Urbana Restaurant & Wine Bar Brings The Fresh Flavors Of Italy And France To Dc

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Adding to the vibrant reemergence of Dupont Circle as a major destination in Washington D.C., Urbana Restaurant and Wine Bar will take diners on a culinary tour of Northern Italy and Southern France when the restaurant opens on July 20, 2006. The opening of the restaurant marks the return of native Washingtonian Richard Brandenburg, who will take the helm as executive chef, creating fresh pasta dishes and signature items such as Vitello Tonnato, Pea Agnolotti with Chorizo and Lobster and Thyme Scented Atlantic Salmon with Sweet Pepper Clam Jus and Fingerling Potato Confit.

A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park (CIA), Chef Brandenburg has worked in some of the world's top kitchens including Le Bernardin in New York City, Fifth Floor in San Francisco, and Atelier, a Michelin rated restaurant in London. Brandenburg's flavorful, yet simple menu will highlight hand-selected, fresh seasonal ingredients, which will be incorporated in the restaurant's entrees, appetizers, and signature pizzas.

Located adjacent to the ultra-chic Hotel Palomar Washington DC, which will celebrate its grand opening this Fall, Urbana will offer a stellar wine list to complement the cuisine with a wide selection of Italian and French offerings. The restaurant's comprehensive wine program will boast 200 bottles and featured flights each evening, with 30 wines by the glass and half a dozen quartinos.

Urbana, which means "city" in Italian, offers a 21st century take on an old-world Tuscan wine cellar. Sleek white marble and dark oak wood floors add to the contemporary design, created by San Francisco-based Puccini Group, accented from top to bottom with an ornate pinstriped ceiling. A decorative ambient wine display features backlit sepia toned images reminiscent of a wine cave. Set off from the dining room by a centralized ebony bar, featuring an antique lace stencil design, the destination lounge is adorned with dramatic lighting creating moody shadows that bounce off a mirrored European cityscape. The restaurant also features a glass-enclosed private dining room available for parties of 10-12.

With a menu that is both innovative and approachable, and an ambiance of liveliness and warmth, Urbana will serve as a gathering spot for those in the mood for a casual bite or a romantic dinner. The 173-seat restaurant is designed as a place where local residents and tourists may comfortably dine side by side, where diplomats and celebrities feel right at home, and where Armani suits are as befitting as blue jeans.

Mixologist Jacques Bezuindenhout of San Francisco's famed Harry Denton's Starlight Room, regarded as one of the most accomplished beverage professionals in the world, will create Urbana's signature cocktails and will be on-site during the opening weeks to introduce his creations to Washington. He'll also serve as a consultant on all of the restaurant's cocktail creations.

Urbana will open for dinner only on July 20, with lunch service starting on July 31.

Urbana Restaurant and Wine Bar will be open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Monday - Friday, dinner is served from 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m., Sunday - Wednesday and from 5:30 p.m. - 12:00 midnight, Thursday - Saturday. Breakfast is served from 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. daily. The lounge will be open daily from 12 noon - 12 midnight, Sunday - Thursday and will be open until 1:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is located at 2121 P St., NW. Reservations are recommended. To contact the restaurant, please call 202.956.6650. For more information on Urbana or to make reservations, please go to www.urbanadc.com.


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