The Latest Dish

Michael Schlow continues to build his restaurant empire in D.C. He will open Casolare in the newly renovated Glover Park Hotel, featuring food from the south of Italy — Amalfi, Sardinia, Puglia — as well as from other regions. The kitchen at Casolare will also oversee in-room dining and banquets for the hotel, which is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation by D.C.-based developers Foxhall Partners and Iron Point Partners. The partnership also owns the Carlyle Dupont Circle, where another Michael Schlow restaurant, the Riggsby, is located. With 150 seats, Casolare will initially open for dinner only, adding breakfast, lunch and eagerly awaited Sunday brunch. Tyler Vaughan, formerly of New York’s Union Square Hospitality Group, is the general manager. Schlow Restaurant Group also has Tico on 14th Street and Alta Strada and Conosci at City Vista. Opening soon: Marjorie Meek-Bradley is getting ready to open Smoked & Stacked on 9th Street NW in Shaw, featuring her house-made pastrami. It will open for breakfast and lunch. … From the Philadelphia-based Vetri family of restaurants comes Pizzeria Vetri, an elevated fast-casual concept opening June 24 at 14th Street and Florida Avenue NW. This will be its first D.C. location; there are two in Philadelphia and one in Austin, Texas, next to parent company Urban Outfitters. Chef Update: Richard Falbo was named executive chef at Vinifera Wine Bar & Bistro at the Westin Reston. He previously worked at Passionfish in Bethesda. He also worked at Lambert’s and Perla’s in Austin, Texas, where he developed his passion for sustainable seafood, as Perla’s was known as one of the busiest seafood restaurants in the Lone Star State. Landon Barnes was named sous chef. He also previously worked at Passionfish. … Jonathan Dearden is head chef at Radiator, the bar at Kimpton’s new Mason & Rook Hotel (formerly Hotel Helix) on Rhode Island Avenue NW in the Logan Circle corridor. He comes from Ardeo+Bardeo. Sarah Rosner is the lead bartender. She comes from Copycat Co.
Rosslyn Update: Barley Mac opened in Rosslyn at 1600 Wilson Blvd., where Red, Hot and Blue used to be. It’s owned and operated by the group that brought you A-Town (Ballston), Don Tito (Clarendon) and Don Taco (Old Town Alexandria). It seats 200 inside and 100 on the patio. The all-American menu is from Jeremy Magnanelli. The bar is known for its variety of bourbons and whiskeys. … Vitality Bowl, a fast-casual California-based, health-themed (think organic) restaurant featuring açaí berry bowls and super foods, will open this summer at 1515 Wilson Blvd. Its three local owners are Anisha Sharma, Narender Neerukonda and Raghu Gondi. The St. Gregory Hotel between the West End and Dupont Circle is renovating its restaurant, lounge and bar space with a new concept and partnership, to be revealed this fall.
The W Hotel in downtown D.C. is opening a bocce bar on the patio off its restaurant, Pinea. Evening games are encouraged — complemented with beers from Italy — as glow-in-the-dark bocce balls will be provided. Hugo, a new cocktail bar, recently opened in Purcellville. From the folks who brought you Wine Kitchen and WK Hearth, Hugo is named for Hugo Ensslin, who authored one of America’s first cocktail recipe books.