Barracks Row Restaurant Update:  ANXO Opens Thursday, Chi-Ko on Friday – plus Proposed Hill Center Coffee Shop/Wine Bar

Barracks Row Restaurant Update:  ANXO Opens Thursday, Chi-Ko on Friday – plus Proposed Hill Center Coffee Shop/Wine Bar

by Larry Janezich

Long shot and close up of ANXO at 525 8th Street, SE  A “Porron” is a vessel for serving drinks and cocktails.  Click to enlarge.

ANXO:  The Barracks Row Cidery & Pintxos Bar will open at 7:00pm on Thursday in the old Phase 1 Bar location.  The venue will operate as a pop up for a six month trial period: owner Sam Fitz says “we are currently exploring how long we want to stay at this location.”  Fitz has has reached an agreement for a three year lease with the building’s owner which will allow him to continue if the concept is successful.

The restaurant has teamed with local artists to create an art installation that will serve food and drink, with emphasis on a menu of Northern Spain (San Sebastian) dishes designed to cater to an evening dinner crowd.  Pintxos (pincho = “spike”) is a small snack featured in bars in Northern Spain.  They differ from tapas in being served on a toothpick, usually with bread.

ANXO’s application for a change in operation hours (to open at 10:00am instead of 7:00pm as provided in the current license) comes up before ANC6B’s Alcohol Beverage Control Committee on Thursday.

ANXO has locations in Truxton Circle and Brightwood Park.  More information about ANXO including their craft ciders and the Spanish-themed menu is here:  http://www.anxodc.com/

Chi – Ko at 423 8th Street, SE

Chi-Ko:  As reported by Eater DC https://dc.eater.com/ The new Chinese/Korean 40 seat restaurant Chi-Ko will have a soft opening on Friday, July 7, when it will begin serving dinner at 5:00pm.   The Barracks Row restaurant will replace the gourmet hot dog outlet DC-3 which the Matchbox group closed last summer. The restaurant’s application for a liquor license is also up before ANC6B’s Alcohol Beverage Committee on Thursday, meaning the soft opening will not be featuring alcohol.

For more, see here:  Chi-Ko https://twitter.com/ChikoFRC

The building formerly home to Bayou Bakery at Hill Center will become a new coffee shop and wine bar.

New coffee shop/wine bar at Hill Center:  After Bayou Bakery closed its restaurant at Hill Center last year, the lease was taken over by Aaron Silverman (Rose’s Luxury/Pineapple and Pearls).  Silverman told Capitol Hill Corner that he will move the coffee shop from the Pineapple & Pearls location on Barracks Row to the Hill Center space formerly home to Bayou Bakery.  His plan is to expand the coffee shop offerings by day, and in the evening transition to a wine bar with an appropriate menu.

Asked what his timeline was, Silverman said he had filed an application for a remodeling permit with the DC Department of Consumer Affairs, and was uncertain when it would be approved – “it could by 2017 or 2018.”