Data Dump of Restaurant News

Ok, so I recently started a new job and things have been a bit crazy, so it's been a bit more difficult to keep up with the flood of restaurant news recently. At any rate, forsaking much commentary or analysis, here's a brief round-up of where things are in the 'hood:

Standard, the new burger joint in the former Garden District space at 14th and S recentl had a soft opening, according to U Street Girl and Borderstan. I'd been watching the picnic tables going up slowly-but-surely, so I knew that this opening had to be imminent, but apparently last night the heat lamps were running and people were chowing down.

A bit south on 14th Street, work continues on Jeff Black's new establishments, the Pearl Dive Oyster Bar and BlackJack Lounge, continues to be built-out in the space at 1612 14th Street. No official opening date is set, but we're told "late spring/early summer" is likely.

According to DCist and U Street Girl, Dunkin Donuts will be joining Subway as a ground-floor anchor tenant in the soon-to-be-finished building at 14th and U. Prince of Northwest DC Petworth deemed the arrival of DDs at 14th and U to be a "beautful site;" I believe I'll settle for "a leased storefront."

And speaking of the building at 14th and U, long-promised "boutique steakhouse" and lounge Lost Society, brought to you by Aman Ayoubi of Local 16, will reportedly be opening in the spring. Of course, Lost Society was also supposed to open last summer, and in January, so you'll forgive us for not getting too excited until we're sitting on their roofdeck enjoying a plate of grass-fed cow.

And finally (phew), Touchdown, the new sports bar in the former MoMo's space on U Street, opened yesterday. U Street Girl has a brief review and pics. No official word on the opening of Touchdown's companion restaurant, the fish-chips themed Codmother, but we'll keep you posted.

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.