Neighborhood Eats: New Spots for H Street and a Second Shake Shack for DC

• August 9th 2012

by Rebecca Cooper

Save for one closing we reported on last week being made official — RIP The Guards — and the reported closing of Tru Orleans that turned out to be a false alarm, the ‘Eats is mostly full of restaurant opening news this week.

Open: H Street’s newest offering Cusbah, a restaurant serving Pakistani and Northern Indian cuisine, opened on August 3. The restaurant is “not watered down for American tastes,” according to co-owner Sarosh Hussain. Translation: things that are supposed to be “super spicy hot” are going to be. Right now the spot — with its ample patio seating and indoor/outdoor bar at 1128 H Street NE — is only serving a small menu of appetizers and bar food, but they’re adding new dishes by the day, and a full menu will be introduced in about a month. Late night H Street partiers will also eventually be able to order street food from one of the restaurant’s windows until 3 a.m.

Opening soon: The Columbia Pike location of Eamonn’s and its bar, called Bar TNT, are opening this Monday at 2413 Columbia Pike in South Arlington, the Washington Post reports. Eamonn’s, from Alexandria denizen Cathal Armstrong, will have a slightly broader menu than its Alexandria counterpart, and Bar TNT mixologist Todd Thrasher has designed a menu of unique cocktails for the new space — one of which is flavored with smoked cedar.

Also in H Street NE restaurant news, the team behind Tenleytown French bistro Le Chat Noir are almost ready to open Le Grenier at 502 H Street NE. The casual bar and restaurant will be designed in the style of late 19th-century French establishments, according to the spot’s Tumblr. They’re aiming to open August 17 after the space is renovated.

Opening eventually: Shake Shack, the New York burger obsession that has already planted its flag in DC with a location in Dupont Circle (and a space at Nationals Stadium), will take over the casual eatery space in the International Spy Museum at 800 F Street NW, according to a release from the building owner. Rumors circulated that Shake Shack might be interested in the spot a few weeks ago, and now it’s confirmed that, in mid-2013, the burger joint will take over the 3,200 square-foot space that used to house the Spy City Cafe.

In related news, Spy Museum building owner Douglas Development also announced the new tenant for the shuttered Zola space at the same address. Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj will take over the 8,300 square-foot space, although he’s not saying yet what kind of restaurant he plans to open there. Eater DC lists three things Bajaj says it will not be: ultra fine dining, another location of one of his existing concepts or an Indian restaurant. Look for the new spot to open next spring.

La Tagliatella, a Spain-based Italian restaurant chain, will take over the shuttered Restaurant 3 space at 2950 Clarendon Boulevard, ARLNow reports. The restaurant pulls its menu from the Northern Italian regions of Piedmont, Liguria and Reggio Emilia, and has more than 100 locations throughout Europe. The menu for the European locations boasts more than 60 pasta dishes, numerous pizzas and other Italian dishes. There’s no estimated opening date yet, but the Clarendon location would be the chain’s first in the U.S.

Well, the conversion of Ireland’s Four Fields in Cleveland Park is underway, and the Uptown Tap House is aiming to open at 3412 Connecticut Avenue NW sometime this September, reports Prince of Petworth. The concept, from the team behind McFadden’s, is planning to offer a raw bar, fresh seafood dishes and an “upscale beverage program,” according to this Craigslist ad.

Events: If you just can’t get enough Julia Child, this week’s for you: there are book signings, cooking demonstrations, the reopening of the famous chef’s kitchen exhibit at the American History museum and even a Julia Child restaurant week that runs from August 7-15.

And because apparently August is made for [fill in the blank] Weeks, next week also encompasses Restaurant Week AND DC Beer Week. The offerings for DC Beer Week have continued to expand since its launch, and this year is no exception. There are too many events to name but here are a couple that look interesting: a 3 Stars beer and charcuterie tasting Monday at Boundary Road, a Chouffe-fueled taco-eating contest at Smoke & Barrel on Tuesday, and the unveiling of Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s hometown brewery Bluejacket’s collaboration with Baltimore’s Brewer’s Art at Churckey on Wednesday.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/neighborhood_eats_new_spots_for_h_street_and_a_second_shake_shack/5885.