WASHINGTON — D.C. chef Mike Isabella’s Isabella Eatery, a 41,000-square-foot food hall on the third floor of Tysons Galleria, will open Dec. 11.
Culinary director Joe Palma, who oversees menu development and kitchen operations, prefers to call it a “food emporium.” It open in phases, but will be fully open by the end of the year, Mike Isabella Concepts said.
Isabella Eatery will include nine full-service and fast-casual restaurants, most versions of Isabella’s existing portfolio of restaurants, a cocktail bar and private event space.
Isabella is the sole proprietor of the entire food hall.
“This project really represents the next frontier for me,” Isabella said in a statement. “Everything my team has built over the last seven years, from Graffiato and Kapnos to Arroz and Requin, is coming together to create a brand-new type of dining experience in Northern Virginia. It is something that hasn’t been done before on this level, particularly by a single operator.”
Isabella Eatery will include upscale dining, fast-casual, carryout and full-service off-site catering.
“Guests can make reservations at several of the restaurants; they’re seated by a host, and there’s a common dining area with one menu for multiple restaurants,” Palma said.
The first to open will include Graffiato, serving small plates, pastas and pizzas; Nonfiction Coffee, featuring beans from artisan roasters and pour-over coffees, and Retro Creamery, which Isabella calls a modern take on a 1950s ice cream parlor.
Opening by the end of the year will be Arroz, the second location for Isabella’s Spanish-inspired restaurant; a 120-seat dining hall with service from all of the restaurants; Kapnos Marketa, a marketplace spinoff of Isabella’s three Greek restaurants; Octagon Bar, an outpost of Arlington’s Pepita, a Mexican restaurant; Requin Oyster and Champagne, and Yona, serving sushi and other Japanese small plate.
Isabella is the chef/owner of 13 restaurants in the Washington area.
