The Latest Dish

MGM National Harbor Casino has enlisted an impressive list of renowned chefs to open restaurants there. Jose Andres plans to open Fish by Jose Andres, a seafood restaurant offering sushi, tempura and cocktail bars. Marcus Samuelsson plans to open Marcus, featuring his signature whole fried chicken, as well as Swedish and Ethiopian dishes, a salute to his heritage(s). The brothers Voltaggio (Bryan of Volt, Range, Aggio, and Family Meal; and Michael of ink and ink.sack in Los Angeles) will team up for the first time and open a steakhouse, targeted for third or fourth quarter of 2016.

Chef and GM Update: Vicki Reh is now chef and wine director at Via Umbria at 1525 Wisconsin Ave. NW in Georgetown. She shares chef duties with Jodi Seiner. It’s a market and café with private dining space and a soon-to-open art gallery. Owners are Susan and Bill Menard … Mark Slater, formerly of Bastille and Citronelle, runs the wine program at Pennsylvania 6 at 1350 Eye St. NW, where Tuscana West used to be. Philadelphia-based Public House Investments owns and operates City Tap House at Ninth and I Street NW, as well as Pennsylvania 6 … Jeremy Waybright, formerly of Boss Shepherd’s is now chef de cuisine at Range at the Chevy Chase Pavilion … That may be because Mattie McGhee, former chef de cuisine at Range, is now at The Watergate Hotel … Megan Coyle, formerly of Hank’s Oyster Bar, is general manager of Twisted Horn in Petworth … Thomas Harvey, formerly of Palena, is the new executive chef at The Partisan in Penn Quarter.

Quick Hits: Jrink owners Shizo Okusa and Jennifer Ngai will open their second Jrink at 2201 14th St. NW in The Jefferson. The original is in Foggy Bottom … Ten Penh lives again. PassionFood Hospitality will open their Asian themed restaurant at the Silverline Center in Tysons Corner in 2016 … Ivan Iricanin will open another Ambar at 1547 Seventh St. NW. The original is on 523 Eighth St. SE on Barracks Row. He also owns and operates an Ambar in Belgrade, Serbia, which is home for this Balkan restaurant concept.

Linda Roth is president of Linda Roth Associates, a public relations and marketing firm that specializes in the hospitality industry, providing creative connections through media relations, marketing initiatives, community outreach and special events. Reach her at Linda@LindaRothPR.com, lindarothpr.com or #LindaRothPR.