The Latest Dish: International Culinary Appeal is DMV’s Strength
By • October 7, 2025 0 636
Realm Rooftop Bar & Lounge is slated to debut next month in Shaw at 899 O St. NW. The indoor-outdoor bar and restaurant will feature fire pits (outside option) and panoramic views of D.C. The menu, from executive chef Keem Hughley, will merge French culinary technique with Seychellois Creole cuisine.
Keem Hughley, executive chef at Realm.
Doubling down in Adams Morgan, the Popal Group plans to reopen The Berliner at its new property at 2436 18th St. NW (where The Jerk Pit used to be), serving a vast selection of beers, including the beer hall’s own beer, and housemade sausages. The opening is slated for the second quarter of 2026.
Manifest, a hip barbershop that made its debut in Adams Morgan, opens Manifest 002 in NoMa at 1242 3rd St. NE. It includes a coffee shop, (h)ours restaurant, a cocktail lounge and a hidden speakeasy, with Erik Bruner-Yang (Providencia, Maketto) developing the menu.
Geoff Dawson (Astro Beer Hall, Highline RxR, Penn Social) and Curt Large (Continental Beer Garden) plan to reopen Buffalo Billiards at 1835 14th St. NW, where Source Theatre used to be, in the second quarter of 2026. The joint venture partners used to own a Buffalo Billiards and The Front Page in Dupont, which later became Swingers golf. Dawson and Large have also joint-ventured on Iron Horse Tap Room, Mackey’s Crystal City and Rocket Bar.
Quick Hits: Steve Salis plans to open The Federalist Pig in Barracks Row at 527 8th St. SE, a property he purchased, where Cava Mezze used to be, by the end of the third quarter of 2026 … Rajiv Chopra anticipates a fourth-quarter opening this year for Taki Taki, featuring modern South Asian food, and Rumba Rumba, a global tapas and cocktail lounge, at 713 8th St. SE, where Crazy Aunt Helen’s used to be … Detroit Brick Pizza Co. is opening a 150-seat pizzeria at 1626 14th St. NW in Logan Circle, former home of the legendary Miss Pixie’s.
Just Opened: Darren Norris’s Shibuya Eatery has relocated from Adams Morgan to 4461 Willard Ave. in Chevy Chase. Shibuya 2.0 has 45 seats and counter service … Rock Harper opened Hush Harbor at 1337 H St. NE, offering Southern-inspired dishes and a no-phones bar … Vegetable-friendly Eunoia opened in Union Market at 320 Florida Ave. NE, featuring dishes from Mexico, Bulgaria and Japan … Also in Union Market, Desert 5 Spot, a country-western bar with live music, a DJ and a mechanical bull, opened at 400 Morse St. NE.
Linda Roth is the founder and CEO of Linda Roth Associates, a D.C.-based public relations and marketing firm that specializes in the food service and hospitality industries. Follow her at: @LindaRothPR, #LindaRothPR or lindarothpr.com.
