What’s new around the District

In the constantly evolving D.C.-area dining scene, several eateries have recently opened or will open soon. Here’s a sampling:

Bazin’s
111 Church St.
Vienna, Va.
Opened by Patrick and Julie Bazin on March 10

Patrick Bazin, who was head chef at the Occidental on Pennsylvania Avenue for six years, cooks contemporary American cuisine at his new joint.

Bazin cooks up entrees ranging in price from $16 to $26 like grilled double-thick Iowa pork chops and stuffed flounder. Diners munch on barbecue-duck quesadillas in a stylish, casual, bistro-type setting.

Reservations are recommended, especially on the weekends. To reserve a table, call (703) 255-7212.

Blue Duck Tavern
Park Hyatt Hotel
24th and M streets, N.W.
Reopening in May after a “reconcepting”

The tavern will serve “wholesome American fare” cooked by Chef Brian McBride. His menu will get many ingredients from small farms.

An Amish co-op will provide the eggs, and the Mennonite Trickling Springs Creamery will provide the dairy products.

The tavern, formerly known under McBride as Melrose, is now under a redesign by Tony Chi, who said in a statement that he will bring “together a dramatic and attractive modernism with classic American style” for the 106-seat restaurant.

Rustico
827 Slaters Lane
Alexandria, Va.
Opened March 19

The new eatery serves American cuisine cooked on a wood-fire grill or in a brick oven. Head Chef Kevin Kearny serves pizza, meat loaf, steak and the all-American mac ’n’ cheese.

Entrees range from $12 to $21. Rustico also has a huge beer selection, with more than 250 kinds in bottles and 31 on tap.

The restaurant and bar are adorned with brick and original artwork.

Reservations are a good idea. Call (703) 224-5051 or visit rusticorestaurant.com.

Lima
1401 K St. N.W.
Opened in February

The trendy lounge and restaurant’s name means lime in Spanish, and the eatery serves up such Spanish fare as empanadas, ceviches and tiraditos.

Cuban Chef Raynold Mendizabal cooks entrees ranging in price from $24 to $39.

Lima spans three levels, at the bottom is a lounge where patrons can sip on Cristal champagne and listen to techno, hip-hop and Spanish music.

For reservations, call (202) 789-2800 or go online to limarestaurant.com.

Let’s Dish
11215 N & P Lee Hwy.
Fairfax, Va.

Will begin taking orders in May

It’s a “meal assembly store” that has six locations in Maryland and Northern Virginia and is expanding to Fairfax.

Customers can come in and prepare meals for an event or take the dishes home to freeze for later consumption. Some of the grunt work, such as chopping vegetables, is done in advance, and patrons meter out the amount of ingredients they want to use.

Go to www.letsdish.com to reserve a time and choose meal selections from the monthly menu.

The PGA Tour Restaurant
1699 Rockville Pike
Rockville, Md.
Opened in March

It might sound like a sports bar, but it’s not. It is an “upper-casual” restaurant that specializes in hickory-grilled fare.

The menu features grilled steaks and chicken, rotisserie chickens, brick-oven pizzas and daily fish selections. The restaurant also has a large wine list.

There are three dining rooms; two have floor-to-ceiling fireplaces and a lounge.

For lunch, the average diner can expect to pay $15; for dinner it is $28.

The restaurant does not take reservations. Call (301) 770-3312 for more information.

Pinzimini
801 N. Glebe Rd.
Arlington, Va.
Opened in March

This modern Italian restaurant specializes in grilled Tuscan steaks such as the bistecca alla Florentina, a 30-ounce steak, which is meant to be shared, marinated in garlic olive oil and grilled to order.

The restaurant also serve up pastas and pizzas and has a large antipasti selection. Diners can expect to pay about $28 per person before tax and tip.

It is decorated in a modern, upscale manner, and uses good ingredients, simple presentation and good service to entice customers.

Reservations are recommended; visit www.pinzimini.com or call (703) 537-4200.

A Taste of Carolina
1930 9th St. N.W.
Opening this weekend

A Taste of Carolina will serve Southern food in an upscale way. Diners will get large portions of dishes like Savannah River trout, Rock Hill macaroni and cheese and Beaufort barbecue chicken.

This 70-seat restaurant boasts “comfortable seating,” plasma televisions and two bars. Entrees range in price from $8 to $15.

Reservations are recommended but not mandatory. Call (202) 232-2566.

Hoang’s Grill and Sushi Bar
502 W. Broad St.
Falls Church, Va.
Opened in March

This pan-Asian restaurant serves hot foods with Vietnamese and Thai influences and has a Japanese sushi bar. Grilled dishes cost $12; a diner including a drink, appetizer and entree can expect to spend $20 to $22.

Hoang’s is decorated in modern Asian d�cor, with a rock wall and fresh bamboo in an attempt to capture the modern Asian countryside. The restaurant can accommodate business groups.

Carryout is available, including alcohol carryout. There are happy-hour specials from 5 to 7 p.m. on weekdays.

Reservations are not necessary, but you can call (703) 536-7777 to make one.