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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Washington, DC. Written by Anna Spiegel, Cuneyt Dil and Chelsea Cirruzzo.

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D.C. chef Rob Rubba in a black t-shirt and blue apron sitting at a table with a glass . 

Oyster Oyster chef Rob Rubba took home a James Beard Award Monday night in a competitive national category: Outstanding Chef.

Why it matters: "The Beards" are big-time — considered the Oscars for the American hospitality industry. And last year no D.C. finalist won.

Zoom in: Rubba, who brings a hyper-seasonal and sustainable approach to the fine dining world, has racked up accolades for his plant-centric Shaw tasting room, including Food & Wine’s Best New Chef and a new Michelin star. 

The intimate space hones in on native, wild, and foraged ingredients — plus oysters (they’re good for the environment!) and natural/biodynamic wines.

What they're saying: Rubba thanked his wife, kids, and longtime business partner Max Kuller. "Your thoughtfulness is contagious," he said at the ceremony. And to the next generation, "I just hope every day I can give [them] everything I have so they can progress and succeed."

Backstory: Rubba’s win is doubly sweet as it’s the first for D.C. in four years, partly due to a two-year pandemic hiatus for the awards. Prior to that, D.C. chefs and restaurants enjoyed a win in at least one category every year between 2016 and 2019 —  a period that corresponded with the city’s rising culinary reputation.

Zoom out: Rubba was among three finalists for D.C. The list also included Albi chef Michael Rafidi, a finalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic. And Causa, a Peruvian tasting bar in Shaw, a finalist for Best New Restaurant.

Between the lines: Even making it off the long list of semifinalists is résumé-worthy.

As the James Beard Foundation grapples with ongoing issues of bad behavior and workplace abuse in the industry, a new set of ethics investigations into nominees is raising questions.

What’s next for Rubba: His team is planning to reopen a version of their more casual Oyster Garage adjoining the Shaw tasting room.

See also: The 2023 RAMMY Awards on July 9, aka the Oscars for D.C.’s hospitality industry. Oyster Oyster is a nominee for Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year.

Find a full list here of James Beard Award winners.

D.C. chef wins big at James Beard Awards

Washington, D.C.

<figure><img alt="D.C. chef Rob Rubba in a black t-shirt and blue apron sitting at a table with a glass . " height="1532" id="6911c53d-3408-478d-b8c1-25ebd356bd24" src="https://images.axios.com/HNI1IhdpYSpRgQENL4NE2afPjK8=/2023/06/06/1686017635736.jpg" width="1280"/><figcaption>Chef Rob Rubba. Photo: via Oyster Oyster</figcaption></figure><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Oyster Oyster" data-vars-click-url="https://www.oysteroysterdc.com/" data-vars-content-id="13079865-5486-44ea-a2bb-306cb66073fa" data-vars-headline="D.C. chef wins big at James Beard Awards" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.oysteroysterdc.com/" target="_blank">Oyster Oyster</a> chef Rob Rubba took home a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="James Beard Award" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2023/01/27/dcs-james-beard-nominees?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_dc&amp;stream=top" data-vars-content-id="13079865-5486-44ea-a2bb-306cb66073fa" data-vars-headline="D.C. chef wins big at James Beard Awards" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2023/01/27/dcs-james-beard-nominees?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_dc&amp;stream=top" target="_self">James Beard Award</a> Monday night in a competitive national category: Outstanding Chef.Why it matters: &quot;The Beards&quot; are big-time — considered the Oscars for the American hospitality industry. And last year <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="no D.C. finalist won" data-vars-click-url="https://www.washingtonian.com/2022/06/13/dc-chefs-and-restaurants-shut-out-at-2022-james-beard-awards/" data-vars-content-id="13079865-5486-44ea-a2bb-306cb66073fa" data-vars-headline="D.C. chef wins big at James Beard Awards" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.washingtonian.com/2022/06/13/dc-chefs-and-restaurants-shut-out-at-2022-james-beard-awards/" target="_blank">no D.C. finalist won</a>.

Food and Drink

It’s rooftop bar season, and there’s a D.C. deck for every whim, price point, and craving.

Classic: Top of the [Water] Gate — like sitting on a slice of history with amazing views.

🍹 New: Whitlow’s re-re-opens June 6 in the old Brixton space along U Street with a refreshed rooftop, crushes, and rum buckets.

Cheffy: Matt Baker’s greenhouse at Gravitas is the city’s only Michelin-starred rooftop for drinks and drinks and à la carte dining. 

🍣 Sushi: Adams Morgan classic Perry’s feels fresh with a new chef and menu, same pretty deck.

HH sushi: O-Ku’s sleeper happy hour near Union Market is a steal with half-off rolls and cocktails/wine below $10 (Mon-Thurs, 5pm-7pm).

🍸 HH cocktails: The Imperial’s chic rooftop in AdMo shakes up superior sips like espresso martinis — now 50% off (Thurs, 5pm-10pm). See also: seafood “tower hour” on Wednesdays.

Margaritas: It’s all rosy (and rosé) at Lucha Rosa, a new Mexican-themed spot in Mt. Vernon Triangle.

👀 Views: The Wharf is pretty/pricey rooftop central, but Moonraker at the new Pendry boasts the best river vistas.

Divey: Hit Red Derby in Columbia Heights for $3 beers, tendies, and a strong local vibe.

🌭 Deck-y: Ivy & Coney brings big deck energy to Shaw: sports, hot dogs, and cheap drinks.

Beachy: Dupont Circle's Vagabond sets a scene with umbrellas and coastal eats (plus a new HH).

🥞 Brunch: Channel island sun atop The Wharf’s Tiki TNT with $25 bottomless mimosas and luau pancakes.

Drag brunch: The views and stilettos are sky-high atop Officina at The Wharf for Sunday drag brunch.

💕 First date: Colada Shop 14th Street — part Cuban café, part bar — is a breezy rooftop pick.

Groups: Hi-Lawn atop Union Market is huge, kid-friendly (before 7pm), and crowd-pleasing thanks to boozy juice boxes, free games, and backyard eats.

🍾 Scene: Bottle service and Bravolebrities are all part of the package at Ciel Social Club, Mt. Vernon Triangle’s sleek penthouse lounge.

So D.C. Lady Bird, a pretty Dupont Circle perch with first lady looks and proper hors d’oeuvres.

🎂 Birthdays: At Takoda (Shaw, Navy Yard) semi-private rooftop events are welcome without pricey rental fees or minimums.

Pool: Sip waterside at D.C.’s biggest rooftop pool, Deck 11 on Capitol Hill, whose lounge is open to the public — and pass holders can swim, too.

D.C. has rooftop bars for every mood: Here's a guide

Whether you're craving margaritas or brunch — here's where to go.

Lucha Rosa rooftop channels coastal Mexico. Photo: via Lucha Rosa

It’s rooftop bar season, and there’s a D.C. deck for every whim, price point, and craving.

It’s not officially summer yet, but like the days, new happy hours are getting longer and better.

Why it matters: Happy hour is often about a convenient location, but these deals are so good we’d travel.

😎 All-day HH: Bar Ivy in Arlington kicks deals off at noon (Thurs-Sun until 5:30pm) with day drinks including $11 espresso martinis and $8 sangría — available everywhere, indoors and out.

🍹 All-night HH: J.Hollinger’s chophouse in Silver Spring just rolled out a lengthy happy hour (4pm-9pm, Tues-Thurs, and Sun) with $1 Chesapeake oysters, $9 classics like martinis and wines, and $10 crushes.

🍔 Late-night HH: Chef Nick Stefanelli’s ritzy Le Clou recently opened near Union Market. While a Champagne vending machine in the hotel is tempting, diners can snag cheap $10 glasses of bubbly with $10 double-stack burgers starting at 10pm (reservations required).

🍸 Half-off cocktails: Like sister bar Jack Rose, The Imperial mixes some of the best cocktails in Adams Morgan — and now they’re all 50% off on Thursdays (5pm-10pm, rooftop bar only). Another great (albeit not new) deal: “tower hour” Wednesdays when shellfish plateaus are half off.

🎳 Bottomless bowling: If your free-flow vibe is more games, fewer drinks, the summer deal at Pinstripes Georgetown is a strike: unlimited bowling and bocce through August ($85). That said, the bar pours cheap drinks ($5 wines, beers, and wells) for happy hour (Mon-Fri, 3pm-6:30pm).

🥂 Power hour: The Red Hen is bringing back its Italian aperitivo hour at the Bloomingdale bar (Mon-Thurs, 5:30pm-6:30pm) with treats such as $8 Negronis and spritzes, and $7 truffle-ricotta crostini.

🧃 Picnic hour: Hi-Lawn, the huge rooftop lawn-bar at Union Market, starts happy hour next week (Mon-Thurs, 3pm-5pm) with deals including $8 boozy juice boxes, $4 sliders, and $5 cans.

🦪 Oyster hour: Patrons at French-Canadian disco-bistro Le Mont Royal in Adams Morgan can snag half-off oysters with $10 draft cocktails and other deals (5pm-6:30pm weekdays, 4pm on weekends).

New summer happy hours in D.C.

The mezcal Bounce House cocktail at Imperial. Photo: Julep PR

It’s not officially summer yet, but like the days, new happy hours are getting longer and better.Why it matters: Happy hour is often about a convenient location, but these deals are so good we’d travel.

June is primetime for restaurant and bar openings, and a bunch of exciting concepts are debuting around D.C.

🌮 Hi/Fi Tex-Mex BBQ: Tacos and barbecue come next week to Del Rey, Alexandria, with NRG’s Tex-Mex spot in the backyard of Evening Star Café. On tap: Chef Nate Anda’s smoked meats, creative tacos, 25 drafts, and frozen cocktails. 

Josephine: A warm, Parisian-style brasserie opens June 7 in Old Town, Alexandria, with ex-Mintwood Place chef Matt Cockrell at the helm, French classics on the menu, large-format wines, and caviar martinis. 

🍻Whitlow’s: The family-run pub has bar-hopped locations around Arlington and D.C. for decades — and lands on a prime U Street corner (formerly Brixton) next week. Expect the same casual vibes and bar fare, music, and a huge rooftop like the “On Wilson” days.

Caviar martini at Josephine. Photo: Rey Lopez

Philippe Chow: Manhattan’s glitzy Beijing-style hotspot — known equally for its celeb-spotting and duck-carving — expands for the first time outside NYC. The 270-seat Wharf restaurant and waterfront patio will open on June 14.

🦪 Salt Line Bethesda: A third branch of the New England-style, Navy Yard-born seafood restaurant is headed for downtown Bethesda in late June. Go for oysters and lobster rolls, stay for cold drinks on a cozy patio.

The Heights: Chevy Chase, Maryland’s long-anticipated food hall, is slated for late June with ten stalls, a Tex-Mex restaurant, and a speakeasy-style bar. The lineup mixes up-and-comers with established names: a sushi stall from Kevin Tien and a spinoff of Union Market’s kebab bar, Yasmine.

🍣 Kyojin: Georgetown will get a chic sushi cave from the team behind Yume in Arlington. On offer: whimsical sushi, imported Japanese fish, izakaya-style dishes, and a deep sake list.

Kitchen + Kocktails: Dallas-based restaurateur Kevin Kelley opens a third location of his upscale Southern dining room near Franklin Square on June 16. (Coming later: Kanvas cocktail lounge). Look for jerk lamb chops, Cajun crab cakes, and drinks highlighting spirit labels with Black owners.

Editor's note: This story was corrected to say Evening Star Café is in the Del Rey neighborhood of Alexandria, not Old Town.

June’s hottest D.C. restaurant and bar openings

8 Bar and Restaurant Openings to Watch in June

The Salt Line opens in Bethesda this month. Photo: Greg Powers

New England classics at the Salt Line. Photo: Greg Powers

June is primetime for restaurant and bar openings, and a bunch of exciting concepts are debuting around D.C.

Michelin-starred chef Matt Baker will open a rustic Mediterranean wine bar, Non Se, near Union Market early next year.

Why it matters: Baker is the rising star talent behind Gravitas in Ivy City and Michele’s downtown — and this next project promises to be fun with tons of coastal wines, an antipasti bar, and a large open-fire grill.

The big picture: Local and national talents are making the Union Market District one of D.C.’s hottest dining destinations. Fellow D.C. star Michael Rafidi is planning a Levantine culinary powerhouse. El Presidente, Stephen Starr’s Mexican restaurant, is coming soon. And Keith McNally is peeping a secret bar at Minetta Tavern nearby, slated for December.

The look: Pulled from seaside villages — think natural woods, colorful tiles, and a large indoor/outdoor bar for sipping Etna Bianco with dips and marinated octopus.

The 150-seat restaurant will open onto a large terrace ringed by colorful, group-friendly cabanas.

The wine: Bountiful, with around 25 pours by the glass in a variety of sizes, from half-goblet to carafes. Baker plans to showcase wines from Sicily, Spain, Corsica, and Greece with an eye for approachable pricing.

The spread: Boards of antipasti and dips pulled from a display as you’d find in Italy, plus fresh-baked breads. The menu, designed for grazing and sharing, will also have rustic platters of porchetta, whole fish, or lamb ribs roasted in the hearth.

What they’re saying: “This is the food I like to cook and eat on my days off — light and vibrant,” says Baker, who lives above the restaurant.

Also in the mix: A branch of Baker’s daytime cafe, coffee shop, and market, Baker’s Daughter, at the same address as the wine bar (300 Morse St. NE).

What’s in a name: Baker says he couldn’t find one he liked. So, he went with Non Se, Italian slang for “I don’t know.” Also, a carefree attitude: “You don’t always know what you’ll get, but you know it will be good.”

Exclusive: Michelin-starred chef to Union Market

Matt Baker is the chef behind Gravitas in Ivy City and Michele’s downtown.

Chef Matt Baker at Gravitas in Ivy City, DC

Chef Matt Baker at Gravitas. Photograph: Leading DC

Michelin-starred chef Matt Baker will open a rustic Mediterranean wine bar, Non Se, near Union Market early next year.Why it matters: Baker is the rising star talent behind <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Gravitas" data-vars-click-url="http://www.gravitasdc.com/" data-vars-content-id="e09d9efc-4bb2-4da8-b520-79686a159f16" data-vars-headline="Exclusive: Michelin-starred chef to Union Market" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="http://www.gravitasdc.com/" target="_blank">Gravitas</a> in Ivy City and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Michele’s" data-vars-click-url="https://www.michelesdc.com/" data-vars-content-id="e09d9efc-4bb2-4da8-b520-79686a159f16" data-vars-headline="Exclusive: Michelin-starred chef to Union Market" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.michelesdc.com/" target="_blank">Michele’s</a> downtown — and this next project promises to be fun with tons of coastal wines, an antipasti bar, and a large open-fire grill.

Anna Spiegel

Featured stories

Exclusive: Michelin-starred chef to Union Market

D.C. chef wins big at James Beard Awards

New summer happy hours in D.C.

D.C. has rooftop bars for every mood: Here's a guide

June’s hottest D.C. restaurant and bar openings