The Latest Dish 10-12

Chef/GM/Mixologist Update: **Trummer’s On Main** in Clifton, Virginia, named Jon Cropf as the restaurant’s new executive chef. He hails from **The Drawing Room** in Charleston, South Carolina … Laurent Aubel has been promoted to executive chef at **Bar Dupont** at the Dupont Circle Hotel … Jorge Chicas is chef de cuisine at **BLT Steak DC.** He was executive chef at **The Bazaar by José Andrés** in Los Angeles and, before that, at ThinkFoodGroup’s **Zaytinya** in Penn Quarter.

The Ivy City ’hood keeps getting tastier. The fourth-quarter opening of **Pidzza** combines the best of Turkish pide and American pizza, hence the name. It will open in the new Douglas Development project at the Hecht’s building at 401 Okie St. NE.

**Quick Hits:** San Francisco-based fast-casual restaurant chain **Eatsa** is signed to open this fall at 1627 K St. NW. Customizable quinoa bowls will make for an automated, faster fast-casual dining experience … Ohio-based Cameron Mitchell Restaurants will open **Ocean Prime**, featuring steak and seafood, this month at 1341 G St. NW, in the downtown space where **Ceiba** used to be … Yoshi Ota plans to open **Sushi Gakyu**, a 67-seat restaurant at 1420 New York Ave. NW by the end of the year. He also owns **Yuzu Japanese Dining** in Bethesda … A full-service **Wingo’s** with an accompanying sports bar will open in the first-quarter of 2017 at 2339 18th St. NW in Adams Morgan where **Angles Bar** and **Little Fountain Café** were. The original Wingo’s is in Georgetown (you knew that).

What’s new at the Wharf: K.N. Vinod and Surfy Rahman of **Indique** and **Bombay Bistro** plan to open an Indian restaurant in the new development. **Pearl Street Warehouse**, a tavern with live musical entertainment, will open, care of the owners of **Cantina Marina**. The main drag, Pearl Street, will also have **Kaliwa**, an Asian restaurant from Cathal Armstrong. Eric and Ian Hilton will do what they do best, opening **The Brighton**, a high-energy waterfront pub. But wait, there’s more. Nick Stefanelli of **Masseria** plans to open an Italian restaurant and market. Fabio and Maria Trabocchi plan to open a Spanish seafood (advantage: Maria) restaurant called **Del Mar.** Jen Carroll and Mike Isabella plan to open two oyster bars, plus a second location of their French Mediterranean restaurant, **Requin**, which is open in Merrifield, Virginia.

**Recently opened:** Rick and Valerie Dugan opened **The Grilled Oyster Company** in the Cathedral Commons project above Glover Park. Rick was general manager of **Brio Tuscan Grill** in North Bethesda and also the late, great **O’Donnell’s** in Bethesda … Luigi Diotaiuti of **Al Tiramisu** opened **Aperto** at 2013 I St. NW where **Primi Piatti** used to be.

The Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club at 7719 Wisconsin Ave. will become Bethesda Live. The 500-seat, 15,000-square-foot space presents comedy, country music and Latin music, in addition to blues and jazz. There is a new talent buyer and marketing director.

*Linda Roth is president of Linda Roth Associates, a public relations and marketing firm that specializes in the hospitality industry. Reach her at Linda@LindaRothPR.com.*