Hey, isn’t this supposed to be summer, when all we do is kick back and soak up the sun, along with those tart seasonal cocktails? The local dining scene has not exactly taken a vacation this July. Here are just a few of the stories Young & Hungry has been following in the past week or so:
- Rustico has already found a replacement for Frank Morales, who split with the Alexandria gastropub less than two weeks ago. Neighborhood Restaurant Group also noted that it’s planning to open a second Rustico in Arlington. [via Tom Sietsema and Going Out Gurus]
- Destination DC and the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington have announced the participants for this summer’s Restaurant Week, which runs from Aug. 24-30.
- Brothers Tom and Derek Brown, those siblings with shaken cocktail syndrome, are planning to open a dueling drinking destination this fall, perhaps somewhere north of Chinatown. [via Metrocurean]
- Quanta Robinson has taken over as executive chef at Black’s Bar & Kitchen, following the surprise departure of Arra Lawson earlier this year.
- Barton Seaver‘s forthcoming Diamond District Seafood Co. will not only offer sustainable (and affordable) seafood for sale and dining in, but it will also accept food stamps. [via Missy Frederick and Washington Business Journal]
- Alexandria now has its own steakhouse — or it soon will, once the Neighborhood Restaurant Group opens the upstairs chophouse at its twin-concept Columbia Firehouse, which just debuted.
- Damascus, Md. native Ed Witt, who has cooked at such prestigious spots as Jardinière and Daniel, will lead the kitchen at the forthcoming Morso in Georgetown, which will serve Mediterranean small plates. [via Metrocurean]
- And finally, David Guas‘ highly anticipated Bayou Bakery will not open after all. At least not in the former Murky Coffee space in Clarendon. [via Sietsema and Going Out Gurus]
Photo by Darrow Montgomery