Restaurants help transform Washington

Washington, D.C., is undergoing a makeover. From the Southwest Waterfront to NoMa to Friendship Heights, formerly underdeveloped neighborhoods are now exciting places to shop and dine.

The transformation of NoMa, short for “North of Massachusetts Ave.,” began with the New York Avenue Metro station opening nearly a decade ago. Private developers invested in the area, making the neighborhood a vibrant place.

Sixth Engine, a restaurant tucked into the 400 block of Massachusetts Ave. NW, harkens back to its former use — as a firehouse in the ’70s. Over the past 40 years, the site has been used for storage and a homeless shelter and was abandoned at one point, according to manager Sean Griffin.

“We wanted to keep a piece of the history,” Griffin said. The restaurant’s brick walls, mural of firemen and a metal plate covering the fireman’s pole are a nod back to what life must’ve been like for the D.C. firemen who used to work there.

Douglas Development Corp. took over two square blocks surrounding the eatery, Griffin said, building 1,400 units of apartments.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) said developers first focused on NoMa.

“That was a wasteland and it now has restaurants of every variety,” she said.

Norton added that once federal agencies like the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives opened in the neighborhood, the community came together. “Somehow federal agencies signal to the developmental community that an area is going to take off,” she added.

The Waterfront also has experienced dramatic redevelopment. Norton led a legislative effort to approve a bill, H.R. 2297, to allow developments to the Waterfront.

The redevelopment project includes 2.5 million square feet of hotels, offices and restaurants. Eateries like Station 4 (1101 4th St. SW) have popped up across from the Waterfront Metro station, along with a Z-Burger (1101 4th St. SW) and a redesigned Safeway grocery store, joining old favorites such as Cantina Marina (600 Water St. SW), which was among the first to move in and reclaim the neighborhood in 2003.

Boasting strong margaritas and slushy hurricanes with generously portioned fish tacos and a spicy jambalaya pasta, Cantina Marina is a favorite among boaters.

Rich Hemmer, managing partner of Cantina Marina, said, “I’m sure there will be growing pains, but overall we are excited about the continued growth of our neighborhood.”

Forest City Enterprises saw  potential for a bustling community at the Waterfront in 2003. According to Gary McManus, director of marketing, the developer took over a 42-acre riverfront property site named “The Yards” that will include a Thai and sushi restaurant set to open in July. The entire multi-use project is still in the early phases and could take up to 15 years to complete.

Five restaurants will open in the area at the Boilermaker Shops by early next year, including Bluejacket, a brewpub and restaurant by the owners behind Birch & Barley and ChurchKey; the sushi restaurant Kruba Thai; Buzz Bakery; the barbecue-themed Willie’s Sports Brew and Que; and Huey’s, a New Orleans diner that will stay open all night.

“I don’t know what it is about dining and eating places but people demand it very early before thinking of anything else,” said Norton. “Restaurateurs flourish in this city.”

Friendship Heights is experiencing its own wholesale improvements. Celebrity Chef Bryan Voltaggio will help anchor the redevelopment of the Chevy Chase Pavilion with his new restaurant, RANGE, slated for opening this fall.

Voltaggio, a Season Six finalist on Bravo’s “Top Chef,” already owns the restaurant VOLT in Frederick, Md. This move has been two years in the making, according to Chuck Kemp, a senior vice president of Clarion Partners, a New York real estate investment manager firm.

Voltaggio’s early career began at Charlie Palmer Steak. “I’ve always liked the steakhouse concept,” he said.

“I plan to utilize the whole animal,” he said. RANGE will soon be aglow with wood burning ovens, grills and rotisseries. It is a brand-new concept for an area that doesn’t include much fine dining, according to Voltaggio. Right now, there are chains like The Cheesecake Factory and Maggiano’s Little Italy in the Pavilion.

A cigar lounge and casual lunch spot are also in the works.

“There’s been $30 million put into this renovation,” Voltaggio said.

Harriet Tregoning, director of the D.C. Office of Planning, explained in an email the effect restaurants and eateries can have on a city, saying that they “have a unique enlivening quality for neighborhoods. By creating a draw for both daytime and evening patrons, they can help activate a street, and patrons can support other non-food businesses within the commercial district.”

And Norton, a third-generation Washingtonian, recalls thinking D.C. was just a “two-horse town” not so many years ago, when she was leaving D.C. for college.

“It didn’t have culture like theaters and music and above all it didn’t have restaurants.”

Norton said that it wasn’t until the Kennedys arrived at the White House in the early ’60s that more sophisticated restaurateurs began to move in. And, she added, “we were a city burdened by segregation.”

Now, Norton says she is proud to call D.C. a destination city with international appeal, a vibrant hometown life, nightlife and restaurants.