Beat reporter Jazzy Wright provides an update on the new restaurants, etc. coming to Bloomingdale in the November 2012 issue of MidCity DC. I have copied in her Bloomingdale Bites column below.
Thanks, Jazzy!
Bloomingdale
Bites
Mon,
11/12/2012
By
Jazzy Wright
When
it comes to new restaurant establishments opening in Bloomingdale, business is
booming. According to the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington,
the area, much like the rest of Washington, is undergoing tremendous growth in
diversity and in the number of restaurant additions. Every year, more and more
restaurateurs look to the area to make a name for themselves, thanks to the
success of more established eateries, such as Big Bear Cafe, Boundary Stone and
pizza joint Rustik Tavern.
To
capitalize on the growth of the businesses, new restaurant owners are choosing
to open shops in or around the Bloomingdale Center, a shopping area located on
the corner of 1st and T St. NW. The center serves as the retail hub of the
budding neighborhood.
Back
in October, restaurant owner Somjet Promphasit opened Aroi Thai, a
Thai-and-sushi themed restaurant. While the restaurant offers Thai classics,
such as panang curry and see ew noodles, the establishment sets itself apart by
listing chirashi sashimi and the ``McLobster`` roll on its menu options.
Promphasit says he was drawn to Bloomingdale after he came to the area for the
first time and felt a strong sense of the community by simply walking around. ``This
is a good area to have a business, and I wanted my place to be the neighborhood`s
first sit-down Asian cuisine`` said Promphasit. ``Neighbors have come out to
support the business, which has been good.``
Bloomingdale
residents will have many more restaurants to get excited over in the coming
months. Four restaurant owners have either applied for new business licenses or
publicly announced that they will set up shop in the area.
Sebastian
Zutant, who was the opening sommelier of DC`s wildly successful Proof
restaurant, broke the news to The Washington Post in June that he plans to team
up with two additional restaurateurs to open an Italian-focused restaurant in
Bloomingdale called the Red Hen. The design of the Red Hen will take advantage
of the building`s prominent windows, Zutant told The Washington Post. The restaurant
will occupy the vacant space of the Bloomingdale Center on 1st Street.
Across
the street from the Red Hen, another group plans to open Costa Brava
Restaurant, slated to offer Balkan-style tapas cuisine, small Spanish ensembles
and live acoustic music. The restaurant group, Balkan Concepts, LLC, said that
it wants the restaurant to remain open until 3 a.m. and has applied for a
sidewalk cafe alcohol license. Interestingly, the restaurant group has stated
that there will not be nude dancing at the establishment.
Bakery
Grassroots Gourmet announced that they will be setting up shop in a storefront
adjacent to Boundary Stone (on Rhode Island Avenue NW) in the fall. The bakery
shop, which specializes in delivering freshly baked goods to the homes of customers,
plans to offer homemade cookies, pies and cakes, as well as vegan baked goods.
Finally,
a group called Spo-dee-o-dee plans to open a new coffee shop directly across
the street from Grassroots Gourmet. Called the Showtime, the café, according to
the city`s liquor license files, will be ``an affordable and friendly
neighborhood gathering spot with a laid-back atmosphere.`` During the day, the
Showtime will serve coffee, pastries and house-made dips and snacks, and at
night beer, wine, spirits and appetizers. The restaurant group has applied for
an entertainment endorsement and plans to keep the establishment open until
2:30 a.m.
Margie
Epps, who lives not far from the new restaurants planning to open around the
Bloomingdale Center, said that she is excited about the new eateries because
their openings mean that business gets to stay in the community. ``It`s good
that the neighborhood is growing,`` said Epps, who has lived in Bloomingdale
for more than 20 years. ``Now you don`t have to go so far to get what you need.
It`s also good to see the city growing.``
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