The Latest Dish: Culinary Delights from Africa, Mexico, Egypt, Thailand
By • May 10, 2023 0 2523
Maia Shanklin Roberts, Nick Hall, Imani Shanklin Roberts, Tau Shanklin Roberts, and Camille Hall are the creative force founders behind Shanklin Hall, a social club slated to open mid-Q2 2023 where Columbia Station was as 2325 18th St. NW in Adams Morgan. The menu will feature “ancestral bites” inspired by the African Diaspora and curated by Chef Myra T. Briggs, a 20+ year hospitality industry veteran. It will offer food pop-ups highlighting local chefs on the rise, as well as a Sunday Supper series. The bar program will be managed by UK native, Chai Lee, most recently of D.C.’s 600 T.
Agave Room opened at 2446 18th St., NW in Adams Morgan where Jug & Table wine bar was, on the first level of the building that also houses Roofer’s Union. It features a curated list of Mexican spirits. General manager Dave Delaplaine pointed out: The Agave Room is to mezcals and tequilas what Jug & Table was to wines.
Cynthia and Jeffrey Higgins opened Elaine’s, featuring Middle Eastern cuisine in Old Town Alexandria, at 208 Queen Street where Bilbo Baggins used to be. Alexandria, Virginia to Alexandria, Egypt — hence, the food is Egyptian. Elaine’s is named after Cynthia’s Egyptian grandmother. It seats 120 on two floors. The upper floor is full of books, a nod to the owners who are also published authors.
Isaiah Walker, Zach Coles and Lloyd Bramble (all UVA grads) opened Krave Restaurant & Lounge where Le Mirch used to be at 1736 Connecticut Ave. NW in Dupont Circle. Featuring southern food, it’s open for lunch, dinner and brunch. Krave is a salute to iconic Black entertainers, entertainment and food of the ‘90s. Barry Scruggs, formerly at Four Seasons Hotel and MGM National Harbor, is the executive chef.
Quick Hits: Atlas Brew Works will open in 2025 in The Douglass, a mixed-use project near Anacostia Park in the Bridge District. There’s space for Atlas to expand its production facility within the District…. Lebanese restaurant, Villa Yara, opened at 2815 M St. NW in Georgetown…. Andre McCain plans to open an affiliate of HalfSmoke at Skyland Town Center, in Q3 2023. It will seat 200 with bar seating for 20 and a 40-seat outdoor patio. Another is planned for Rockville Town Center in early Q3 2023… Mark Furstenberg will open a Bread Furst Cafe inside the Phillips Collection at 1600 21st St., NW that will be open to the public, so no admission ticket to the museum is necessary to buy coffee, baked goods, sandwiches or salads at the walk-up café.
New York-based Dig eatery opened at 1301 Wisconsin Ave, NW where Paolo’s Ristorante used to be. Chef David Saffell works with locally sourced, small artisan farms and purveyors. He previously worked at the Gaylord Hotel in National Harbor, True Foods Kitchen in Merrifield.
Bo Blair plans to open another Due South in Chevy Chase in Q4 2023, in addition to the one at Navy Yard. Another Due South is slated to open at 5708 Wisconsin Ave. NW near Jetties, another of Bo’s concepts with chef/partner Rusty Holman.
Middleburg-based Thaiverse expanded to where Darlington House was at 1610 20th St., NW in D.C.’s Dupont Circle. It has 222 seats plus a 20-seat outdoor patio. The location will once again offer music in the downstairs space where Childe Harold once featured rock n’ roll music. (Yes, Bruce Springsteen played there.) It will be re-named “Step-Childe Harold.”
Linda Roth is Founder & CEO of Linda Roth Associates (LRA), a D.C.-based public relations and marketing firm that specializes in the foodservice and hospitality industries. Follow her at: @LindaRothPR, #LindaRothPR, or www.lindarothpr.com.
