Business in Brief: Burger King razing and redevelopment; saving I’m Eddie Cano; Banana Leaf redux

The Burger King demolition was well under way at around 11 a.m. Monday, February 9th, when this photo was taken.

by Marlene Berlin and Forest Hills Connection

No coming back from this: When the Van Ness Burger King (4422 Connecticut) closed suddenly at the end of 2022, we had trouble believing it. But it was indeed the end, and now the building is nearly gone, too.

The former Burger King in 2015.

The Burger King was remembered more fondly for its quirky cinema- and music-inspired decor than for its food.

The Van Ness Burger King was kind of iconic back in the day. (2018 photo)

Late last year, a DC developer pitched apartments at that site and the nearby Days Inn parking structure. Both properties and the parking lot behind the Burger King were under contract to Highcrest. Now, they’re back on the market.

Sold-out benefit for I’m Eddie Cano: This Sunday’s Carnevale-themed cocktail party and live auction fundraiser is at capacity, but a silent auction of donated items and services is open to everyone.

I’m Eddie Cano’s owners hope to raise $100,000 from the auctions and the Carnivale event. There’s also a Go Fund Me, seeking an additional $35,000 from donors.

“As you’re aware, we filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization back in September,” Carolyn Papetti told Forest Hills Connection. “The money will be used to help us get caught up on back rent.”

“If we are not able to raise the funds to stay put, the money will be refunded, minus the platform processing fees, to those who contributed,” Papetti wrote in an email.

We are a truly family-run restaurant with two generations moving this bear forward. Massimo, my husband, is from Rome and I lived there for 8 years and speak fluent Italian. Our children, Francesco and Luca, both work in the restaurant in a variety of capacities and can often be seen there working with us. We live here, in the neighborhood, and our children go to school here, in the neighborhood. Both are alumni of Murch Elementary school.

We are Italian cultural warriors and between I’m Eddie Cano and our Italian Bar a few doors down, the biggest compliment we usually receive from patrons is that they feel like they’ve just stepped back into Italy.

Banana Leaf returns: The Sri Lankan restaurant that occupied 5014 Connecticut before I’m Eddie Cano has reopened in Manassas. And according to Washingtonian, the new Banana Leaf still the only Sri Lankan restaurant in the DC area.

Dispatch from Malabar: Van Ness now has an Indian restaurant that’s also a seafood restaurant.

Malabar’s menu – inspired by India’s southwestern coastal region – includes five seafood entrees, a seafood bouillabaisse. It’s also serving more familiar fare such as butter chicken, and Malabar’s tandoori rotisserie chicken is a nod to Rosedale, which closed to make way for the new concept.

Knightsbridge Restaurant Group owner Ashok Bajaj and I chatted on January 16th, days after Malabar (4465 Connecticut) welcomed its first customers. He told me that he received several emails and texts of regret about the closure of Rosedale. But said he wanted the restaurant to pull from beyond the neighborhood, and that required the change.

Left to right: Malabar chef Vikram Sunderam, Ashok Bajaj, and general manager George Manolatos (Forest Hills Connection photo)

The James Beard Award-winning chef from Rasika, Vikram Sunderam, is overseeing the kitchen. George Manolatos from Rosedale is continuing as general manager, and the restaurant has the same sound-absorbing ceiling. However, when it’s as full of customers as it was during another visit, I recommend sitting off to the side for easier conversation.

I also recommend the mini masala dosa appetizer and the red snapper entrée, each of them gluten free. The mango lassi made a great dessert, and my husband enjoyed the rice pudding. I am looking forward to trying more of the appetizers and entrées, and perhaps the bar menu as well.

The menu is clearly marked for those with common food allergies and sensitivities: D for dairy, G for gluten, E for eggs, and N for nuts. Still, those with serious allergies should continue to tread with caution, as it’s unclear whether the kitchen can avoid cross-contamination. – Marlene Berlin