About Restaurant Openings Around DC
A guide to the newest places to eat and drink.
Catboat Pizza Bar. 1 Marina Dr., Alexandria.
Washington Sailing Marina on Daingerfield Island in Alexandria has long had an under-the-radar restaurant and bar with sweeping views of the Potomac and DC monuments. But the waterfront spot frequented by kayakers and boaters is now getting new life as Catboat Pizza Bar from the owners of Sonny’s Pizza and No Kisses bar in Park View.
The menu is a simplified version of what you’ll find at Sonny’s: grandma-style pan pizzas (cheese. mushroom, pepperoni) and a few salads and sandwiches. To drink: red, white, and rosé natural wines, a handful of beers, and frosé or margarita slushies. Expect live music and tasting events throughout the summer.
The property is owned by the National Park Service, but operated by a management company that reached out to the Sonny’s team to bring their food there. A number of concepts have occupied the space over the years, from fine-dining Indigo Landing to a casual burger-and-shake concept called Triple Craft.
Catboat Pizza Bar, named after a type of sailboat, has an expansive, partially covered wooden deck and lawn. It will be open only outdoors to start, with indoor seating coming mid-summer. The family- and dog-friendly venue has views of the Washington Monument and the US Capitol, and it’s a great vantage point to watch planes taking off and landing from National Airport. It’s easily accessible to kayakers and boaters as well as bikers on the Mount Vernon Trail.
It will be open Saturday and Sunday only this upcoming weekend, June 1 and 2. Starting June 7, it will then be open Fridays from 3 to 9 PM and weekends from noon to 9 PM. Hours will expand later this summer.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
