Coming Soon – Pennsylvania Ave. SE and Eastern Market

Rainbow of Clean Plates by david roessli on flickr

It’s been quite a relief to sit down and write this week’s installment of Coming Soon.  You see, I’ve been doing nothing but eating and drinking for the past week, and I’m sad to report almost none of it was on the Hill.  I finally got to check out spots like BGR the Burger Joint (the Old Town location, where I was ecstatic to run into Christian who was a fantastic guide on my first trip to BGR, but who some of you may remember from Sticky Rice); ChurchKey, which was even better than I could have hoped; and, Againn, where I had some of the most attentive, informative service I’ve experienced in the city.  I also got to stop in to some long-time favorites like Restaurant Eve, where I had the pleasure of watching a dear friend and dedicated foodie experience her first meal from Chef Armstrong.  And while Hill favorites like Argonaut, Lola’s, Sonoma, Sanphan and Tunni’s were also stops on my whirlwind week of decadence, I am happy to be back dedicating my time to eating and drinking close to home!

So let’s start with Acqua al Due, coming to the old Dottie’s and A+A Athletics spaces at 212 7th St. SE.  The original Acqua al Due was opened in Florence, Italy in 1978, with a second location opening in San Diego, CA in 2000.  DC native Ari Gejdenson is helping to bring this third outpost to the Hill, and will be serving “creative Tuscan cuisine” in a space that is said to accomodate 104 patrons.

Follow over the jump to learn what we can expect from a new collaboration and much more!

At 1400 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Joe Englert is bringing us the tentatively named Annie and Teddy’s Po’Boys. (At least that’s what it says on the liquor license application!)  This is the place going in on the corner just a few doors down from Trusty’s, near the Potomac Avenue metro.  The Annie and Teddy in this case are Cashion and Folkman.  Cashion of course is the proprietor of Cashion’s Eat Place in Adams Morgan and, closer to home, Taqueria Nacional, as well as a consultant at Englert’s H Street Country Club.  Folkman is the co-owner and executive chef at Dr. Granville Moore’s on H Street Northeast and was recently named executive chef at Capitol Lounge.  According to the liquor license application (which are such excellent sources of information) Annie and Teddy’s Po’Boys will be a, “New Orleans and Louisiana style restaurant serving lunch and dinner during the weekdays and brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Entertainment will be live music variations, Cajun, New Orleans style duos, and Trio Quartets.”  It will be able to seat 79 indoors and provide sidewalk seating for 24 outside.  I’ve also heard that they will be bringing the bread up from New Orleans, to ensure that their po’boys are the real deal!

Spike Mendelson is translating his unique style from burgers to pizzas at We, the Pizza, going in next door to Good Stuff Eatery (in the Zack’s Taverna spot) at 305 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.  According to the Washington Examiner, we can look forward to New York-style pizza by the slice or the pie sometime this winter.  Spike told the Examiner he’s also planning on having curbside carry-out, but I’ll believe that when I see it, since MPD shut down Matchbox’s curbside service on Barracks Row because it was too disruptive to traffic.  The Examiner says that We, the Pizza will also offer, “…homemade gelato and ‘old school’ sodas.”

Lastly, according to the New Hill East listserv, the owner of La Plaza will be opening a new Mexican-Cuban place in the old Pacific Cafe at 1129 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.  Apparently you can stop in to La Plaza and vote on the new name – the choices are Senor Henry or Mi Vecinda (“my neighborhood”).  I’ll be honest, these combo latin joints make me nervous (I’m looking at you, Master of the Mediocre, Banana Cafe), but La Plaza isn’t too bad, so even though I’m going to miss the Pho, I’m hoping for the best!

Next week, I’ll be wrapping up my Coming Soon series with an overview of what we can look forward to on H Street Northeast.  I’ll let you all know – I’m a little intimidated because the list is long, and looks fantastic!  I’m going to need to lose 30 lbs. before it comes time to review all these joints, just so I gain it all back!