Neighborhood Eats: Chilango, Pacifico Cantina Opening, Pulpo Opens In Cleveland Park

• June 14th 2012

by Rebecca Cooper

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Other than the mystery of what happened to the Mid City Deli in Logan Circle, most of the D.C. food news this week is openings and new restaurant-related:

Open

The folks at Pulpo made quick work of the Tackle Box conversion at 3407 Connecticut Avenue NW in Cleveland Park. The tapas restaurant and bar that took over for the former casual seafood restaurant at the end of April is open to the public serving its own brand of tapas classics like roasted shishito peppers and tortilla espanola, as well as some of their own twists including cocoa-crusted strip loin and, of course, pulpo (baby octopus) two different ways.

Bethesda Row is getting its very own Luke’s Lobster starting today, as the lobster shack-style restaurant opened its doors at 11 a.m. As with the New York chain’s first D.C.-area location in Penn Quarter, indoor seating will be minimal, although they are planning some outdoor seating that should stay open most of the year. The menu remains the same, with choice of lobster, shrimp or crab rolls done up in true Maine style.

Opening soon

Pacifico Cantina, the new Mexican bar/restaurant on Barracks Row with the awesome roof deck, opens Saturday at 514 8th Street SE. The menu includes classic Mexican fare such as fish tacos and guacamole, as well as specialty margaritas made with muddled jalapeno or prickly pear. Pacifico Cantina will be open for dinner and drinks daily, and for lunch (and drinks, if that’s how you lunch) on Saturdays and Sundays.

Tacos El Chilango, probably the most successful food truck that never really moves anywhere, is finally branching out of the obscure block where it’s always parked in Rosslyn to open a brick and mortar shop. The Mexican food truck, which features traditional tacos of pork, tongue and chicken on corn tortillas topped with hot salsa and pickled veggies, will open Chilango the shop at 1119 V Street NW in about one month’s time. Here’s hoping they keep the truck’s practice of giving you samples while you wait at the new restaurant.

Opening…eventually

Just a couple of weeks after it came out that Michael Landrum was canning his City Vista project, Ryse, Eater reports that fast-casual salad chain Sweetgreen will take over the space. The restaurant space at 1065 5th Street NW is almost completely built out from the work that went into it for Ryse — the previous concept — so the guys behind Sweetgreen are hoping for a quick turnaround and an August opening.

Wagshal’s market and butcher shop will open a second location in part of the old Balducci’s space at 3201 New Mexico Avenue NW, near American University, as the Washington Post’s Tim Carman first reported. The market will feature the Spring Valley location’s same fare — fine meats and cheese, homemade breads and prepared foods — but will also include restaurant seating both indoors and outdoors. There’s much work to be done on the 4,000 square foot space, so Wagshal’s isn’t expecting to open until early next year; until then, Northwesters will have to keep on trekking up to Spring Valley for all their gourmet market needs.

Maybe opening?

Cross your fingers for what looks to be another awesome outdoor drinking space for this summer: Hill Country is applying to open an outdoor garden and barbecue spot on the lawn of the National Building museum. Nothing’s official yet — museum reps tell Eater they’re still in talks — but if it goes through, the open air watering hole could be a veritable oasis for both residents and tourists alike this summer.

Events

Do you find that your Saturday morning workouts just aren’t boozy enough? The Hotel Monaco’s Poste has you covered, with a new Pilates on the Patio series launching this week. For $19, you get a 45-minute pilates class and a glass of champagne at the end. This weekend’s supposed to be gorgeous, so it might be the perfect time to check it out. Call for reservations.

It’s crawfish boil season, and Evening Star restaurant is celebrating the only way it knows how: with an old fashioned low country boil in the outdoor area next to the restaurant. There will be pots of crawfish, corn, potatoes, sausage and shrimp, sides of corn bread, and flowing beer. Admission is free but food tickets will be available for purchase. Hit it up if you’re in Del Ray in Alexandria on Saturday afternoon.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/neighborhood_eats_chilango_pacifico_cantina_opening_pulpo_opens_in_clevelan/5654.