out. The plan is to extend the front of Addie’s, adding a catering kitchen (as her site in D.C. will close) and a smoker. A spring 2014 opening is planned.
 
By popular (healthy food) demand, Eamonn’s A Dublin Chipper in Arlington will be morphing into Society Fair, their market, butchery and bakery by the end of the month. Todd Thrasher, Cathal Armstrong and their partners plan to expand the concept beyond Old Town Alexandria and Arlington.
  
Just Opened: Rí Rá in Georgetown just opened on M Street where Mie N Yu used to be. The Irish pub got a head start on St. Patrick’s Day. . .Miami-based Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab just opened in downtown D.C. at 15th and H Sts., NW… .Au Bon Pain opened a new café in D.C. at 801 17th St., NW (in Lafayette Tower at the corner of 17th and H Streets). It is the 21st Au Bon Pain café to open in the metro area. . .Smashburger recently opened in Tysons Corner and in Gainesville, Va. . .Johnny Rockets’ newest restaurant opened at Tanger Outlets at National Harbour.