Finn & Porter Swims Ashore, December 2, 2005,

Steak lovers, seafood enthusiasts, and sushi aficionados can now dial just a single telephone number when making dining reservations at Washington, DC's newest restaurant, Finn & Porter. Docking at 900 10th Street (between New York Avenue and K Street, NW) and within walking distance of the MCI Center and just two blocks from the Convention Center, Finn & Porter opens its doors on December 2, 2005. Chef Andreas Georgakopoulos has designed a menu sure to tantalize the taste buds with American classics such as fresh seafood flown in daily (think FINNs) and tender cuts of beef (think PORTERhouse). But wait, there's more. Sharing the limelight with steaks and seafood is Finn & Porter's extensive sushi menu and a master sushi chef who rolls out fresh sashimi and sushi.

Equal to its one-of-a-kind dining experience is Finn & Porter's setting. A dramatic 30-foot waterfall greets guests upon their arrival and leads into a room with floor-to ceiling windows and soaring ceilings while offering unique seating options.

No matter where guests settle in-whether the main dining room, the bar and lounge, or the U-shaped sushi and raw bar-they have a perfect vantage point to observe Andreas wield his skills in the dramatic exhibition kitchen. A private second-floor dining room, accommodating parties up to 40, overlooks the main dining room and the neighborhood streetscape. A street-level glass-enclosed atrium seating another 65 is slated to be completed by the end of the year. All in all, Finn & Porter seats 265.

The spacious restaurant, swathed in aquatic blues, greens, and earth tones, is enhanced by natural wood tables and immense floral arrangements. A six-foot-diameter floor-to-ceiling pillar tiled in blue, green, and yellow glass adds additional color and drama. Moss-colored walls extend upward to a curved, gold-paneled ceiling, recalling a glimmering, sun-drenched sky. The ceiling is particularly enchanting when aglow with warm candle light on chilly evenings. Tables surrounding the corner fireplace are ideal for a particularly cozy, romantic evening.

Wooden trellises hang above the lively sushi and raw bar, situated just inside the 10th Street entrance. Surrounded by handsome leather barstools, the bar hosts a busy social scene, enticing guests to sample Ameripure, Yeocomico River, Kumamoto, and Blue Point oysters and little neck clams either per piece ($1 or $2) or as a platter ($11) and peel "n" eat shrimp by the half-pound ($8). Hand rolls, sashimi, and innovative sushi, including the Finn Roll-shrimp tempura, tuna, salmon, crab, and avocado--and the Porter Roll--packed with marinated New York steak and sautied vegetables-are just two of the many sushi selections.

The lounge, tucked away from the main dining room, features 13 items on its menu, and is perfect for sharing crispy calamari ($9) served with spicy calamari sauce, caramelized lemons, and peppers or for tucking into an eight-ounce Black Angus burger ($8) topped with Swiss and cheddar cheeses, lettuce, tomato, and onion.

Finn & Porter's specialty cocktail, the Finntini ($10), or house-infused vodkas encourage an after-work wind-down, and, on Monday through Friday from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Finn & Porter's happy hour offers 13 small plates for $1 that include sushi, edamame, oysters, buffalo wings, and three-cheese ravioli-sure to be a big hit with convention attendees and locals alike.

With his experience at restaurants from coast to coast and across the sea, Chef Georgakopoulos looks forward to placing Finn & Porter's DC location on the dining map of metropolitan Washington. Raised in Athens, Andreas drew inspiration from his grandfather, who encouraged him to pursue a career in the culinary field. In the 1920s, Andreas's grandfather began what would become one of Athens's and Lesvos's most successful fish- and olive-curing and cheese-producing businesses. By