Greg Otto, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – One of D.C.’s most popular chefs is moving into one of D.C.’s most popular neighborhoods.
Mike Isabella, a former Top Chef contestant and chef at Chinatown hot spot Graffiato, plans to open a new “modern Mexican small-plates” restaurant along M Street in Georgetown.
Bandolero will be housed in the space that was formerly occupied by Hook, the seafood restaurant that was heavily damaged in a June fire. Isabella will partner with Tackle Box owner Jonathan Umbel, who owns the space.
Umbel says while he is proud with what was accomplished at Hook, he took time after the fire to “reset” and is excited about the new project.
“We were excited to connect with Mike, because Mike’s energy and his talent, and his ability to do really good, flavorful food, we thought it would be a great fit for the Georgetown community,” Umbel says.
According to a press release, Bandolero will feature tacos and “carbons” (similar to fajitas) with duck, goat and off-cuts of meat that aren’t prominently featured in traditional Mexican food. The menu will also feature ceviches, salsas, guacamoles and a beverage list with “at least two dozen cocktails.”
Plans for Bandolero were first brought to light Monday after Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis told food blog Endless Simmer she had learned about the new venture during a weekend dinner at Graffiato. De Laurentiis was in town over the weekend for the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show.
“My vision for Bandolero is a high-energy, high-volume restaurant to match the bustling vibe of the Georgetown neighborhood and feed the late-night appetite of its college students,” Isabella says in a press release.
Umbel says the design concept will be a mixture of ideas from his own team, Isabella’s team and Street Sense, a D.C. real estate development firm that has worked with a number of D.C. restaurants.
Umbel says the design will be a unique part of Bandolero’s experience.
“Not your normal look when you think of a Mexican restaurant,” he says.
Isabella says Bandolero will open in early 2012.
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(Copyright 2011 by WTOP. All rights reserved.)
