4 days ago
The Days Are Numbered for D.C. Institution Steak ‘n Egg Diner
Steak 'n Egg, the iconic upper Northwest greasy spoon patronized by American University students after last call, neighborhood regulars, politicians, and Hollywood celebrities alike since 1993, is officially on the market (4700 Wisconsin Avenue NW).
All-day Steak 'n Egg keeps customers full with hefty plates of country-fried steak and gravy, potato hash patties, whimsical funnel cake fries, and burgers. Steak 'n Egg Diner
Developer Constandinos Economides tells Eater that 'labor costs' induced by Initiative 82 — an under-debate D.C. law in effect since 2023 that requires businesses to gradually pay tipped staff more — is one reason cited for the closing. Taxes are the other cause for pulling the plug. A new lease listing for the 2,340-square-foot space shows availability as soon as July 31, but Economides says 'we're continuing to operate' with no set closing date. The retro-styled diner expanded on-site in recent years to include a 50-seat patio, room for 92 inside, and modernized touches like a dish-toting robot. Steak 'n Egg, once a 24/7 operation with quite the late-night crowd, is now only open until 8:45 p.m. The Tenleytown corner's diner roots date all the way back to 1931 as now-defunct breakfast chain Toddle House; a Steak 'n Egg Kitchen franchise took over decades later before locally owned Steak 'n Egg slid in the same year President Bill Clinton took office.
Agora completes the DMV trifecta
Agora, D.C.'s Mediterranean mainstay since 2010 that expanded to Northern Virginia in 2019, debuts its third area location next spring in Maryland. Tucked at the foot of Bethesda's Hyatt Regency Hotel (7400 Wisconsin Avenue), executive chef Ismet Sahi continues to spotlight Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese flavors across a meze menu that shows love for Maryland farms. A familiar selection of flame-grilled kebabs, cold-pressed olive oil, fresh seafood, and house-made künefe and pistachio souffle. Urbane Architects, behind Agora's recently renovated Dupont flagship and Tysons Corner outpost, will also design the dining room, full bar, sunlit patio, and private rooms in Bethesda.
Navy Yard's Ama is a 'bipartisan hot spot': NYT
All-day Ama offers aperitivo hour at the bar. Giada Paolini/Ama
The New York Times did a deep dive this week on D.C.'s year-old northern Italian standout Ama, calling the Eater 38-designated restaurant a bright bipartisan light amidst the polarizing political climate on nearby Capitol Hill. Both sides of the aisle are apparently breaking bouncy focaccia here as of late, from Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) to Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Marty Makary. NYT hypothesizes that chef Johanna Hellrigl's 'anti-additive menu and a vow to bar all manner of toxicity' – in the food, water, and even the cleaning supplies – is one thing Democrats and Republicans can agree on. (Also, maybe it helps that 'ama' means 'love' in Italian?)
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