Jessica Sidman

"Five-Star Dive Bar" The Commodore Is Opening in Old Town Alexandria The pub offers Chicago tavern-style pizzas and wings alongside darts and arcade games.

"Five-star dive bar" The Commodore opens in Old Town Alexandria today.

washingtonian.com/2026/03/12/f...

my hometown is a stunner and a showoff and chockfull of spies

Moon Rabbit's Kevin Tien Brings Cheffy Banh Mi and Pho to Tysons Vietnamese fast-casual restaurant Chao Ban opens in the Tysons Galleria mall.

The chef behind acclaimed modern Vietnamese restaurant Moon Rabbit has a new fast-casual spot focused on banh mi and pho in Tysons opening today.

washingtonian.com/2026/03/10/m...

Carla Hall Is Opening a Fried Chicken Spot With the Good Stuff Eatery Team Bumblebirds is coming to Capitol Hill on March 14.

Carla Hall and the Good Stuff Eatery team are opening a fried chicken spot called Bumblebirds in Capitol Hill.

washingtonian.com/2026/03/09/c...

Little Engine Brings Amped Up Rotisserie Chickens to Capitol Hill Jeff Zients, former White House chief of staff, is an investor.

There's a cheffy new rotisserie chicken joint in Capitol Hill, and Biden's former chief of staff is an investor.

washingtonian.com/2026/03/06/l...

José Andrés Will Replace The Bazaar at the Waldorf Astoria With a Steakhouse Bazaar Meat will bring large-format cuts and other theatrical dishes to the Old Post Office Building.

José Andrés Group is replacing The Bazaar at DC's Waldorf Astoria with Bazaar Meat.

Yes, a steakhouse returns to the Old Post Office Building.

washingtonian.com/2026/03/02/j...

I think I read McDonald's

A Cafe With Office Amenities and Live Music Nights Opens in DC Three Whistles expands to Brightwood as a gathering place for work and play.

There's a new cafe in DC where you can find shoyu butter cavatappi and bourbon-glazed duck wings... but also use a private phone booth and a printer.

washingtonian.com/2026/02/26/a...

Is Your Bartender a Spy? There's a history of espionage involving DC restaurants.

No, Qatar is not buying Compass Coffee to spy on government-connected employees, as conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer alleged they were angling to do.

BUT that doesn't mean there isn't spy activity already happening at DC restaurants and bars...

washingtonian.com/2026/02/24/i...

Duck & the Peach Employees Allege Union Activity Was a Factor in Recent Firings The restaurant’s owner counters that the employees violated a policy about consuming alcohol during service.

The Duck & the Peach recently fired 2 employees for tasting a wine.

The restaurant says they violated a policy against drinking on the job.

The employees allege they were targeted for their union involvement.

washingtonian.com/2026/02/20/d...

Immigration Authorities Are Cracking Down on DC Restaurants Again Homeland Security Investigations is following up on employment eligibility audits conducted last spring.

“I’ve already spent $17,000 on lawyers to deal with ICE for me... And then I got an email last week to my attorneys saying, basically, we need to let go over two-thirds of our staff.”

washingtonian.com/2026/02/19/i...

Can a Pop Up Be a Dive Bar? This One Is Trying. Del Ray's Pop Up Bar is bringing in a juke box, darts, and pitchers of beer.

Can a pop up be a dive bar? This one is trying:

washingtonian.com/2026/02/18/c...

José Andrés Group Names New CEO Board member David Strasser will replace Sam Bakhshandehpour.

BREAKING NEWS:

José Andrés Group has named a new CEO

washingtonian.com/2026/02/17/j...

Bar Japonais Rebrands as Katsumi With More Sushi and Lounge Vibes It's no longer French-Japanese, but there's still plenty of fusion

Find sour cream and onion crunch rolls and matcha cocktails at Katsumi, formerly Bar Japonais, now open on 14th Street.

washingtonian.com/2026/02/13/b...

She Built A Massive Political Coalition of Women. Now, She's Building a Cafe and Bar. Rhonda Foxx worked in Democratic politics for many years before opening Civic in Capitol Hill.

“I started saying to myself, why don’t we have a physical space? Why don’t we have a Butterworth’s for like-minded individuals?"

Civic coffee and cocktail "salon" now open on Barracks Row:

washingtonian.com/2026/02/11/s...

A Cantonese-Inspired Restaurant Is Opening in DC with Hollywood East Cafe Chef Chef Timothy Yu, whose family owned the Wheaton standby, is putting his own twist on Hong Kong classics.

Beloved Chinese restaurant Hollywood East Cafe closed in Wheaton last summer after nearly three decades. Now, Timothy Yu, whose family ran the restaurant, is carrying on part of its legacy with Canton Disco.

A Cantonese-Inspired Restaurant Is Opening in DC with Hollywood East Cafe Chef Chef Timothy Yu, whose family owned the Wheaton standby, is putting his own twist on Hong Kong classics.

An all-day Cantonese-inspired restaurant is opening in Navy Yard—and the chef comes from beloved Hollywood East Cafe in Wheaton

washingtonian.com/2026/02/10/a...

How Actor Wilmer Valderrama Ended Up Opening a Cocktail Bar in DC He's a partner in Latin American-inspired Elegancia in La Cosecha food hall.

A celebrity (not the Washington kind) opening a bar in DC?!

Here's how actor Wilmer Valderrama became a partner in Elegancia, a Latin American-inspired cocktail spot opening next week.

washingtonian.com/2026/02/06/h...

A Japanese-Peruvian Handroll Bar Is Coming to Capitol Hill The 25-seat counter comes from Causa chef Carlos Delgado.

A Japanese-Peruvian handroll bar from one of DC's best chefs is coming to Capitol Hill

washingtonian.com/2026/02/03/a...

How DC-Area Businesses Are Observing Today’s National General Strike - Washingtonian Activists are calling for a national shutdown Friday to protest ICE's aggressive immigration enforcement. The call to action: no work, no school, and no shopping. The campaign opposes the administrati...

Here's a list of DC area businesses that are closing today or donating proceeds to immigration organizations for today's national strike against ICE:

washingtonian.com/2026/01/30/g...

How Eebee's Became DC's Hottest Bar The dive-y Shaw bar is drawing lines down the block.

Everybody and their mom is trying to get into Eebee's.

I dig into why the DC neighborhood bar has become SO popular:

washingtonian.com/2026/01/29/h...

Snow Food and Drink Deals Around DC All-day happy hours, comfort food specials, and more

It hasn't started snowing yet, but the snow food and drink deals are HERE

washingtonian.com/2026/01/23/s...

Here Are the DC-Area James Beard Award Semifinalists for 2026 DC has nominees for Outstanding Restaurateur, Emerging Chef, and more.

Check out the list of DC-area semifinalists for the James Beard Awards.

A good showing, but slightly fewer local nominations than last year.
washingtonian.com/2026/01/21/h...

The 100 VERY BEST RESTAURANTS ranking is HERE!

washingtonian.com/specialty/10...

A Japanese Brazilian Fusion Steakhouse in Tysons is First of Its Kind Churasuko serves wagyu carved tableside, sashimi plates, and more.

A swanky Japanese Brazilian fusion steakhouse just opened in Tysons.

washingtonian.com/2026/01/12/a...

Cork Wine Bar and Market Expands to Cleveland Park The new location features a condensed counter-service menu, plus more than 350 mostly old-world bottles.

Cork Wine Bar has a new location in Cleveland Park.

It's got a smaller counter-service menu, but you'll find around 350 mostly old-world bottles to sip-in or take-out.

washingtonian.com/2026/01/09/c...

when it’s good, it’s good! but can be bad too…

Our Food Team's Most Anticipated Restaurants and Top Trends for 2026 Plus: trends we hope go away and our eating-out resolutions.

Our food team’s most anticipated DC area restaurants, plus the trends we hope die in 2026.
washingtonian.com/2026/01/06/o...

What's IN and OUT in DC restaurant trends for 2026
washingtonian.com/2026/01/05/w...

Things We Loved and Hated at DC Restaurants in 2025 It's a long list.

Here's an excessively long list of things we LOVED and HATED across DC restaurants in 2025.

What would you add?

washingtonian.com/2025/12/30/t...