What’s Hot in Washington, DC September – December 2022
With vibrant foliage and waterfront views, family-friendly festivals and fabulous shopping, there’s so much to see and do this fall in the District.
The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) also recently honoured the city’s restaurant community with its annual awards gala, the RAMMYS. Winners and finalists alike are making their mark in the industry. Here’s just a taste of what’s currently cooking in DC:
Development
With US$9.3 billion in development, investment in the city remains strong. Learn more about upcoming projects across the city HERE.
Eat
After the recent addition of four new Michelin stars awarded to DC restaurants, the city is now showing off a different kind of star in the form of celebrities. Renowned local chef José Andrés is opening a new location of his Miami, Florida restaurant, The Bazaar, and Chef Gordan Ramsay is planning three restaurants; Hell’s Kitchen, Street Pizza and Gordon Ramsay Fish and Chips. Two big hitters headlined by New York City restaurateurs are coming to Union Market – Keith McNally’s Minetta Tavern and Stephen Starr’s Pastis, a storied Manhattan restaurant.
Latin American flavours are moving in to spice up the cooler weather with the opening of a long-awaited Peruvian restaurant, Causa. Also opening: the first brick-and-mortar location of popular breakfast taco spot La Tejana, the sophisticated Lima Twist downtown and DC’s second location of celebrated chef Roberto Santibanez’s Mi Vida
Coming soon…
DC legend José Andrés’ hotly anticipated new restaurant, The Bazaar, opens inside the Waldorf Astoria Washington DC in late 2022, close to the White House and the U.S. Capitol Building. Its location is symbolic to Andrés, who is committed to creating an upscale and inclusive environment within the city’s culinary scene.
The Wharf heats up with the new addition of Hell’s Kitchen. Famed chef Gordon Ramsey brings surf and turf to the second phase of the Wharf in fall of 2022. This is the first Hell’s Kitchen unaffiliated with a casino and will feature Ramsey’s famed Beef Wellington. Also planned for the Wharf is Gordon Ramsay Fish and Chips.
East Coast hitmaker Stephen Starr (Le Diplomate, St. Anselm) will duplicate New York City’s Meatpacking District’s scene-y bistro, Pastis, in DC’s Union Market in late 2022. The new site will provide a glamorous backdrop for a French menu filled with beef bourguignon, sardines, escargot and weekly specials like decadent dover sole and duck confit.
Originally opened in 1937 in New York City, Minetta Tavern plans to make its DC debut in the latter half of 2022. Now headed by London-born restauranteur Keith McNally, Minetta Tavern has been described as “Parisian steakhouse meets classic New York City tavern.”
Inspired by nightlife in Spain’s Basque Country, Chef Johnny Spero’s eponymous restaurant Bar Spero joins other newcomers at DC’s Capitol Crossing this summer. It will feature open hearth cooking and seafood, like a whole turbot for diners to share. The bar will serve house-made cocktails, wine and aged sherries.
Tokyo is the inspiration for a Japanese food hall on Massachusetts Avenue from internationally acclaimed chef Makoto Okuwa and Unconventional Diner co-owner Eric Eden. Love Makoto, located at DC’s Capitol Crossing development, will feature a ramen shop, a Japanese bakery, sushi and a robata grill. It’s expected to open in late 2022.
A taste of sunny Florida will join DC’s Navy Yard neighborhood soon in the form of Royal Sands Social Club. The bar is ideal for groups and features fish tacos, frozen drinks and two stories of seating and entertainment, including hanging chairs, cabana-style tables and shuffleboard.
The groundbreaking Bronze, set to open in late 2022, aims to reimagine the history of the African diaspora through the fictional story of Alonzo Bronze, a spice and culinary technique trader of the 1300s. The H Street Corridor location will offer a globalised menu representative of his travels.
Over-the-top Southern comfort food will reign at Uncaged Mimosas, an all-day brunch spot in Truxton Circle by innovative chef and DC-native Damian Brown. Visitors can get excited for boozy slushy machines and mimosas showcasing Black-owned alcohol brands. Menu options will include dishes like salmon cake Benedict on a tater tot waffle.
For recent openings this year visit HERE.
Sleep
The city has 26 new hotels and 5,800 additional rooms in the pipeline including renovations, new hotels and new brands in neighborhoods throughout the city. In 2022, eight new hotels and/or new brands open across Washington, DC, including the independent brand Selina in NoMa and the Pendry Hotel at the Wharf. Salamander Hotels and Resorts will debut its first DC property in September.
Coming soon…
The Morrow Hotel Washington, DC Curio Collection by Hilton (late 2022): The 203-room hotel is in The Morrow at Central Armature Works, a redeveloped site in the emerging NoMA neighborhood next to the NoMa/Galludet Metro station. The upscale brand from Hilton is in a three-tower mixed use project alongside two resident towers. The hotel is projected to have LEED Silver certification and will include outdoor event space, indoor and outdoor food and beverage spaces and a rooftop with views of the city.
Pendry Hotel Washington D.C. – The Wharf (late 2022): Featuring curated collections of art and local craftsmanship, the multi-faceted property features 131 guestrooms including 34 suites. It will host three signature dining and bar concepts, a state-of-the-art Spa Pendry and 5,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event and meeting space. The upscale hotel chain is known locally for Baltimore’s luxe Sagamore Pendry hotel, owned in part by Under Armour founder Kevin Plank.
For properties that have opened this year and up-coming in 2023 click HERE
Entertainment
DC is celebrating major events including the opening of Phase 2 of The Wharf (12 Oct) and the eagerly awaited reopening of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (14 Oct) and November ushers in the holiday season. Favourites like the Downtown Holiday Market on F St NW return (19 Nov), along with outdoor ice skating (23 Nov) and classic holiday performances like A Christmas Carol (18 Nov) and The Nutcracker (25 Nov)
Calendar highlights include:
September
Dear Evan Hansen | John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | 30 Aug to 25 Sept
Winner of six Tony Awards including Best Musical and the 2018 Grammy Award, Dear Evan Hansen is the deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it. The Washington Post calls it “one of the most remarkable shows in musical theater history.”
Art and Ideals: President John F. Kennedy | John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts |17 Sept
The Kennedy Center is debuting a new immersive permanent exhibit on President John F. Kennedy and his connection to the arts. The expansive roof-level Atrium will reopen as the JFK Gallery, a new destination for patrons and visitors to the memorial. The exhibit will explore Kennedy’s appreciation and promotion of the arts and why the Kennedy Center came to be the living memorial to him and his ideals.
Called to Create: Black Artists of the American South National Gallery of Art |East Building |18 Sep to 26 March 2023
Enjoy more than 40 paintings, assemblages, sculptures and drawings from Black artists who worked for years with little recognition, often using recycled materials as their art supplies and yards, porches or boarded-up storefronts as their galleries. Explore some of the finest art of our time, with many acquired from the Souls Grown Deep Foundation.
October
Phase 2 of The Wharf |The Wharf | 12 Oct
Phase 2 construction will deliver an additional 1.15 million square feet of mixed-use spaces, including a hotel and marina. Office, residential and retail space, as well as parks and public areas, add to the options on the Southwest Waterfront.
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Reopening |National Air and Space Museum | 14 Oct
The free museum reopens with eight new transformed galleries. Free timed-entry passes will be required for all visitors. Whether you’re an airhead, a space case or prefer to stay grounded, there’s something for everyone at the Smithsonian’s most visited museum.
TINA |The National Theatre | 4 to 23 Oct
Celebrate the resilience and triumph of the queen of rock ‘n roll, Tina Turner, in an inspiring musical revue.
November
Downtown Holiday Market |F Street NW | 19 Nov to 23 Dec
The 18th Annual Downtown Holiday Market returns mid-November. Located outside of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the beloved outdoor market features more than 70 exhibitors of local vendors and small businesses, food vendors offering sweet treats and hot beverages and a live stage of exceptional regional performers providing holiday cheer.
Enchant |Nationals Park | 25 Nov to Jan 2023
Nationals Park transforms into a winter wonderland with an immersive walk-through light maze created with over 4 million sparkling lights, a 100-foot-tall holiday tree, a unique ice-skating trail, live entertainment, Santa visits and a holiday shopping marketplace with crafts, gifts and culinary treats including festive holiday beverages and cocktails.
The Nutcracker |The Washington Ballet | 25 Nov to 30 Dec
The celebrated production is set in historic 1882 Georgetown with George Washington, King George III and other historical figures. Set to Tchaikovsky’s magical score, the celebrated classic comes to life with intricate stunning set designs, original period costumes and over 100 dancers including students and trainees from The Washington School of Ballet.
December
National Christmas Tree Lighting |White House Ellipse | TBD
Mark the 100th anniversary of a national tradition with an array of programming and celebrations.
For a full list of events including what’s in store for 2023 click HERE