Neighborhood Eats: An Isabella Sandwich Shop and A Fatty Crab

• July 26th 2013

by Jamie Liu

This week in Neighborhood Eats, a new sandwich shop from Mike Isabella, a new East London-inspired grocery store is planned near Dupont, and out of town powers join forces to open restaurants in DC.

Open: Mike Isabella’s G Sandwich opened Friday at 2201 14th Street NW. On Friday, all sandwiches will be $5, with the proceeds going to American Cancer Society’s Fit for Hope. The sandwiches are made with meats roasted next door at Isabella’s new restaurant Kapnos. G Sandwich is also taking reservations via CityEats for its Italian tasting menu dinners, which commence on August 5.

Opening Eventually: Cafe/market Duke’s Grocery is aiming to open in August at 1513 17th Street NW, according to Washington City Paper. The new East London-inspired spot will offer fish n’ chips and all-day English breakfast, as well as a variety of assorted items made in house, such as jams and pickles. They hope to add these items to the market, which will focus on selling local produce.

The second location of El Centro D.F. Taqueria and Tequileria is aiming to open at 1218 Wisconsin Avenue NW in mid-August. Along with the large variety of tacos and tequilas available at the 14th Street location, there will be some new dishes, including bacon, tuna tartar and crab guacamoles, a variety of braised meat dishes, and sizzling iron skillet fajitas.

In other expansions, Bethesda will be getting its own &pizza at 7620 Old Georgetown Road by the end of this year, according to Bethesda Magazine. This is the third location for the pizza joint, which has locations on H and U Streets. The mini-chain allows diners to select a crust type, as well as sauces and toppings.

The big news this week is that Philadelphia-based restaurateur Stephen Starr, who recently opened Le Diplomate, is partnering with New York-based Fatty Crew to bring the restaurant group’s concepts to DC, according to Eater. They hope to open the first concept in the next three to six months, choosing from the Malaysian-influenced Fatty Crab or the barbecue concept Fatty ‘Cue.

Closing Eventually: Several Chinatown standbys, Kanlaya Thai, Burma and Urfa Tomato Kabob, will be closing by the end of this year at 736 and 740 Sixth Street NW, due to redevelopment of the building, according to Washington Business Journal.

Events: Tickets are still available for this weekend’s Drink the District. Starting at $30, you can get unlimited tastes of over 50 beers or two full-sized pours of your beers of choice. If you’re feeling peckish, there are a number of food trucks to help you lay down a base.

From July 29 until August 11, Jaleo will be celebrating its 11th annual Paella Festival at all three locations. The festival features a variety of new paella recipes, and kicks off with complimentary paella and cocktails in Crystal City with a suggested $20 donation to World Central Kitchen. Reservations for the kick off can be made by emailing rsvp@jaleo.com. Jaleo Bethesda will host paella cooking classes for $65 on July 30, August 27, September 24 and October 29. Reservations for the classes can be made by calling the restaurant.

Jamie R. Liu is a freelance writer, food nerd, and former DCist food and drink editor. She has contributed to Eater, Washington City Paper, the Express, and AskMen.com.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/neighborhood_eats_an_isabella_sandwich_shop_and_a_fatty_crab/7376.