Exclusive: Yellow café returns to Navy Yard

Yellow café reopens in Navy Yard next month with chef Michael Rafidi's Levantine pastries and wood-fired pita sandwiches.

Why it matters: The popular Eastern Mediterranean café, which adjoins Michelin-starred Albi, hit pause in February — and fans have been pining for baklava lattes and "Urfa-thing bagels" since.

What's new: Charcoal-grilled kebab sandwiches and playful treats from the chefs, who are doubling the space as a test kitchen for upcoming menus and projects.

• The café, which added more seating indoors and out, will only be open on weekends from 8am to 2pm, starting Saturday, September 9.
• Opening day will feature a special sandwich from visiting "Top Chef" winner Mei Lin, with proceeds going toward Maui relief efforts.

On the menu: Mornings will bring creative coffee drinks, sweet and savory pastries (mmm, orange blossom croissants), and breakfast sandwiches including egg-stuffed pitas with labne and herbs.

• For lunch, look for mezze, seasonal hummuses, and Insta-worthy pita sandwiches like barbecued harissa eggplant or chicken with crispy potatoes and Palestinian pickles.

The big picture: Rafidi is in expansion mode, having opened a Yellow café in Georgetown late last year.

• Next year, he'll open a huge flagship Yellow cafe and kebab spot in a former Union Market meatpacking warehouse. A rooftop bar and bistro, La'Shukran, will sit above.

Zoom in: An evening menu of wood-fired Levantine pizzas, small plates, and wine/cocktails launches at Yellow Georgetown on September 22 after months of preparation (there's also a pizza pop-up this Friday and Saturday).

• If the smoked brisket hummus and spicy tomato-harissa pie are as good as they sound, the menu drop is worth the wait.