Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Restaurant update: Tacos coming soon; Touchdown and Codmother on the way

Catching up on some recent restaurant news in the 'hood, in abbreviated form:

U Street Girl (via Metrocurean) has the latest on El Centro D.F., the tacqueria opening soon next door to the Black Cat. El Centro, which is being opened by Richard Sandoval and Kaz Okochi, the team behind Masa 14, is aiming for a May 5 (get it?) opening. They plan to offer take-out tacos, a seated restaurant area, and the requisite bar/lounge space in the basement.

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict mind-numbingly huge crowds for this when it opens. (And considering that plans for the space were only announced last July, getting this open within 10 months would seem to be some sort of record.)

On the other side of the Black Cat, Thaddeus Kurtz continues to be hard at work opening the casual burger and hot dog shop Standard in spite of a rough start to the proceedings. No official opening word, but the outdoor picnic tables appear to be about done, and interior work is wrapping up as well.

Across the street, caffeine purveyors Peregrine Espresso continue to work away towards a "Spring 2011" opening. (They also appear concerned over the lack of businesses along the 1700 block of 14th street.)

As we head north we arrive at the corner of 14th and U streets, where it was recently learned that Subway will be opening on the ground floor of the recently renovated building on the northeast corner of the intersection. This will be Subway's 1,345th third location within a few block radius of the 14th and U intersection. I thought only Starbucks could pull crap like that.

Headed a little further down U STreet, the street's two newest eateries--the Touchdown sports bar and the fish 'n chips shack Codmother--will be opening soon in the former Cafe Nema's space. Both Touchdown and Codmother are, according to WBJ's Missy Frederick, owned by the same team behind Bistro La Bonne, Tabaq and Soussi.

Finally, no, I don't have any word as to when the new steakhouse/lounge at 14th and U will be opening. Local 16's Ayman Ayoubi had promised a January 2011 opening, but unless you're a member of the construction crew no one's really hanging out there yet.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great roundup thanks. Re: Subway, couldn't it at least have been a Potbelly's? Dang, that means that side of the street is going to smell like feet.

Taco Eater said...

I'm going to just come out and say it. Pica Taco sucks, so I really hope we can do better with the new taqueria coming in on 14th. I hate having to drive out to Rockville (Taco Bar, yes, it's in a suburban gas station) for a good taco.

Calling it DF is a good sign that maybe it will be real Mexican instead of Salvadorean. Sorry, because I love my Salvadoreno neighbors, but that country cannot produce food like its neighbor to the North.

Renee said...

What's the deal with La Fonda, the Tex/Mex restaurant at 14th and V? They did quite a bit of necessary demolition then it stopped. I know the owners wanted to open it in the spring.

IMGoph said...

of course, there was a subway just off the corner for years, so it's not like this is breaking precedent to have three so close to each other on U street.

Anonymous said...

Tacos and Burgers on 14th (Logan), oh my, the foodie snobs must be frantically appalled.
I applaud the arrival of real-living food. Let them eat their pinky-up food elsewhere.