About DC Restaurant Openings
A guide to the newest places to eat and drink.
The Boulevard, 2915 Wilson Blvd., Arlington.
A modern American restaurant with some Asian fusion flare, a rooftop bar, and weekend DJs is coming to Clarendon. The Boulevard—replacing Wilson Hardware at the end of April or beginning of May—is the latest from the owner of Mayflower Club, Decades, and other DC nightlife spots.
“I’m trying to bring my nightlife experience from DC through all the years into something a little bit more sophisticated, but still vibrant for Arlington,” says owner Antonis Karagounis.
Karagounis has brought in Ceibo chef/co-owner Juan “Nacho” Olivera to consult on the globally inspired menu, which will be overseen by former Wilson Hardware chef Homero González and Bayron Navarro, previously of Raku. Expect starters from lamb slider bao buns with yogurt and mint to king salmon tiradito with yuzu leche de tigre and mango. Mains range from cavatelli with king mushrooms to steak frites with green peppercorn sauce.
The menu also has fusion-y sushi rolls, including one with spicy salmon ceviche, mango, avocado, and jalapeno. The rooftop and patio, dubbed Solset, will have a separate menu with lighter, snackier fare that includes zucchini fritters and pork dumplings with pineapple gastrique. A brunch menu will launch in May.
Karagounis has also hired a consultant for the drinks: Service Bar and Amazonia co-owner Glendon Hartley. Cocktails will span from a Gibson presented with a small dish of caviar to the effervescent “Breakfast Fizz” combining breakfast-cereal-infused coconut milk with white rum, citrus, and bubbles.
The 8,000-square-foot space has a dining room with a mezzanine for private dining, a patio for 80, and a rooftop for another 80. Karagounis describes the main dining room as “very soft and earthy” with warm tones. The outdoor space, meanwhile, aims to have a “Tulum meets Ibiza meets Mykonos vibe” with a retractable awning for the rooftop.
Karagounis notes that it’s not meant to be a nightclub and there’s no dance floor, but DJs will play house music and down-tempo mixes of popular songs. “There’s late night vibrancy… a little bit more pizzazz during the night for the clientele that is dining or having cocktails,” he says.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind DC’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.
