Latest news with #EliasTaddesse
Washington Post
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
3 D.C. restaurant openings we're excited about this May
Treat your mouth to a trip around the world this month without having to dig out your passport. (Or mess with TSA.) Peripatetic chef Elias Taddesse is now slinging the critically acclaimed burgers he developed at Mélange and fiery fried chicken that put Doro Soul Food on the map at his self-styled culinary incubator in Shaw. Ethiopian-inspired cooking connects the newly united concepts and will also flavor a forthcoming Mexican-themed mash-up, Moya, in the coming weeks.
Axios
19-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
May's hottest D.C. bar and restaurant openings
We're excited about all the new restaurants that debuted — and are opening soon — in May. Here's what's on the top of our must-try list. Mélange Foods, Inc. | Shaw Michelin-trained chef Elias Taddesse won fans with his fanciful Mélange burgers, and Doro Soul Food 's Ethiopian-spiced fried chicken. Now he's brought the two comforting concepts under one 60-seat roof – formerly Roy Boys — where diners can sip a berbere margarita or cool off with homemade ice creams. Up next: Moya, an Ethio-Mexican concept debuting in the same space later this spring. Suzie Q's | Navy Yard Cheap drinks (many below $12) and a Hill Country alum's barbecue sandwiches are on tap at this waterfront newcomer by Nats Park. Late hours, beer-and-shot combos and fun snacks like pierogies may make Suzie a neighborhood regular. Henceforth, | H Street Corridor Long-gone H Street Country Club is now a welcoming neighborhood brewery, wine bar, and restaurant helmed by a team of vets — military and hospitality. Guests can settle into one of three bars for a fresh-brewed Irish Red or Virginia-made orange wine, plus wallet-friendly tavern fare (brunch, lunch and dinner). Next up: A roof deck for warm-weather imbibing. Lobby Bar | Eastern Market You may order " clothesline bacon" or caviar-topped chicken nuggets for the 'gram, but "dinner and a show has to taste good, too," owner Adam Shulman tells Axios (show comes naturally for the former MGM Resorts nightlife director). Cocktail maven Tory Pratt is behind the martini-heavy menu — fit for the throwback, former Boxcar Tavern space — with fun riffs like a caper brine or oyster martini "that drinks like a very cold ocean." Opens: May 16 Cafe Fiorello | Downtown NYC's Upper West Side institution expands for the first time in over 50 years with its signature antipasto bar, thin-crust pizzas, heaping pastas and veal chops — "A playground of Italian American classics," Fireman Hospitality head Ben Grossman tells Axios. New for us: A wood-burning oven and negroni bar. As for the look, "We're not trendy," he says. "Timeless and welcoming is our aesthetic." Think cozy booths where super-regulars may get their name on a plaque. Opens: May 21 Birdsong Thai * | Chevy Chase, D.C. Chef Kitima Boonmala, who ran popular Thai pop-ups around D.C. for years, finds a permanent home for her spicy boat noodle soup, fried chicken khao soi, and other vibrant dishes — many inspired by her family's noodle shop in central Thailand. Pastry chef Naomi Gallego, behind the pies at sister restaurant Little Beast, prepares sweets like Thai donuts and coconut rice pudding heaped with jellies, fruit and shaved ice. Opens: May 21 Sushi Gaku | Georgetown Hokkaido-born chef Yoshi Ota, a leading alum of Kushi Izakaya and Sushi Ko, returns to his roots with traditional Edo-style sushi — a minimalist style with seasonal fish and vinegar-seasoned rice — plus side dishes and an omakase option. Fun fact: Ota is one of the few local chefs to hold a fugu (pufferfish) license — required to safely prepare the poisonous fish — so look for the delicacy in season. Opens: May 21 Casamara + Reynold's Bar | Dupont Circle Dupont's long-awaited Sixty boutique hotel (LA, NYC) amps up the luxe vibes with coastal Mediterranean restaurant Casamara — we're eyeing the harissa-roast chicken and toro with melon — and chic Reynold's Bar, where you can snack on mini-lobster rolls or foie gras poutine with an icy martini. Opens: late May Up next: An expansive rooftop opens in June with bites, drinks and DJs.
Axios
09-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Bridge District debuts in Southeast D.C.
The first phase of the Bridge District — a new mixed-use development in Ward 8 — is now open. Why it matters: The eight-acre Southeast D.C. project includes housing, retail and event spaces, and has been in the works for over 10 years, per a release. State of play: The new neighborhood is near the Anacostia Metro station, just over the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge across from Navy Yard and Nats Park. What's open: An outdoor recreation league and area created with D.C. Fray, featuring cornhole and ping-pong, and the event and gathering space Sandlot Anacostia. What's coming: An Atlas Brew Works outpost serving Andy's Pizza and Mélange, a forthcoming restaurant from Doro Soul Food chef Elias Taddesse. Plus: Pop-up events hosted with WowWheelz, which gets kiddos behind the wheels of mini electric cars, and the mobile golf simulator truck CitySwing, as well as a monthly farmers market, workshops on learning to ride bikes, and food trucks. What we're watching: The timing for phase two construction hasn't been finalized, a representative tells Axios.
