"Don't look at the columns," said chef/owner Michael Schlow, on a tour of what will soon become Tico, his Latin-influenced American restaurant on 14th Street NW. Construction is underway, and the columns, which have been painted with an abstraction in warm colors, are not to his liking. "It just doesn't fit ... I want the place to feel like it's been here a long time."

Luckily, his wife, Adrienne Schlow, is a mixed-media artist and, for Schlow, a miracle worker. "She's coming down to fix this," he said, and in a restaurant where Schlow has been involved in the smallest details -- from hand-designing the layout of the kitchen, to selecting the perfect tables, handmade in Arizona -- he plans to cede absolute creative control to his wife.

"She doesn't tell me what to do [in the kitchen], and I don't tell her what to do with the art," Schlow said.

Michael Schlow (Credit: Megan Pappadopoulos)

Tico, expected to open in early June, will be Schlow's grand debut in D.C. The chef, a James Beard Award winner, is well-known in New England, where he has six restaurants in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire. Like other notable chefs from elsewhere -- Le Diplomate's Stephen Starr, Osteria Morini's Michael White -- he's come to stake his claim in the District.

Schlow has family in Silver Spring, and visited D.C. frequently as a kid. He also began to develop his professional career here, working for Jean-Louis Palladin at the Watergate: "I always looked up to him," Schlow said. He had been eager to return to D.C. and found space in the Louis complex at 1926 14th St. NW -- right next to the Trader Joe's -- through a frequent patron of his Boston restaurants, who also happened to work for the building's developer, JBG.

"This is not an opportunity for me to drop off a restaurant and go back to Boston," he said. "If this is successful, I will absolutely do more restaurants here."

And on a street where food has become the focus, Schlow's laid-back attitude may be seen as a refreshing change. Tico, a duplicate of his Boston restaurant of the same name, aims to be a neighborhood gathering place for simple American food with a Latin twist: Think fried chicken tacos, or breaded manchego with spicy pomegranate dip in place of mozzarella sticks.

"Nothing is authentic," Schlow said. The menu was inspired by his travels throughout Spain and Latin America, but also through the mother of all invention: necessity, of course.

"A lot of the dishes were bred out of me having nothing in my house to eat," he said. A shredded cabbage salad with a spicy salsa verde that he says is among the most popular dishes on Tico's menu was the result of some experimentation when he was faced with a near-empty fridge.

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BALTIMORE (WJZ) Construction is well underway at the new Horseshoe Casino downtown. Now two celebrity chefs announce theyre opening a restaurant thereone with some serious Latin flavor.

Jessica Kartalija has more.

As casinos pop up around the country, celebrity chef-inspired cuisine is along for the ride. The new Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore is no exception.

Celebrity chef Aaron Sanchez from the Food Network show Chopped announced Monday hell open a 222-seat taqueria with Chef John Besh, who owns nine restaurants.

Baltimore is one of those cities really going through a renaissance right now and one of the things that really attracted John and I to this market was the idea of sharing Mexican food with an audience that would appreciate it and needs it desperately over here, he said.

Sanchez says the restaurantJohnny Sanchez, a play on both of their nameswill have live music and serve fresh tacos and tostados, as well as cocktails and stiff margaritas.

We want to have a fun restaurant. We want it to be loud; we want it to be a place that makes a statement, said Sanchez.

They also want to make their mark, as Bobby Flay did at Maryland Live.

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Horseshoe Casino Announces Restaurant With 2 Celeb Chefs

The Chinese Restaurant Awards added star power this year, attracting some of the best chefs in China. Three of five visiting Chinese chefs run Michelin-starred restaurants (Michelin inspectors visit only Hong Kong in China). The superstar chefs joined top-notch local Chinese chefs, cooking a 10-course Gold Medal Dinner after the awards ceremony Wednesday.

"This is the most famous collection of chefs ever assembled outside of China," said CRA founder Craig Stowe in an interview. "They were all intrigued and excited. They know there's a big Chinese population here and that food is important to them. They know the best Chinese food outside of China is in Vancouver." Some would say Vancouver outshines China because of the quality of products.

"We took the chefs to lunch at The Keg restaurant (at 688 Dunsmuir St. in Vancouver) and they were stunned by the quality of beef. They thought it was spectacular. It was Triple A Alberta filet mignon," says Stowe. "They know B.C. Dungeness crab, absolutely, they know Alberta pork, they know geoduck and they know we have spectacular seafood. The next step is to showcase Canadian beef." Some 90 tonnes of seafood is exported to China from Vancouver every week, says Stowe.

Now in its sixth year, the CRA is the go-to guide to Chinese food in Metro Vancouver for locals and tourists alike. Visitors to the website chineserestaurantawards.com are split evenly between locals and tourists.

"Most people have no idea how staggeringly important having good Chinese restaurants is to the B.C. economy," says Stowe.

"The high quality and variety separates Vancouver and Richmond from every city in the Western world. It's our secret weapon in attracting investment, trade and tourism.

"A lot of people in government and tourism don't realize it generates interest in business and visits to the city.

"It's a mecca and it's important for investment and immigration. All business in China is done around a table over lunch or dinner."

This year, the CRA gave awards for 10 signature dishes in nine categories, down from the 24 in previous years. Dynasty Seafood on Vancouver's West Broadway took two awards - one for the geoduck, done two ways and another for the hand-shredded chicken with bamboo.

"Diners discover restaurants and signature dishes they'd never have tried without the direction of the Chinese Restaurant Awards," says Stowe. "Local Chinese diners and chefs say they trust the results. Award-winning restaurants experience a spike in their

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2014 Chinese Restaurant Awards add culinary star power

(PRWEB) April 27, 2014

Venator Contracting Group, LLC is excited to have started construction on the Dickey's Barbecue Pit Restaurant in Brentwood, TN. This will be the third restaurant built for this franchise by Venator Contracting Group with others in North Charelston, SC and Johnson City, TN. David Schatzberg, President of Venator Contracting, states, "We are thrilled that Dickey's Corporate continues to entrust their franchisees with our construction abilities. We look forward to continuing our business partnership and building many more in the near future."

Dickey's Barbecue Pit is one of the fastest-growing franchises in the country.

Every location smokes all of their meats on-site at the restaurant. Dickey's serves up beef brisket, pulled pork, ham, polish sausage, turkey breast, and chicken, with an extensive array of home-style sides from jalapeo beans to macaroni and cheese. Buttery rolls are served with every meal along with the complimentary ice cream and dill pickles.

If you're considering Venator Contracting Group for your next business venture, have confidence in knowing our customers are our highest priority and we base our business on these key factors:

Honesty and Integrity Flexibility Competent Professional Supervision Open Communication Detail Oriented Technologically Advanced Willingness to Work in a Team Environment

To see more past and present projects by Venator Contracting Group, visit us at http://www.venatorcontracting.com/HistoryProjects.php.

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Venator Contracting Group, LLC is Pleased to Announce They Have Started the Construction of a Dickey's Barbecue Pit

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STUART A Palm Beach-based Mexican restaurant hopes to serve its signature margaritas and tacos in the old Rookies building by the end of the year.

Officials with Cabo Flats Cantina & Tequila Bar announced Wednesday the company will open its third location in the historic building near the foot of the Roosevelt Bridge.

Weve had a lot of people from Stuart and the Treasure Coast that have been coming to our Palm Beach Gardens location for four years now, said Adam Robin, Cabo Flats director of operations. It is our pleasure now to open this new Cabo Flats in their backyard and make our famous margaritas and fresh food available to more of the Treasure Coast.

The original Cabo Flats opened in 2009 at Downtown at the Gardens in Palm Beach Gardens and a Delray Beach location opened in 2013.

Robin said the Stuart restaurant could open in November or December in the old Rookies building built in 1926 as the Rob Roy Hotel. He said the company has plans to continue expanding and could have five locations across the state by the end of 2015.

Hog Snappers Shack and Sushi, a popular Tequesta-based restaurant, is under construction next door near at the site of the former Bubbas Fish Camp. Hog Snappers is expected to open in mid-August.

Jeff Hardin, president of Straticon Construction Services, and with his wife, Christine, bought the 1.34-acre site containing the former Rookies and Bubbas in February 2013.

Rookies and Bubbas have been closed and vacant for about 10 years and were considered an eyesore near the south foot of the Roosevelt Bridge.

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Cabo Flats will open its third location in Stuart

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Cabo Flats logo

STUART A Palm Beach-based Mexican restaurant hopes to serve its signature margaritas and tacos in the old Rookies building by the end of the year.

Officials with Cabo Flats Cantina & Tequila Bar announced Wednesday the company will open its third location in the historic building near the foot of the Roosevelt Bridge.

Weve had a lot of people from Stuart and the Treasure Coast that have been coming to our Palm Beach Gardens location for four years now, said Adam Robin, Cabo Flats director of operations. It is our pleasure now to open this new Cabo Flats in their backyard and make our famous margaritas and fresh food available to more of the Treasure Coast.

The original Cabo Flats opened in 2009 at Downtown at the Gardens in Palm Beach Gardens and a Delray Beach location opened in 2013.

Robin said the Stuart restaurant could open in November or December in the old Rookies building built in 1926 as the Rob Roy Hotel. He said the company has plans to continue expanding and could have five locations across the state by the end of 2015.

Hog Snappers Shack and Sushi, a popular Tequesta-based restaurant, is under construction next door near at the site of the former Bubbas Fish Camp. Hog Snappers is expected to open in mid-August.

Jeff Hardin, president of Straticon Construction Services, and with his wife, Christine, bought the 1.34-acre site containing the former Rookies and Bubbas in February 2013.

Rookies and Bubbas have been closed and vacant for about 10 years and were considered an eyesore near the south foot of the Roosevelt Bridge.

Original post:
Cabo Flats will open its 3rd location in Stuart

Photo Finds: Universal Orlando Expansions Continue - April 21, 2014
This week on Photo Finds, we check in on the restaurant construction around CityWalk, explore some additions to The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter, come acr...

By: Attractions Magazine

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Photo Finds: Universal Orlando Expansions Continue - April 21, 2014 - Video

View Larger The Bottom Line Other Business Features Local Stories from ThisWeek By Tim Feran The Columbus Dispatch Wednesday April 23, 2014 1:33 AM

Two Cincinnati restaurant operators have announced plans for Columbus locations, adding to a trend in which a growing number of restaurateurs has targeted central Ohio for expansion.

Nada, an upscale Mexican restaurant, will open its second location in the Arena District, while LaRosas Family Pizzeria will follow through on long-rumored plans with the opening of a Dublin restaurant.

They join a growing parade of restaurant operators from across the state that have either opened central Ohio restaurants or announced such plans: Melt Bar & Grilled (Cleveland), Tom + Chee (Cincinnati), Bakersfield (Cincinnati), Deweys Pizza (Cincinnati), Barry Bagels (Toledo) and Bar 145 (Toledo).

Also, Cleveland celebrity chef Michael Symon is looking for up to four central Ohio locations for his B Spot Burgers, Brats & Beer.

And, a little beyond the border, West Virginia-based Pies & Pints continues its Columbus-area expansion.

The reason for the trend?

At some point, if youre doing well, you want to expand out of your heritage place, and the smart thing is not to leap too far away, said Dennis Lombardi, executive vice president of food-service strategies for WD Partners, a restaurant consulting firm in Columbus.

If you are within a three-hour drive, it makes life easier for you to oversee and manage the properties, not just through construction but when theyre in operation. Your existing suppliers will also work just fine, too, if youre close by.

Columbus enviable economic stability also makes it a prime target for restaurant expansion, he said.

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Regional restaurant chains look to expand in central Ohio

Article updated: 4/22/2014 5:26 PM

Namco Entertainment Inc., the Wood Dale-based company affiliated with the makers of Pac-Man, plans to open a high-end, gaming-themed restaurant and entertainment center at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg.

The new concept restaurant, including eight lanes of bowling, will open in 40,000 square feet of warehouse space formerly used by Sears on the upper level of the mall, according to Schaumburg.

It will have its own exterior entrance, but no entry from inside the mall, said Schaumburg Economic Development Manager Matt Frank.

The restaurant itself will offer high-level fine dining, but reflect the company brand through use of a Pac-Man motif and memorabilia, Frank said.

The space also will include video games and four bowling lanes on each side.

Though plans only recently were filed with the village, approval and construction are expected to be swift enough for the restaurant to open in time for this year's Christmas shopping season, Frank said.

"It's going to be a major player for us," he said. "It's a very cool concept. We're anxiously awaiting them getting that open."

Though Schaumburg is planning for an entertainment zone near the village's convention center at Meacham Road and the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, there's little concern about the Namco restaurant being in competition with that, Frank said.

The village was reluctant to pass up such a present-day opportunity, he added.

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Gaming-themed restaurant planned for Woodfield

The new eating scene coming to Brookfield Place, the reconfigured retail and restaurant portion of what used to be called the World Financial Center, is almost too much to swallow.

Its scale is hard to grasp even after a stroll through the construction site. Brookfield Properties $250 million reinvention of the office complexs public spaces doesnt simply replace the stores and restaurants that previously occupied the corridors and courtyards adjoining the Winter Garden.

In fact, the new layout including two vast floors of eating options and alfresco dining terraces facing the North Cove yacht marina will be largely unrecognizable to anyone who remembers the awkward former setup.

HPH restaurant group partners Peter Poulakakos and Paul Lamas will soon launch Le District, a French-themed marketplace and eating zone adjoining the Winter Gardens south side at the foot of 225 Liberty St. (the previous 2 WFC), with a mind-boggling 1,000 seats indoors and outdoors. Comprising more than 37,000 square feet, its been called a French Eataly by some.

And the ground floor of Le District sits directly beneath a second mammoth venue, Hudson Eats a 35,000- square-foot noshing zone that landlord Brookfield is racing to complete. Its 14 high-end fast-casual counters of such foodie faves as Blue Ribbon Sushi and Dos Toros Taqueria will serve 600 diners.

In addition, there will be five freestanding restaurants along Brookfield Places northern Vesey Street boundary.

So many choices promise a culinary sea change for FiDi and Battery Park City, whose combined population has doubled to 60,000 in 15 years. The World Trade Center will welcome Cond Nast and other tenants next year. The new food complex is so ambitiously conceived that its likely to draw customers from farther afield as well.

Brookfield national retail leasing director Ed Hogan said, We conservatively project all the food operations, including nearly 2,000 seats, will generate over $120 million in sales in the first year but more likely in the $160 million range. The higher figure would be more than four times what the old Tavern on the Greens 800 seats grossed in its best years.

Asked whether Hogans estimate sounded right, Poulakakos laughed and said, Wow! I havent been to those meetings. I hope theyre correct. But a lot of people need to eat down here.

HPH is spending north of $15 million on Le Districts buildout, Poulakakos said. Neither he nor Hogan would discuss terms of HPHs 20-year triple-net lease except to say that it was a combination of base rent and a percentage over break-even.

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Brookfields $250M development rocks downtown