by Katherine Saltzman
Food lovers and local business supporters have a lot to be excited for as local restaurateurs open new locations across Northwest DC.
Van Ness/Forest Hills
Can’t say “pleased to meet you” yet to I’m Eddie Cano
We reported last week that I’m Eddie Cano’s proprietors plan a September 27th opening. Then, they were hoping to open to customers the night of Friday, September 28th. This was the second time the opening date was pushed back by the DC inspection process.
I’m Eddie Cano is posting updates regularly on its Kickstarter page. The latest opening date, as of September 26th: Tuesday, October 2nd. They’re getting there!
These things take time, and restaurateurs rarely get to open as planned. But they press on…
Laliguras opening second location
The second Laliguras location is in Glover Park.
Dawa Tamang, the main chef and owner of Laliguras Indian and Nepali Bistro (4221 Connecticut Avenue) is expected to open a second location in Glover Park at the end of September or the beginning of October.
It’s a homecoming of sorts for Tamang. He served as the main curry chef at Heritage India between 2006 and 2012, when the restaurant was still in Glover Park at 2400 Wisconsin Avenue. (It relocated to Wisconsin Avenue and Macomb in 2017). During that time, the restaurant owner held cooking classes for interested participants, and as the head chef, Tamang led the classes and developed relationships with customers, he said.
“I had the idea to open another restaurant, located in Glover Park. It’s my favorite place. I have had very good experiences there, and good relationships with Glover park residents. My owner at the time made very good business,” Tamang said.
He opened Laliguras in Van Ness in 2014. The second location will be at 2334 Wisconsin Avenue, in what used to be a Bruegger’s Bagels.
Chevy Chase
After delays, Little Beast to open at the end of September
Little Beast in Chevy Chase is opening soon.
Did we mention that these things take time? It has for Little Beast (5600 Connecticut), which had initially expected to open in June. More recently, it announced on Facebook an end-of-September/early October opening.
The restaurant, owned and operated by Chevy Chase residents Robert Gordon and his son Aaron, will be open daily from 7 a.m. to midnight. The morning menu will include breakfast pastries and sandwiches, as well Red Velvet Cupcakes (also owned by Gordon) and coffee from DC’s Vigilante Coffee. In the evening, there will be “shareable dishes” and wood-fired pizzas.
Tenleytown
Guapo’s expands to Georgetown
Guapo’s Tenleytown
Guapo’s Restaurant, which originally started 30 years ago in Tenleytown, opened a location at 3050 K Street in Georgetown at the end of August.
The Georgetown location is the ninth Guapo’s in the greater Washington area. In addition to the expansive Tex-Mex menu options, the restaurant serves weekend brunch and offers happy hour specials.
“The interior of the new Guapo’s is a more upscale version that seems to cater to Georgetown clientele… a little different then the atmosphere in the Guapo’s in Tenleytown,” said Hannah Ross, a customer and American University graduate who visited the Tenleytown location as a student. The food was really delicious and staff was great.”
Burka’s Wine and Spirits moves… across the street
The former Burka’s location.
Burka’s Wine and Spirits at Wisconsin and Idaho Avenues (3500 Wisconsin, part of Vaughan Place ) has moved to 3414 Wisconsin Avenue in the Cathedral Commons Building.
The new location’s previous tenant, The Cookery, was “a culinary marketplace” which offered small batch ingredients as well as cookware and kitchen accessories. It closed in August after only two years there. The original store in the Village of Shirlington in Arlington will remain open.
Burka’s former 1,928 square feet location at 3500 Wisconsin Avenue is now available for lease through KLNB Commercial Real Estate Services.