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Mason Dixie (MD) could easily be a startup working on the next hit iOS app with an eye on Apple to acquire them. Young, talented "founders." One with the title "CEO" as in a tech company. Another with a high-profile day job. They recently won "Launchpad," an "entrepreneur's competition" netting a $500K "investment" and, until very recently, operated out of an "incubator." Surely very cool. But no software or cool app here. Rather, southern style biscuits and, they're good. Very good. One of the founders is a chef and responsible for the namesake item. Another is the sommelier at Fiola Mare. MD is looking for permanent space and, in the meantime, operates from a pop-up location in Union Market from 8 am until "sold out." The bacon comes from Benton's in Tennessee. The eggs from local farms. The biscuits are everything a great biscuit should be: rich, fluffy and just strong enough to hold a variety of interesting sandwiches ranging from pork and fried chicken to chili and the morning take on a McMuffin. As quick breakfasts go, the egg, bacon and cheese paired with a cappuccino from nearby permanent Union Market tenant Peregrine is as good as any other startup meal elsewhere in the city. Likely better. Hope to see these guys in town soon. In the meantime, damn good biscuits and Biscuit sandwiches at Union Market Wednesday through Sunday. Website - Facebook Nov 4, 2014 - "Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. Shifts to Union Market" by Becky Krystal on washingtonpost.com

A little more about Dino's Grotto and our campaign on Indiegogo

To get this topic started: Kyirisan is at 1924 8th St. NW (between T and U). We enjoyed our first meal tonight. It is a pretty and hip space, all very stylish including decor, plates, people, etc. The menu is not huge but everything we had was good. They say it's "Chinese-French" and I guess I can see that. As you can see online, the menu is divided into three categories: basically, vegetables (though NOT all vegetarian), meat/fowl, and seafood - in each category there are smaller plates and bigger plates. "All meant for sharing," ok whatever. A shot of good rum and a shot of pickle juice - trendy and good. Fried tofu cubes in a spicy oyster sauce - yum. "Red Curry | Japanese Eggplant | Apple | Butternut Squash | Potato | Peanuts | Pea Puree" gives you a sense of the way that you are not definitely in a traditional "Asian restaurant in USA" environment - it is not a bowl of coconut milk curry but is instead an artistic composed plate of not quite enough food but beautiful and tasty. And so on. If you are a drinker and a pig like me, think in terms of $50 or so per person. Service was friendly and nice, atmosphere was friendly and nice, food was good but just realize that you are going for stylish and artistically-presented food that tastes very good, not for anything authentic to any culture other than Shaw in 2016. I like Shaw in 2016 and therefore will happily go back.

According to Eater, this Shaw joint just opened. The head chef previously worked at Le Bernadin and Guy Savoy. Being super hip and cool, we will be checking out their early-bird specials soon.

Couldn't find a thread here for this place, opening Tuesday. It looks promising: they are importing all their masa and making everything in-house daily. Menu looks interesting and ambitious, but expensive for Mexican food. "PoPville Preview: Espita Mezcaleria Opening Tuesday, 'Showcasing The Best Of Mexican Southern Cuisine'" on popville.com Dinner Menu

mama desta's restaurant on georgia avenue is the first taste of ethiopian cuisine i recall a couple of decades ago, and we had some favorites in adams morgan for a while before eventually tiring of the food. but reading todd kliman has rekindled our interest, and our initial return to ethiopian revealed that there are once again some new things happening in these kichens, whose origins in washington were full of novelty. we thought we would be eating at his favorite ethiopian restaurant in the area last night, sodere. finding it closed, we turned the corner of ninth and u to find etete just a couple of doors down. this is a narrow restaurant, with eight tables for two and a few tables with bar stools and a small bar. its furnishings are surprisingly contemporary, and it has the appearance of wanting to be half a bar hangout, although the selections, which include alcohol, are a bit limited. i had a harrar beer, which was very mellow and i would say it had a note of honey. it was a good accompaniment to the food. we ordered a fasten vegetable sampler that included good renditions of greens, lentils, potatoes and carrots, and a small lettuce and tomato salad that was a bit out of place. the centerpiece of our meal was tikul, a mound of ground (whipped) beef, and it stole the show. soft, buttery, (my wife thinks cheesy) and with a mysterious (to us) spice, with a great, unique flavor. lentil sambusas were soft and slow-burn spicy, and the injera had a more interesting, tripe-ish texture than the smoother versions served in the old days. the waitresses here are glamorous and nice, although they may not have enough command of the english language to tell you what's in your beef. for that, you might attempt to get the answer from the chef herself, who was totally engrossed in her preparations from what we could see through the swinging door to the kitchen at the end of the room. i'm not sure who's allowed to invade the kitchen, but one customer did, probably a regular or friend or relative, dressed up as some sort of chieftain, and he exited back through the restaurant a bit later with a big plastic bag of carry out. the disappearing into the kitchen for extended periods includes the waitresses, who are apologetic about their long absences without really having to be. we were well aware that we had entered another time zone, and appreciated the leisurely pace. a solitary diner, on the other hand, was in and out quickly. on a sunday night, there were about a dozen customers over an hour-and-a-half span. outside and after dark, this may not be the safest neighborhood to be strolling around in, but there is a metro station just one block away if you're worried.

A colleague of mine, who is dating someone who works there, just informed me that Convivial is opening to the public tonight and their Facebook page seems to confirm this by stating that they are open at 5:30 this evening. The soft opening was this past Sunday and tonight they're ready for the public.

I only saw the pictures but the place looks very elegant. Anybody tried it yet? Congrats Derek!

I find it hard to believe that this topic hadn't already been created, so if so please move this. I looked and couldn't find anything. We had dinner last night at Hazel and absolutely loved it. We arrived around 7 pm and were able to grab seats at the bar. The bartender provided fantastic service, and was extremely knowledgeable about the entire menu, cocktails, wine and food. The cocktail, wine and beer lists all show a great deal of care, with very interesting choices available. Both my wife and I enjoyed our cocktails very much. I went with the Power Play, which featured a barrel aged gin, montenegro amaro, paw paw vinegar and lime juice. Delicious and interesting. We initially ordered the Barbecue Carrots (fennel kraut, hazelnuts, buttermilk); the Hamachi Crudo (crispy rice, black lime, radish, hibuscus, smoked yogurt); the Octopus a la Plancha (roof top basil, shaved carrot & fennel salad, nuoc cham); and the Gnocchi Bokki (pork kimchi ragu, sesame seeds, smoked pecorino). Our bartender suggested that we probably needed one additional dish, and at his suggestion we ordered the Steak Tartare (tater tots, egg yolk, pepper cress, carmelized onion dip). He was 100% correct, and this was the exact right amount of food. First off, we loved everything, and will absolutely return. It's location directly across the street from the 930 Club immediately makes this our pre-show destination for the foreseeable future. Our two favorites, by far, were the Barbecued Carrots and the Gnocchi Bokki. The carrots were incredible. They cold smoke them, and then roast them with cumin, smoked paprika and a bunch of other spices I can't remember. The hazelnuts provide a great textural element, and the fennel kraut gives it some fantastic acidity. It was wonderful. And the gnocchi was just delicious. We will be back.

Washington City Paper with the news. and this nugget: "I want to be the type of place where the residents of that area and people who are nearby can come once a week, twice a week... and it won't hurt their wallet," says Can Yurdagul, who's joined in the venture by his future father-in-law/chef Minoru Ogawa. The owners are also giving equity in the business to three of their longtime sushi chefs. Congrats Can!

One of the more pleasant dining experiences, I've had in a long time. The space is simple, clean and serene which is a great reflection of the food. I went early so it wasn't so crowded but I'm guessing that this place will be consistently packed. If you had to try one dish, get the grilled Mero with miso. It's sea bass that has a nice char on the outside but comes out tasting smooth and creamy. My full post is below; Izakaya Seki

Is there any magic parking around there or do most people take the metro?

I normally don't cut-and-paste press releases, but then one says all you need to know. That said, while this may technically be "Shaw," it seems to be the centroid of Shaw, Convention Center, Mount Vernon Square, and Logan Circle, so I'm not sure exactly where to put this in the Dining Guide. Congratulations, Ron and Sherman! --- WASHINGTON, DC - August 21, 2013: Bringing new flavor to 9th St. NW in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, DC, Thally serves Modern American Cuisine created by Chef and Co-Owner Ron Tanaka, along with a rotating list of wines and craft beers, custom cocktails, housemade sodas, and unique spirits in a 70 seat restaurant which includes a 14 seat bar. The restaurant hopes to open on or about Tuesday, August 27th. A Dream Realized Thally is the brainchild of two good friends who have been talking about opening up their own casually elegant restaurant in Washington, DC for years. Chef & Co-Owner Ron Tanaka and General Manager & Co-Owner Sherman Outhuok finally found the perfect place, on a burgeoning block of 9th St. NW near the DC Convention Center, and Thally was born. Thally was conceived to be a comfortable and inviting neighborhood restaurant, as well as a destination worthy of Washingtonians crossing the city to discover our mouthwatering cuisine. Our name pays tribute to our Shaw neighborhood as well as our families: "Thally" refers to the Tally-Ho Stables (built in 1883) located in Naylor Court directly behind our restaurant, as well as to Thalia, Sherman's daughter. (Thally is pronounced without saying the "h", as in Tally-Ho.) The interior décor also reflects the character of Thally's surrounding neighborhood. Design details include: exposed brick, reclaimed wood, vintage barn-door hardware, blackboards, antique pipe fittings, leather seating, substantial wood and steel tables, and a 28 ft. absolute black granite bar with leather-finish. Our logo and the custom wall graphics created by local graphic designer/ artist Matthew Hlubny for Thally's dining rooms and bathrooms feature images of the antique stables, row-houses and carriage houses that are characteristic of the Blagden Alley-Naylor Court designated historic district in the Shaw neighborhood, contained between O and M Streets and 9th and 10th Streets. MENU Simple, Fresh, and Flavorful"¦ all of Thally's dinner dishes have been carefully created by Chef Ron Tanaka with those three words in mind. FIRST COURSE chilled cucumber soup "“ greek yogurt, celery, cumin, dill, mint romaine salad- capers, grapefruit, worcestershire croutons, buttermilk vinaigrette salad of grilled peach, crisp prosciutto, spiced cottage cheese, bibb lettuce, balsamic watermelon, heirloom tomato, herbed goat cheese, pickled radish bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, avocado vinaigrette, pain de mie toast crab roulette- peekytoe crab, cauliflower/tomato salad, dill carnitas sope- pork shoulder, red chile sauce, epazote, radish SECOND COURSE swiss chard- tarbais beans, fennel, mushrooms, shallots grilled branzino- eggplant caponata, basil, piquillo jus pan seared rockfish- corn salsa, filet beans, tomato, tarragon roast duck- artichoke, greens, black olive sauce grilled pork t-bone, mustard brined, pinto bean puree, mustard greens, ginger, grilled scallion grilled delmonico steak- baby spinach, coffee dust, bordelaise sauce BEVERAGES WINE: Thally will serve 24 wines by the glass, with a rotating list that switches out 6 wines by the glass per week! DRAFT BEER: Our bar has 10 craft beers on draft. DRAFT CIDER: We're cider fans, and will always have 2 ciders on tap and a few by the bottle. THALLYTAILS: Custom cocktails created by Co-Owner Sherman Outhuok. HOUSEMADE SODAS: In lieu of serving traditional sodas squirted from a soda gun, Thally will be making its own sodas and colas. OUR TEAM Thally is co-owned by Chef Ron Tanaka, Sherman Outhuok, and Paolo Sacco. Ron Tanaka, Chef & Co-Owner A native of San Diego, Chef Tanaka began his culinary career in the mid 90s when he came to DC and began working in the pantry of the Morrison-Clark Inn under the tutelage of Susan McCreight-Lindeborge, who was a great inspiration to him. He was then spirited away by well-known Michel Richard who hired Tanaka as a line cook when he opened Citronelle. He continued to refine his cooking talents and techniques while working for Frank Ruta at Palena and then Eric Ziebold at CityZen. When Cork opened on 14th St NW, Tanaka was hired as Executive Chef, putting the restaurant (and himself) on DC's culinary map. Excited for new adventures, Chef Tanaka left Cork to reinvigorate New Heights in Woodley Park, quickly making it a must "“go dining destination, and earning it accolades on Washingtonian's "2012 Very Best Restaurants" List. He is excited to now open his own restaurant which dedicates itself to Simple, Fresh, and Flavorful Modern American cuisine. Sherman Outhuok, General Manager & Co-Owner A longtime fixture on DC's bar scene, Sherman Outhuok was a managing partner for a number of years at Posto restaurant on 14thSt. He then went on to open Maple in Columbia Heights as the Bar Manager /AGM. He makes his own "Cello" (sweet and citrusy) liquors, inspired from his time at Posto. You'll regularly find Outhuok behind the bar mixing up new batches of Lemon, Tangerine, Orange and even Grapefruit Cello. You'll also see him front-of-house, greeting guests. Paolo Sacco, Co-Owner With more than 20 years of experience in Washington, DC, as well as substantial culinary work throughout Italy, London, and New York, Paolo Sacco is highly regarded as a dynamic leader in the restaurant and hospitality industry. He is the well-known and admired Owner of Ristorante Tosca, Co-Owner of Posto, and now a Co-Owner of Thally. Sacco's hard work, dedication, and mission to always provide the highest quality cuisine and service to his patrons have placed him among the elite of Washington's restaurateurs. Sacco's career in DC began when he became the maitre d' at the very trendy Bice Restaurant from 1993-1995, where he was responsible for the operation of the dining room, as well as creating unique menus with the chef. Since its opening in April 2001, Ristorante Tosca has firmly established itself as a mature player and premier Italian restaurant on the Washington restaurant scene. Sacco's trattoria-style restaurant, Posto, has followed that same path "“ albeit on a more casual level, as it is quickly became a cornerstone on 14th St.'s restaurant row. With Sacco's guidance, Thally is poised to lead the charge in making 9th St. NW a culinary destination. LOCATION, HOURS, AND CONTACT INFO: Thally is located in the newly thriving 9th St. Corridor in Shaw, immediately adjacent to Seasonal Pantry and A&D Neighborhood Bar, in the middle of the block between N and O Streets NW. 1316 9th St. NW, Washington, DC 20001 202-733-3849 info@ThallyDC.com www.ThallyDC.com Facebook.com/ThallyDC Twitter: @ThallyDC Open Tuesday "“Sunday: 5pm -11:30pm (bar), 5:30pm - 11pm (kitchen) Closed Mondays Private Dining Thally is able to accommodate parties of up to 25 people in a separate, semi-private dining room. In addition, Thally is also available on Mondays for full restaurant buy-out to accommodate 70 people.

i think it only seems natural that i'm the one to start this thread, eh? in any event, Laura Hayes profiled French Quarter Brasserie recently. gone are the most comfortable bar seats in all of history. in is a spin-off of a Cajun-inspired Fairfax spot.

Just an fyi, I wrote this up for BYT, but a new french-inspired place is opening on 9th Street. Here's a first look. "Brought to us by Phil Rodriguez and Joey Belcher, of Sticky Rice on H Street, and Mick Mier and Joe Steger the design team responsible for Science Club, Napoleon and Sesto Senso, 1905 will offer French-inspired bistro fare. They hope 1905 will be a cozy addition to the neighborhood. The kind of place you want to eat, hang out, drink some wine, then come back the next night and do it again."

Any news on Fishnet in Shaw?

I've been watching progress on this place for the last few months; PoP reports today that it is opening this week. Menu looks to be strictly standard American Thai offerings, but here's hoping that it will be tasty and fresh (good pad thai is good pad thai). They will be takeout only until they receive a zoning change to operate as a sit down joint. I'm certainly not expecting Taw-like levels of quality or deliciousness, but if they serve up decent Thai it'll be a hell of a lot more convenient! Good to see more options around my 'hood.

This place looks good - Capo Deli Pictures on Yelp look great, especially the bread, and prices are not obscene. $9 a lb for eggplant parm. $9 for smaller sandwich, and $11 for sandwiches that appear to feed two hungry people. Open til 3AM - 4AM on weekends. 2007 me would be so happy right now.

Friends and I are trying to watch basketball tonight but can't think of a place that has both TVs and decent drinks. Somewhere in Logan/Shaw would be ideal, but relatively flexible. Ideas? Only place we could think of was Riggsby, but that's not really a sports bar.

I just read about a new taqueria called "El Ray" opening. Can anyone help me? Is this one of my new restaurants? If so, does anyone know its location, menu, hours of operation, and how badly the wine list sucks so I can post the information on my "web-site"? And, most importantly, will it have its own thread here or just be mixed in together with the rest? Any information will be greatly appreciated.

Walked by last night to what looked like a fully kitted-out restaurant in a cute space; was told it will be opening next week. http://tabledc.com/about/ http://www.popville.com/2012/10/new-restaurant-from-chef-frederik-de-pue-table-coming-to-shaw-looking-to-open-nov-3rd/

I'm still not caught up on Top Chef but I just watched the third episode and was so impressed by DC's Kwame Onwuachi, that I had to look him up to see where he was cooking. Turns out, his new place, The Shaw Bijou, is scheduled to open later this Winter. He's put up some great dishes so far, and won one of the elimination challenges but what impressed me the most was his attitude. For a 25 year old he seems wise beyond his years, very thoughtful and mature and a really great guy. He's almost got a Buddha like quality about him......I'm not totally sure what I mean by that(!) but he just seems super grounded and very together. On the show I just watched the chefs were paired into teams of two who would compete against the other teams, but there was a twist. Halfway through the competition, they changed it so now each chef was competing against his/her former partner. From teammates to competitors, just like that! Naturally, you'd expect no help from your former partner since it's a now head to head competition and if you lose, you could be eliminated from the show. But Kwame somehow had some extra time and was able to help his former partner and current competitor cut up his meat and cook his food! Usually in these competitions each chef is using every last second just to get the meal on the plate, but this guy was taking his own precious time to help the one guy he had to beat!! During the interview about it, he was so casual and matter of fact about it, it touched me and I had to look him up! Despite helping his competitor, he ended up winning the entire competition! Classy and talented. Here's an article from the Post from July about him and the new place: 07/15/15 - "The Shaw Bijou, from Rising New York Chef Kwame Onwuachi, is Coming to a 9th Street Rowhouse" by Becky Krystal on washingtonpost.com Here's an excerpt: "Next up: 25-year-old Kwame Onwuachi, whose résumé includes stints at such cachet-carrying eateries as New York's Eleven Madison Park and Per Se. Onwuachi expects to open the Shaw Bijou later this year." Wowzers!

As Logan Circle/Shaw/Bloomingdale gain steam as go-to areas of the city to live in, I wanted to give a shout-out to this small, independently owned kabob restaurant that my wife and I frequent fairly regularly. This is not a destination restaurant by any means; to be fair the menu is a little scattered and they would be smart to focus on their strengths (kabobs and Indian/Pakistani fare) but the owner is a great guy and I respect him taking a chance and opening a restaurant in an area where you generally only see white carton chinese, liquor stores, and gas stations. It can be a bit inconsistent, but I find that is well worth the very reasonable prices, especially if you are dining in or carrying out. I don't recommend the delivery, which generally takes an inordinate amount of time due to the owner walking your order himself to your house (Taw-style). Pretty much everything we have had is good, but my favorites are the Beef Samosa, Kofta Kabob, and Chicken Curry. Check it out, this is a business worth supporting. Website

El Sol de Americas a new Salvadoran and Mexican restaurant on 9th street right below U street, a few storefronts down from Etete. Dropped in the other night to try it out and found a very clean and vibrant layout and a very friendly staff. The waitress said they had been open for about a month now. The menu has the usual selection of Salvadoran and Mexican dishes at pretty reasonable prices. I stuck to the Salvadoran side and really enjoyed the fried yucca with chicharones and the bean pupusa. Both very simple but well prepard and fresh tasting. I also have to give a thumbs up to the exemplary tostadas and salsa. I don't know why it is so hard to produce a warm greaseless chip and a salsa with taste but very few places around here seem to be able to accomplish this. I'm curious to try some of their weekend soups and some of their seafood items. Not a destination restaurant but definitely something to try if you're in the area.

Haikan is opening Saturday, according to the Washington City Paper. Expect Sapporo-style ramen, mapo tofu poutine (!!!!), and a "Wasabi Peas" cocktail.