It's been something of an open secret that Meridian Pint, Smoke & Barrel owner John Andrade wanted to open a third beer-centric restaurant in DC, and today brings the news that he's found a location, in the new Monroe Street Market development across the street from the Brookland Metro station. The space, on 8th and Monroe, NE, is 4200 square feet, room for about 120 seats, with an additional 48 seats on a patio. Look for an opening next summer.
Menomale has a solid beer program, not to mention some of the best pizza in the DC area, and we expect the same in terms of beer from Brookland's Finest, no longer held hostage by their local Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC), but neither of those restaurants has the pedigree that comes with this. Also, at 168 seats, the new restaurant will be able to seat more than the other two combined. Upon opening, it will immediately put Brookland on the map
It will also be interesting to see what else opens in Monroe Street Market, or nearby, perhaps as a result of this development. At one point there were other beery establishments looking to open in the area, and we wonder if that will change. 901 Monroe St NE, for example, was home to the late Col. Brook's Tavern and is also under construction with plans for ground-floor retail.
It will also be interesting to see what happens to the chartacter of the neighborhood, which the New York Times referred to as "shabby and unhip" earlier this year, and the Washington City Paper termed "Sacramento" in 2008.
Meridian Pint and Smoke and Barrel both advertise on the Prince of Petworth blog, so it's no surprise that that site has the most comprehensive intial take, complete with photos of the to-be-developed space.
Welcome to the neighborhood!
UPDATE: EaterDC has spoken to Andrade and reports that the new restaurant will be closer in spirit to the Pint than the Barrel, with the same chef, David Shewmaker, and a similar focus on American craft beer.
