A pair of culinary powerhouses are joining forces to bring two new restaurants Washington, D.C.
Mashama Bailey and Johno Morisano of hospitality brand Grey Spaces are teaming up with Danny Meyer’s Union Square Events in the nation’s capital. Both spots, meant to be modern odes to Southern hospitality, will be housed within the JW Marriott Washington, DC, giving its current culinary options an upgrade.
Diner Bar by the Grey will be the first to open its doors, which will happen later this year. The 100-seat, all-day spot is aiming to continue Grey Space’s mission of bringing Port City Southern cuisine around the U.S., all while infusing it with some Washington, D.C. flair. For breakfast, expect dishes such as buttermilk pancakes or a BBQ smoked salmon brisket; later in the day, the menu will consist of the Diner Bar Burger with house pickles and comeback sauce and the Miss America sandwich, a take on a fried bologna, and cheese. And if diners stop by in the evening, the bar will become the star, serving up oysters, cocktails and wines.
The design, too, reflects the new restaurant’s flip from day to night. The new restaurant is covered in rich blue hues, warm woods, brass, and Art Deco touches that are all nods to Grey Spaces’s hometown of Savannah and the OG Grey restaurant. In the morning, a brighter lighting will be cast over the space, while the evening will have a moodier, warmer-toned atmosphere. Banquets also line the space, and a swanky bar is surrounded by a geometric blue tile.
Following behind its sibling will be the Grey on Penn, described more of an evening locale, that’s set to debut next spring. The culinary teams behind each restaurant have yet to be announced.
As for why Grey Spaces chose our nation’s capital for its next outposts, the answer was easy to come by.
“Southern food has never been static. It has always moved with people, and along the way it has adapted, evolved and taken on new influences,” Bailey said in a press statement. “Washington has such an interesting place in that story because it sits between North and South and has been shaped by generations of people coming here from somewhere else. With Diner Bar by the Grey, we have an opportunity to explore what Southern food looks like in Washington today while still staying connected to where we come from.”
The Diner Bar by the Grey, as we mentioned, will make its debut at the JW Marriott Washington DC, located at 1331 Pennsylvania Ave NW, later this year.
