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The Wharf InterContinental Is Finally Getting a Real Restaurant Again

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The Wharf InterContinental Is Finally Getting a Real Restaurant Again


A prime dining space located on the 50 yard line of D.C.’s glitzy Southwest Waterfront development that has struggled to keep a marquee restaurant has snagged a new chef to lead its latest attempt at success.

InterContinental Washington, D.C. just tapped tenured chef Jeffrey Williams to lead a new flagship restaurant at the foot of the fancy hotel. The team tells Eater the goal is to open by the end of the year, and the 152-seat, gold-toned space won’t undergo any major renovations (801 Wharf Street SW).

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Chef Jeffrey Williams will lead the Wharf Intercontinental’s new to-be-named restaurant.
InterContinental Washington, D.C.

Details on the to-be-named restaurant are slim for now. The cuisine plans to swing “modern American,” per a release, with a hyper-seasonal menu centered around homemade pastas and mid-Atlantic ingredients sourced from local farms and waterways.

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The Philadelphia native returns to D.C. with 15 years of culinary experience, starting at InterContinental’s sibling D.C. hotel the Willard . He went west to work in Los Angeles kitchens like Lillie’s Beverly Hills, Jane Q, STK, and Tin Roof Bistro.

The D.C. hotel’s newly announced project marks a fresh chapter for a storied space that famously lost two top-rated restaurants in just six years, in part, due to a (now-settled) dispute over how the hotel allegedly underpaid its hospitality workers.

The posh, 278-room hotel opened in 2017 with culinary star Kwame Onwuachi’s Afro-Caribbean hit Kith/Kin, earning him the the 2019 James Beard award for Rising Star Chef of the Year. He suddenly resigned in 2020, in hopes of seeking an ownership stake in his next venture. (Onwuachi just made a big Southwest Waterfront comeback at Salamander hotel’s Dōgon.)

Chef Kevin Tien’s Vietnamese fine-dining destination Moon Rabbit moved in that fall, quickly earning Tien a James Beard semifinalist nod as Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic and Food & Wine readers naming it one of the 10 best restaurants in the country. Tien announced plans to part ways with IHG in early 2023, and the restaurant abruptly closed that May.

After allegations that hotel management misled Moon Rabbit staff about proper compensation practices, D.C. recently ordered IHG to pay Moon Rabbit employees $126,650. (Tien’s critically acclaimed, now-independently run Moon Rabbit reopened in Penn Quarter this year, and was not involved in the case.) The Wharf’s hotel staffers ultimately won the right to unionize, and the year-old placeholder replacement to Moon Rabbit is generic surf-and-turf spot Dockside Restaurant and Bar.

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The space’s latest life as a seasonal American restaurant hopes to stick under its newly named executive chef (third time’s a charm?). Williams comes to town from his most recent executive chef role at Omni’s NOÉ Restaurant & Bar in Los Angeles.

“While I loved the year-round sunshine in California, coming home to D.C.’s four distinct seasons allows for ever-changing menus and dishes that give a true sense of place,” says Williams.

The Food Network winner says he got the bug to cook from his grandfather, who opened a fish market in Philadelphia and ran a community gardening program. His cross-country background also includes stints at Social Club in Miami and Nios in NYC.

The hotel is owned by the developers of the $3.6-billion Wharf project (Hoffman & Associates, Madison Marquette) and Carr Companies.



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Washington, D.C

Storm Team4 Forecast: Chance of severe storms before cooler Monday

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Storm Team4 Forecast: Chance of severe storms before cooler Monday


4 things to know about the weather:

  1. Storms overnight, severe chance
  2. Cooler Monday
  3. Clouds to start, then sunshine tomorrow
  4. Cold next few mornings

After a very warm afternoon, there is a cold front that is approaching. The front will move through the area tonight, sparking showers and storms, then delivering colder air for the start of the new workweek.

There is a SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH for our counties to the far northwest, including Maryland counties Washington, Allegany and Garrett, and a portion of Morgan county in West Virginia. The watch is until 10 p.m. Sunday.

There is a chance for storms to be severe tonight, including the risk of damaging winds and hail. The risk decreases through the night as the storms move south and east with the front. The storms may be noisy tonight with thunder, heavy rain, and hail. Expect drier conditions after sunrise tomorrow.

Do not forget your jacket Monday. The cooler air behind the front keeps the area in the 50s all day. Lows will drop into the 30s Monday night.

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Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.

QuickCast

TONIGHT:
Storms, severe possible
Wind: N 5-10 mph
Low: Mid 50s

MONDAY:
Showers before sunrise
AM clouds, afternoon sun
Wind: NNW 10-15 mph
Gusts @ 25 mph
High: Mid-Upper 50s

TUESDAY:
Mostly sunny
Wind: N light
High: Low 50s

WEDNESDAY:
Sun & Clouds
Wind: SW 5-10 mph
High: Lower 60s

SUNRISE: 7:06 AM          SUNSET: 7:22 PM
AVERAGE HIGH: 58         AVERAGE LOW: 40

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Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.



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DC weather: Taste of summer turns to storms Sunday night into Monday morning

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DC weather: Taste of summer turns to storms Sunday night into Monday morning


Forecasters are calling for a near-perfect spring setup on Sunday, with plenty of sunshine, blooming cherry blossoms, and temperatures soaring into the low to mid-80s across much of the region.

However, the warm, quiet weather won’t last long.

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By the numbers:

After a cool start in the upper 40s and low 50s, temperatures are rising quickly under sunny skies. Many areas are expected to climb into the 80s this afternoon, with some spots pushing the mid to upper 80s.

It’s a brief but welcome preview of summer, and conditions couldn’t be better for getting outside.

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With cherry blossoms nearing peak bloom, it’s an ideal day to head to the Tidal Basin, take a walk, or spend time outdoors with family and friends.

What we know:

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A strong cold front moving in from Pennsylvania will bring increasing clouds later on Sunday, followed by a chance for showers and thunderstorms late Sunday night into early Monday.

Some storms could produce damaging winds or even small hail, especially to the north.

By Monday, the cold front pushes through, bringing a noticeable change.

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  • Gusty winds up to 30+ mph develop in the afternoon
  • Temperatures fall back to more typical early spring levels
  • Morning showers taper off, with improving conditions later in the day

What’s next:

Looking ahead, the pattern stays active.

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After a brief warm-up into the 60s midweek, another strong cold front is expected Thursday into Friday, bringing the next chance for unsettled weather.

The Source: Information from this article was provided by the FOX 5 Weather Team.

Washington, D.C.Weather
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Military deployment in D.C. could get extended until end or President Trump’s term

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Military deployment in D.C. could get extended until end or President Trump’s term


The District is reacting to the Pentagon’s alleged plan to keep National Guard members deployed in Washington, D.C. until 2029, the end of President Trump’s term, and his mission to make D.C. safe and beautiful.

At least 2,500 National Guard members have patrolled D.C. streets since last August.

ALSO READ | Judge rules National Guard deployment into DC was illegal; ruling faces appeal

Their deployment was initially scheduled to end in 2025. Then it was extended until the end of 2026. But now this could be home base for another three years.

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Two U.S. officials told ABC News that the agency is planning to maintain a presence in the city through early 2029.

“We don’t need to have theater on our streets,” said Tropper Sanders, who has lived in the District for nearly 30 years.

The president first deployed the National Guard last summer, even as the District was already seeing historically low crime rates.

“There are crime and safety issues, but that should be handled with law enforcement and government,” said Sanders. “I think at a time when we are at war, we are expecting so much of our service members. We should not use their time in ways that are not essential.”

Some residents and city leaders said the military has helped clean up the city, but not with crime. D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said he does not see the point of keeping the National Guard in D.C.

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“I know that the President said it was all about law and order,” he said. “The National Guard does not do law enforcement. What I see is them walking around, during the snow, creating a path they were very good at, shoveling snow.”

Residents like Shanti Israni told 7News their presence is noticeable.

“They open people’s doors,” said Israni. “If there are people who need help with groceries, they’ve helped the people with groceries. They’re helping. But also, my hope is that people in the community can also fill that role.”

Mendelson said the deployment is costing taxpayers significantly.

“It could be $1.6 million a day,” said Mendelson. “That’s like between almost $400 million and $600 million a year. I don’t get the point.”

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If they are ordered to stay, community members told 7News they want the city to put the services to good use.

“The mayor or the next mayor should really look at where the true hotspots or issues are where we can make the most of these servicemembers’ time,” said Tropper. “That does not necessarily have to be about crime. There are a lot of things that we can deploy these talented people to deal with. If we have to do this, then let’s at least figure out how the District can be so much better in 2029.”

“I also realize that the people making these decisions probably know a lot that we don’t,” said Israni. “If our country’s at war, I wonder if risks in D.C. will increase. If D.C. will become more of a target, maybe in that way it might be helpful to have people, but, if again, if the mission is keeping D.C. safe and beautiful, D.C.’s saving people already.”

A Pentagon spokesperson told ABC News, “The Department of War is committed to supporting the president’s mission to address the epidemic of crime in the nation’s capital. There are no announcements to make at this time.”

The District has been pushing back on the president’s deployment, with expectations of continuing to do so.

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SEE ALSO | Legal questions grow over National Guard’s long-term presence in DC

“There’s pending litigation now,” said Mendelson. “The attorney general won preliminarily, and then it went up to the court of appeals, where there was a stay. It’s all pending. There’s further legal argument.”

Officials told ABC News the deployment plan was finalized last year and is awaiting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s signature.



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