Washingtonian Magazine has released its list of the “100 Very Best Restaurants in Washington, DC” with two Pike & Rose restaurants making the list:
Caruso’s Grocery, which Also has a location in DC is located at 11820 Trade St., in Pike & Rose. The restaurant rebranded a little over a year ago from Owen’s Ordinary, with the bar and patio becoming Owen’s Tavern and Beer Garden and the dining room making the change to Caruso’s Grocery. Both Caruso’s and Owen’s are operated by Neighborhood Restaurant Group. Chef Matt Adler stated that Owen’s dining room was never as busy as its bar and patio so it made sense to repurpose the underutilized space.
Caruso’s Grocery opened its first location at The Roost food hall in Capital Hill DC back in May 2021. According to its website, “Caruso’s Grocery is modeled after the classic, Italian-American ‘red sauce joint. You know the one: red banquettes, a killer chicken Parm, Sinatra pouring through the speakers. If you’re looking for modern interpretations of a chef’s take on the classics, you won’t find them here. Caruso’s Grocery will be home to traditional Italian-American fare focused on execution and high quality ingredients – menu items include Chicken Parmesan, Penne alla Vodka, Mozzarella en Carozza, Sole Francaise, Garlic Bread with Four Cheese Sauce, and more old school hits. A joint venture from Neighborhood Restaurant Group and Partner Matthew Adler.”
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Melina, located at 905 Rose Ave. in Pike & Rose, opened in late 2021. According to Chef Dimitri Moshovitis, the inspiration behind Melina is the desire to share traditional Greek recipes and techniques, but with a creative spin. Moshovitis also explained that after years in the restaurant industry, he has seen how Greek cooking has evolved and he wanted a new opportunity to showcase modern Greek cuisine. The time to start a new venture felt right when he met Chef Aris Tsekouras, owner of Microwheat Bakery. Dimitri felt inspired by Aris’ ideas and thought that they could create wonderful things together.
Melina is named after Moshovitis’ daughter, but the restaurant symbolically represents and celebrates all the women in a family- moms, grandmas, sisters, daughters. The name Melina carries another meaning for people who understand Greek- meli means honey, which is the reason why their logo has a bee in the design.
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