Last week, I had the pleasure of checking out the progress on Acqua al 2, soon to be opened across the street from Eastern Market at 212 7th St. SE. As I mentioned back in November, DC native Ari Gejdenson is bringing a third location of the Italian restaurant to the Hill (the first is in Florence, Italy and the other US location is in San Diego, CA).
The space (formerly occupied by Dottie’s and A+A Athletics), is on track to have construction completed in two weeks. When I was there, they were putting the finishing touches on the gorgeous copper bar. The restaurant features red tin ceilings and exposed brick and will be a cozy addition to the neighborhood, seating only 85 or so at capacity. A unique feature will be the communal tables, available for private and/or group dining, in both the front of the restaurant and a room off the back. The rest of the seating will be primarily long booths and tables running the length of the space, as well as some very limited bar seating. I’m guessing though that the prime real estate will be the booth in the front window and, in warmer months, sidewalk seating along 7th Street.
The partners were unable to give me an opening date, due to the often daunting and time consuming inspections process that they’ll have to undergo after construction is completed. Everyone should keep their fingers crossed for a late spring opening, assuming the DC-powers-that-be cooperate.
While I am glad to have a business going in there, I’m disappointed that it wasn’t the diner I thought was first listed on the building permits. Would love to have a diner in this area.
@Kate, in addition to the great Jimmy T’s serving diner food on the corner of East Capitol and 5th, the new Capital City Diner on Bladensburg Road, just north of here is the real deal. You should definitely check it out!
http://www.capitalcitydiner.com/
Ted’s Bulletin opening in a few weeks on Barracks Row will also be a good diner option. Homemade pop tarts and milkshakes rumored to be on the menu.
Is it just me or does the idea of seating for 85 make you sad? That means long waits, especially if they won’t take reservations. And if the food is good, I may never get to go.
I love Matchbox, but I dread the long wait. I do it, but I don’t like it. I’ve not been back to Liberty Tree, but I fear that when I do go back I’ll have to wait there. Sigh.
@Kyra — make me sad? To have another restaurant choice on the Hill? uhhh, no…
It’s not like there’s real estate to just plop down a Cheesecake Factory on the Hill. Acqua’s 85 seats will be 85 more seats then we have today, which means less waiting overall…
Not exactly sure what you were hoping for…
This place is going to be amazing! The original in Florence is literally unreal. I can honestly say that it is my favorite place to eat in the world. And since I’ve also been to the one in San Diego I can only imagine having another location here in DC will be great. Don’t get upset about the limited seating because this is a definite place you won’t even care if there is a wait. Trust me.
I had the opportunity to dine in the Florence location and the food and ambiance were AMAZING! I can not WAIT for the DC restaurant to open!!!
Three things:
1) If this restaurant is anything like the one in Florence then we are all in for a treat.
2) Given the commercial entities that previously occupied that space this can be nothing but an improvement.
3) I am not sure why 85 seats would make someone sad? What amount of seats would make someone happy and how does the number of seats equate to a long wait?
forza viola
Never, EVER hold an event here. I tried to have a small work event at one of the tables in the front of the restaurant. First, whenever I would call the restaurant, the owner, Raul, was always “asleep” or “unavailable”. I NEVER talked to the same person about my event twice and had to make multiple calls to firm up all my details. The event itself was okay, but when it came time to make the payment, Raul would not accept the check my company had written him because he “didn’t like the way it was made out” (The restaurant name was incomplete, something my boss wrote in and initialed as correct.) He chased my boss out of the restaurant and argued with her about the check in the street (in front of clients and a Congressman!) and insisted that she LEAVE her credit card with him. He said I could come back tomorrow with a rewritten check to get her credit card at 10 am. When I arrived at 11 am, his cook staff informed me that, yet again, Raul was “asleep” and despite trying to call him three times, they could not get him to wake up. (I should note that the cook staff tried their hardest to be helpful. They deserve better leadership!) It was only after I had gotten all the way back to my office and called Raul that I finally heard from him…around 11:30am. He said he was there now and that I could come exchange the check for the credit card “anytime”. For the second time that day, I traveled all the way to SE to resolve the situation. When I got there, once again, Raul was not at the restaurant and had to be called by his employees. When he finally appeared with the credit card, I asked him for a receipt verifying that he had reversed the charge. It was at this point that he informed me that he was not able to reverse the charge and that his General Manager, the only person able to reverse charges, would not arrive until 3:30. He told me I would have to come back then. I told him I thought this entire situation was ridiculous, took back my check, and left, to return at 3:30 to try and resolve the issue again. I have NEVER encountered such incompetence with event staff in a restaurant, especially not one on Capitol Hill, where a lot of their bread and butter comes from doing events. I will NEVER be working with Acqua Al 2 DC again.