{What’s in that empty storefront? Which favorite chef is opening up where, and when? All those details and more in Coming Soon.

TWO NINE

PROJECTED OPENING: Fall 2023 1218 31st Street NW Zach Ramos and Amy Phan will be opening Two Nine, a two-story restaurant, in Georgetown this Fall. This 1,500 sqaure-foot concept will feature a chirashi-centric grab-and-go cafe on the ground floor and an omakase counter on the second floor. The omakase counter will feature 12-seats and guests will be able to enjoy 15 to 17 course meals. Some highlights include hot and cold appetizers, sashimi and sushi, and the option to add whiskey, sake, and wine pairings. Ramos hopes to have his own take on the traditional omakase, by incorporating some of his Hawaiian heritage into the concept. For more information, visit their Instagram here.
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{Keeping you up to date on the absolute latest in restaurant openings in the DC Metro area.

ANY DAY NOW

2 I Street SE Tim Ma has opened a new casual and comforting all-day restaurant, Any Day Now. This new concept welcomes guests for everything from breakfast and coffee to a full-service restaurant and bar at night with creative takes on American and global cuisines. At Any Day Now, Ma blends the cuisine of his Chinese heritage, his 90's Americana childhood, and the modern ways we eat today. Chef de Cuisine and Partner Matt Sperber interprets Ma's vision on to the plate. Highlights from the breakfast menu include Signature Scallion-Pancake Egg Sandwiches, Housemade Sausage, House-Cured Bacon, and more. Dinner highlights include Chinese-five-spiced Braised Oxtail Tagliatelle, Korean-fried Chicken, Disco Fries, and more. Any Day Now is open daily for breakfast and lunch from 7:00 - 4:00 p.m. Dinner service will begin in July. For more information, visit their website here. Photo by Birch Thomas
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All the food news that you can use.

We Proudly Say Gay 🏳️‍🌈

What's that? Your PRIDE is showing. And ICYMI, June is Pride Month when the LGBTQ communities & their allies from around the world come together to celebrate the freedom to just be. Amid all the festivities, it is important to remember that these gatherings have a tough history. The LBGTQIA+ community has struggled mightily with mistreatment, prejudice, and recognition. This is a time to show support, observe, and listen. TheListAreYouOnIt.com is an incredibly loud & proud ally and committed to protecting civil liberties for everyone All. Year. Long. AND All month long around the DC area you'll see rainbow flags waving, drag queens shaking their tailfeather and various ways to celebrate. No surprise, the plethora of Pride events welcomes everyone #WereHere #SayGayGayGay -  Pride Drag Brunches at All Set Restaurant & Bar In celebration of Pride, All Set Restaurant & Bar will double up on its popular drag brunch service during the month of June, with 10% of restaurant sales during performances going to local organization, TransMaryland. Performances  from All Set’s resident queens from Haus of Stone will take place on Saturday, June 3rd and Saturday, June 17th, both beginning at around Noon. Guests can enjoy the show while enjoying New England brunch favorites such as Maine Lobster Roll, Eggs Benedict, Green Monster, and more. Admission fee is $10; 301.495.8800. 8630 Fenton Street, Silver Spring, MD. To make a reservation, click here. Pride Cocktails at Buffalo & Bergen The LGBTQ+ Community is going to take notice of the curated cocktails featured at Buffalo & Bergen for Pride Week in DC from Friday, June 2nd until Sunday, June 11th. A rainbow of choices has been crafted by lead bartender Franklin “Frankie” Jones. Frankie has created sassy, seductive, and suggestive cocktails with names for the discerning drinker who is ready for an elevated sipping experience. Some highlights include “Hey Zaddy”, “”Save a Horse”, “Daddies Need Love Too”, and more; Multiple Locations. For more information, click here. Queer Comics & Activism Discussion at Busboys and Poets Join Busboys and Poets on Wednesday, June 7th at 6:30 p.m. for a talk about the history of queer comics from the late 1950s to the present day and create your very own comic strip! Often mistakenly dismissed as not serious and too simplistic, queer comics from artists such as Tom of Finland to Bishakh Som continue to function as acts of activism, especially during times of political conservatism. In fact, one of the most banned books in the United States is currently Gender Queer, a graphic memoir by Maia Kobabe. This talk will cover the history of queer comics from the late 1950s to the present day and discuss the importance of the medium to queer culture. You will also have an opportunity to create your very own comic strip by the end of the talk; 202.387.7638. 2021 14th Street NW. For more information, click here. Celebrate Pride at the Capital Pride Parade Guests are invited to celebrate with the LGBTQ+ community and its allies at the historic Capital Pride Parade. This beloved tradition honors the history and acknowledges the evolution of the LGBTQ+ neighborhoods in DC, while respecting the origins and importance of taking to the streets in a fight for more equality. Expect entertainment, plenty of food and beverages, and good vibes during and after the parade; 15th Street NW. For more information, click here. Pride Week at Colada Shop Join Colada Shop as they celebrate Pride Week in style. Get ready for a burst of color and joy as their iconic Calle Ocho pouch stickers are transformed into vibrant Pride stickers, adorning all of their pouch drinks. Their Sweet Cheese Pastelito takes on a new look as the Pride Pastelito; Multiple Locations. For more information, click here.  Miss-En-Place Pride Dinner at The Conrad In celebration of DC’s Pride Month, Chef Ria Montes is partnering with Chef Julie Cortes of Kaliwa and Chef Olivia Green of Creme de la Crop, on a four-course dinner and beverage pairing. Menu highlights include Okoy (filipino fritter), Lobster Insasal, and Rellenong Isda (fish roulade). A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit DASH, the District Alliance for Safe Housing. Cocktail hour begins at 6:00 p.m. and dinner begins at 7:00 p.m. The dinner costs between $85-$125 per person. 202.844.5900. 950 New York Avenue NE. To purchase a ticket, click here. The Ground We Stand On: Past & Present DC LGBTQ Changemakers from Dupont Underground & The Washington Blade From Saturday, June 2nd until Sunday, June 25th, In recognition of indomitable courage and resilience, Dupont Underground & Washington Blade celebrate Pride Month by highlighting twenty-five LGBTQ Changemakers, the evolution of the DC LGBTQ+ community, and its influence that transcends boundaries. They invite guests to celebrate Pride Month with them for a variety of events throughout Pride Month; 19 Dupont Circle NW. For more information, click here. Rosè in the Rose Garden Celebrating the DC Pride Parade at Estuary Sip on Rosè wine flights in the Rose Garden at Estuary to celebrate Whitman-Walker’s 50th Anniversary and the DC Pride Parade on Saturday, June 10th from 11:00 - 5:00 p.m. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Whitman-Walker Foundation; 202.844.5895. 950 New York Avenue NW. For more information, click here. Pride Cocktail at Fairmont Fairmont is celebrating Pride Month this June with the “Love Wins” Cocktail ($17). Made with Empress Gin, Civic Vodka, St. Germain, and Rooftop Honey Syrup, this refreshing cocktail is purple and garnished with a lemon twist. For each cocktail, $3 will go to the National LGBTQ+ Task Force; 202.249.2400. 2401 M Street NW. For more information, click here. Drag Brunch at The Hamilton Live Celebrating Capital Pride Weekend On Sunday, June 11th, celebrate Capital Pride Weekend with Illusions Drag Brunch hosted at The Hamilton Live in partnership with Babbo Prosecco, proudly showcasing the extraordinary of Shi Queeta Lee. The event includes bottomless mimosas, a delicious brunch buffet, high-energy entertainment, and a fabulous performance. The two shows take place at 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Tickets cost $65 each, with $5 from each ticket going to support the Capital Pride Alliance. 600 14th Street NW. To purchase tickets, click here.  Ladies Tea: Pride Edition at Hank’s Dupont Circle Kick off Pride Month with your girls during the ever popular Ladies Tea at Hank's Oyster Bar Dupont Circle. Tickets cost $15 and include one beer, wine, or cocktail, plus entry into a raffle for your chance at winning Hank's Gift Cards, Hank's Swag, their PRIDE Edition T-Shirts, and more. $5 from each ticket will go to the TAGG Scholarship Fund. This event is 21+ and will happen rain or shine; 202.462.4265. 1624 Q Street NW. To purchase a ticket, click here. The Hill Center’s Dragathon Extrava-GAY-za On Sunday, June 18th from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m., The Hill Center will be hosting its first ever outdoor Dragathon Extrava-GAY-za. Cheer for your favorite DC drag performers with two hours straight of drag excellence, explore the stands of local queer businesses, grab a bite to eat, enjoy a cool bevvy, while enjoying music co-curated by Hennessey. The food truck is provided by Trini Vybez; 202.549.4172. 921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE. To purchase a ticket, click here. “Gay is Good” at Jane Jane LGBTQ-owned cocktail bar Jane Jane is thrilled to announce the debut of “Gay is Good”, a month-long Pride fundraiser in support of the ACLU Drag Defense Fund, which supports the ACLU’s work in protecting LGBTQ+ rights work and the freedoms promised by the First Amendment. During the month of June, Jane Jane will donate 10% of sales from its Pride cocktail menu and 50% of all t-shirt sales to the Drag Defense Fund. Jane Jane will debut its drag-inspired décor installation and two limited-edition Pride cocktails on Friday, June 2nd. Cocktails will also be sold in to-go pouches outside of Jane Jane’s 14th Street location during the Capital Pride Parade on Saturday, June 10th; 202.481.2166. 1705 14th Street NW. For more information, click here. Pride Month Specialty Cocktail at J. Hollinger’s J. Hollinger’s encourages its guests to Bee Proud this Pride Month with J. Hollinger’s special Pride Month cocktail, “Yuz Bee Sweet”. The cocktail contains Barr Hill “beekeepers” Gin, Yuzu, and Honey. J. Hollinger’s will donate $2 from each Yuz Bee Sweet sold in June to the MoCo Pride Center; 301.328.0035. 8606 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD. For more information, visit their website here. Mosaic District’s 2nd Annual Pride Parade Join Mosaic’s 2nd Annual Pride Parade on Saturday, June 3rd. The parade starts at 2:00 p.m. in front of One Medical and will run all the way down District Avenue to the Archer Hotel, concluding at the Main Stage. The celebration will continue until 8:30 p.m. with drag queens, GMU band, dance performances from Kazaxe, Groovalicious, and more; 2910 District Avenue, Fairfax, VA. For more information, click here. Celebrate Pride Month at Intersect at O’s Rainbow Reading Room Immerse yourself in an explosion of rainbow at Intersect at O’s Rainbow Reading Room to kickoff Pride Month. Intersect at O’s Rainbow Reading Room will be open from Thursday, June 1st until Wednesday, June 14th, giving guests a chance to experience the world of rainbow and all things Pride, while touring the 79-unit Shaw building; 202.858.0936. 1338 8th Street NW. To schedule a visit for free, click here. Pride-Themed Treats from Mr. Bake Sweets Kareem “Mr. Bake” Queeman is kicking off Pride Month when Black Pride begins in DC on Thursday, May 25th with Pride-themed treats available for pick-up within Le Fantome Food Hall and local delivery. Some of the treats include a Prideful Banana Pudding, Rainbow Cookies, and Rainbow Cake Jars. Olivia Macaron Celebrates Pride Month with Rainbow Assortment Olivia Macaron will be featuring its Rainbow Macaron assortments in June for Pride Month. In honor of their commitment to inclusivity, Olivia Macaron will donate 5% of June sales of the Rainbow Boxes to the UN Free & Equal Initiative. The flavors in the Rainbow Box include Rasberry, Blood Orange, Lemon Meringue, Mango Passion Fruit, Raspberry, and Coconut Chocolate; 202.965.1000. 3270 M Street NW. For more information, click here. 2023 Pride Celebrations at Perry’s Perry’s is celebrating Pride Month this June with Sunday drag brunches and a new limited-edition Pride Cocktail. Two drag brunches will be held on each Sunday throughout June, with the $39.95 admission fee covering the reservation as well as the buffet-style brunch offerings. Full bar offerings and special drag brunch cocktails are available at an extra fee. Perry’s will also be serving the limited-edition, Sassy (sake-based cocktail made with Italian di Bergamotto), throughout Pride for $14. A percentage of proceeds from the sale of Sassy will go to Equality NOVA; 202.234.6218. 1811 Columbia Road NW. To make a reservation, click here. Seventh Annual Rockville Pride The City of Rockville’s Human Rights Commission will celebrate the seventh annual Rockville Pride in Rockville Town Square on Saturday, June 24th from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. The event is free and open to all ages and includes live performances, information booths and dialogue, arts and crafts/children’s activities, and more; 131 Gibb Street, Rockville, MD. For more information, click here. Drag Brunch Hosted by Tara Ashleigh Austin at Ruse What better way to kick off the month than with drag brunch? Join Ruse in St. Michaels, MD for a three-course brunch and a full lineup of entertainment hosted by drag royalty, Tara Ashleigh Austin. Alcohol is not included in the ticket price, but drink specials will be available a la carte; 410.745.8011. 209 N Talbot Street, Saint Michaels, MD. To make a reservation, click here. Pride Shabbat at Sixth & I On Friday, June 9th at 6:00 p.m., in solidarity with Capital Pride 2023, Rabbi Aaron will lead an inclusive service celebrating the diversity of DC Jewish life at Sixth & I. Musicians Aaron Shneyer, Sarah Frederick, and Jeff Geld will be accompanied by DC’s Different Drummers. There will also be speakers who will lift up the Capital Pride theme of Peace, Love, and Revolution. The service is free and the Shabbat Dinner after is $36 per person; 202.408.3100. 600 I Street NW. For more information, click here. The Station’s Pride Paw-ty On Sunday, June 15th, parade your purebred and strut your mutt at The Station’s Pride Paw-ty.  Hosted in partnership with Prince George's County Pride and local animal rescue Senior Dog Sanctuary, the Pride Paw-ty invites all to celebrate at this free event.  Bring your four-legged best friend and enjoy a rainbow doggy treat bar, photo booth with paw-fect props, obstacle course, a live DJ, Starbucks Pup Cup bar, and colorful beverages from Whole Foods. Dogs dressed in their best rainbow attire can enter the Pride Pup Competition to win a gift card from The Station’s restaurants and retailers; 4704 Van Buren Street, Riverdale Park, MD. To make a reservation, click here.
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Where is Nycci? Here, there, and everywhere in media outlets across the city.

Visit Montgomery Talks MoCo Eats On Foodie And...

Visit Montgomery’s Chief Strategy Officer, Cory Van Horn, guested on Foodie and the Beast, your go-to radio show for foodie highlights, news, and updates in the DC region and beyond. Nycci and David chatted with Cory about the MoCo Eats program and how it celebrates Montgomery County, Maryland‘s diversity through cuisine. Listen to the full episode here.
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Take a deep dive into the Industry and beyond.

Not Your Dad's Fast Casual: Industry Night,...

Welcome to another Industry Night with Nycci Nellis. If you follow me on Insta - and you should @‌nyccinellis - you know I have been out and about. And it has been a week of incredible eats: -The Napa Valley Vintners were in town pouring their incredible wines all over town. And I wasn’t just at one event, I was at two! First, 25+ winemakers poured at the Duck & the Peach - side note - I did record a show there with several of them — and then I was invited to the Smithsonian for an incredible evening honoring the winemakers - Napa Valley Wines in Changing Times with: -Andy Erickson, Favia; -Dawnine Dyer, Dyer Vineyard; -Doug Shafer, Shafer Vineyards; -and Martin M. Reyes, Reyes Wine Group They all poured their wines during a glorious sit-down dinner while also chatting about the issues facing that gorgeous region. -Got a group of Boss Babes at Nobu for an evening of pristine sushi & amazing cocktails Now, since this is my third show recording this week, that’s the three things I have consumed since the last taping! But just wait until this weekend its chock full of events — White House Correspondents Party at the Ambassador of Japan’s Residence, checking out David Deshaies new Love, Makoto, and another trip up to NYC to celebrate famous alums of the CIA. Today’s show: Sahil Rahman & his partner Rahul Vinod are the two behind the wildly successful fast-casual concept, RASA. And honestly, I am feeling a little old sitting here.  Years ago when I started in this business I met his father, Surfy Rahman, and Surfy’s business partner chef K.N. Vinod when they opened Indique in Cleveland Park in 2002. These two men were part of an incredible wave of immigrant-owned restaurants in this city that helped change not just the way we ate — deliciously —  but also gave people a new point of view when it came to restaurants and the dining scene in this city. Cut to today, Sahil & Rahul have turned the industry on its head with their innovative concept of fine fast casual Indian. I personally love where Sahil’s head is at … tune in ~ "We're not selling Indian cuisine, we're selling happiness, and Indian cuisine happens to be our medium." -Sahil Rahman “You know, no matter where you start, the most important thing is to start and be relentless”- Sahil Rahman Listen to the full episode here. Watch the full episode here.  Our Guest: Sahil Raman - Instagram - Facebook - Website - Twitter
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