The Latest Dish
By • April 14, 2026 0 1263
After a $1.5-million renovation, ala DC is once again open for dinner and weekend brunch at 1320 19th St. NW. Owner Celal Gulluoglu revealed that several original elements were preserved, but have been reimagined in a commitment to sustainability. The restaurant’s focus on “cooking & mixology from the Levant” includes dishes from Turkey, Syria, Israel and Lebanon. There are 60 seats in the dining room, 80 upstairs in private dining space and 100 on the patio. A mezze lunch is slated to launch later this quarter.
A Dallas-based private wine club, 55 Seventy, has targeted Georgetown for its next opening, at 1115 30th St. NW, near M Street. It plans to seat 250, with total occupancy of 675. The unusual name signifies the ideal conditions for storing wine: 55 degrees and 70-percent humidity. Membership is by application only, with membership and initiation fees for D.C. TBD.
Atlas Restaurant Group (Atlas Fish Market, Big Fish Grill, Crab House, Dockside, Loch Bar, et al.) will be opening The Ruxton, an American chophouse, at 101 Constitution Ave. NW on Capitol Hill, where a very spacious Charlie Palmer used to be. ARG will also exclusively provide catering on the 19,000-square-foot rooftop. ARG plans to open another Ruxton steakhouse at National Harbor.
New York City-based Xi’an Famous Foods is slated to open in the Crossing at 2800 Clarendon Boulevard in Arlington in the third quarter. The restaurant’s menu is based on owner Jason Wang’s childhood meals in Xi’an, China. It will be a full-service restaurant, offering takeout as well. The Alexandria and D.C. locations are takeout-and-delivery only.
AdMo Update: Alexis Grea Bakery is slated to open at 1756 Columbia Road NW. The Lyon-born French pastry chef will offer “viennoiserie,” such as croissants, brioche and pain au chocolate … Andy’s Pizza has reopened its 2465 18th St. NW location after renovations … Bar Harbin, a contemporary Chinese restaurant, is slated to open at 2434 18th St. NW, where Copacabana used to be.
Just Opened: Chef/TV host/cookbook author Carla Hall has partnered with her friend Micheline Mendelsohn of Sunnyside Restaurant Group (Good Stuff Eatery, Santa Rosa Taqueria, We, The Pizza) to open Bumblebirds, a casual fried-chicken spot and Southern-style cocktail bar on Capitol Hill … Spot of Tea opened last week at 1631 Crystal Drive in the Water Park development in Arlington’s National Landing … Also in Water Park, Pizzeria Paradiso Pronto and Monstera Burrito are slated to open where Crush Pizza & Wine and Bubbie’s Plant Burgers & Fizz used to be.
Sarah White, owner of Westover Taco at 5849 Washington Boulevard in Arlington, is transforming it into Northern Virginia’s first women’s sports bar. It will feature professional women’s sports teams from the Washington Mystics and the Washington Spirit to the D.C. Divas and the Women’s Pro Baseball League, which will make its debut in August.
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.
