Update 10/17/13: If this Tweet from new account @Steel_Plate_DC is correct, the new concept from Rustik owner Pasha will be called Steel Plate, and the concept is "finally taking shape."
Change is coming to 12th Street in Brookland. Diton Pasha, owner of the popular
Rustik Tavern restaurant located at 84 T Street NW in Bloomingdale, is planning to open a second restaurant in Brookland. He formalized his intentions July 12 when he signed a lease on the property at 3523 12 Street, NE.
Pasha tells Elevation DC that the second restaurant will be "a completely new concept, with a new menu."
"We have not started full-on construction," Pasha says, adding that it would be premature to estimate a date for opening the new venture because the entire schedule will depend on how quickly he gets the necessary permits. He describes the current situation as one of waiting.
Although some have suggested the new restaurant will concentrate on Mediterranean cooking, Pasha does not want to talk about specifics yet. "It is true that we will not serve pizza," he says. "While we will have some Mediterranean influence . . . . There will be a wide array of American cuisine as well." In the beginning, the restaurant will be open for dinner only, but in time it will open for brunch, and then for lunch also.
He adds, "We are still in concept development stages and anything could change."
One aspect of the new restaurant is certain: It is not going to be called Rustik. Pasha says that he has been "toying around with a few names," but that no final decision has been made.
At Rustik, Pasha has made a point of getting to know his customers and seeking their feedback. Asked if the new establishment will have this same cozy atmosphere, he exclaims: "Absolutely -- we rely heavily on our regulars and neighbors, and this will continue with the new location.
Asked how he came to choose the Brookland site, which is little more than two miles from Rustik, Pasha points out he actually lives very close to Brookland. "I used to go on hours-long walks with my wife and dog, enjoying the charm of the [Brookland] neighborhood," he says. Another fact that drew his attention to the 12th Street location was that "plenty of customers" are currently making the trip from Brookland to Rustik.
The new restaurant will be about 3,500 square feet in size and should generate in the range of 30 to 35 new jobs, says Pasha. It is conveniently located just two blocks from the Brookland Metro Station.