
The Biggest D.C.-Area Restaurant Openings in May
PENN QUARTER — Chinese American takeout Lucky Danger unveils a full-on flagship on Wednesday, May 21. Founded by restaurateur Tim Ma, the food menu is full of allium pancakes with whipped tofu and caviar; blue crab lo mein with leek fondue; and duck fried chaufa (Peruvian fried rice) with fish sauce caramel. The restaurant features four distinct areas: a bright entryway bar with classic cocktails integrating Asian flavors, an intimate dining room, the moody 'Lucky Club' with drinks using Chinese herbal medicine, and a green-toned mahjong parlor with over-proof whiskeys. Opening hours are 4 to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, with lunch (and possibly even weekend dim sum) coming soon. 709 D Street NW
PENN QUARTER — The venerable Cafe Fiorello, which first opened its doors in Manhattan over five decades ago, lands in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol on May 21. This marks the first time the flagship of restaurateur Shelly Fireman's hospitality group grows beyond its Big Apple roots. The new location has the same reliable Italian fare, including famous thin-crusted pizza and an antipasti bar overflowing with vegetables and seafood, plus a new wood-fired oven pumping out branzino al Forno, a center-cut veal chop, flame-kissed cheeseburger, and more distinctly smoky mains. 1001 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
GEORGETOWN — After closing downtown Sushi Gakyu earlier this year, sushi chef Yoshi Ota is opening Sushi Gaku on Wisconsin Avenue on Wednesday, May 21. Traditional nigiri, maki, and an omakase tasting with very fermented ancient-style sushi will be on the new menu. Dinner will be served from 5 to 10 p.m. every night except Tuesdays at the new sushi spot. 1338 Wisconsin Avenue NW
UNION MARKET — Fossette Focacceria, a Shaw sandwich shop for focaccia fanatics, expanded to a new stall in Union Market on Tuesday, May 20. The new menu includes most of the same breakfast and Italian sandwiches on the simple airy bread, plus two Union Market specials: the roasted vegetable and feta-filled Portofino and the Capra filled with prosciutto cotto, sopressata, pickled peppers, and Calabrian chile honey. The new stall also has longer hours than the original location, operating from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and opening up at 10 a.m. on weekends. 1309 5th Street NE
Related The Best Sandwiches Around D.C. Right Now
EASTERN MARKET — New American restaurant Lobby Bar debuted on Friday, May 16, in the storied space that housed Boxcar Tavern. Owner Adam Shulman livens up Barracks Row with an experimental martini menu, happy hour, and late-night service. Chef Andre Williams sends out local oysters, shrimp cocktail, crab cakes, a double smash burger, chicken pot pie stuffed with root vegetables, and a weekend-only prime rib special. Tori Pratt, founder of Pratt & Standard Cocktail Company, remixes a dirty martini with caper brine, tops a gin French 75 with a caviar-and-potato chip bite, and jazzes up an espresso martini with brown sugar. The 2,000-square-foot space with an 18-seat bar features cozy booths, a communal table, and an outdoor patio. Lobby Bar sources ingredients from vendors and farmers at historic Eastern Market, which sits directly across the street. 224 7th Street SE
ARLINGTON — Bar Chinois, Mt. Vernon Triangle's high-energy hangout for Frenchified cocktails and Chinese dim sum since 2021, debuts a follow-up location in Arlington, Virginia, on Thursday, May 15. The beverage program that party-starting Bar Chinois is known for makes its way across the Potomac over to National Landing, as do popular orders of black pepper duck, crab Rangoon, bao buns, and chicken karaage. Familiar daily deals like $1 dumplings and half-priced cocktails kick in next month (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.). Bar Chinois partners Dean Mosones, Mark Minicucci, and Margaux Donati are also behind Bar Japonais in Logan Circle, and BC National Landing marks the team's third project to date. The 90-seat, turquoise-toned interior joins a big (58-seat) patio. Reservations here. 244 19th Court S. #105, Arlington, Virginia
SHAW — Top Ethiopian chef Elias Taddesse's beefy burger shop, Mélange DC, and fried chicken joint, Doro Soul Food, are back and better than ever at his new culinary incubator in Shaw's Atlantic Plumbing building. Taddesse's Mélange Foods, Inc. opened on Monday, May 12 with both concepts and will add a third Ethiopian taco spot called Moya later this spring. 2108 8th Street NW
U STREET — Peruvian poultry pad Lucky Pollo swings open on Friday, May 9, with a starring order: 24-hour marinated chicken cooked over charcoal and infused with a dozen-plus herbs. Sides include yuca and french fries, mac and cheese, and mashed potatoes, plus wraps and salads for the healthier set. Owner and nightlife vet Zach Renovátes tapped NYC-based Jasin Cadic to install ceiling chicken figurines sporting green hair, Keith Haring-influenced art, and a neon-lit logo of its rowdy namesake saddling a horseshoe. 1357B U Street NW
FALLS CHURCH — Ice Cream Jubilee, a D.C.-born ice cream shop founded by government lawyer-turned-chef Victoria Lai in 2014, opened its sixth location in West Falls Church on Friday, May 9. The store also serves ice cream sandwiches made with Sunday Morning Bakehouse's sea salt chocolate chip cookies. The new scoop shop is open from noon to 9 p.m. daily. 151 W. Falls Station Blvd, Falls Church, Virginia
ARLINGTON — Courthouse's promising summer hot spot dubbed Rooftop Recess debuted Thursday, May 8, with a garden-like interior, happy hour, grilled eats, and a 360-degree view of the neighborhood. 2424 Wilson Blvd Arlington, Virginia
CLEVELAND PARK — NY native Gina Chersevani doubled down on her months-old Buffalo & Bergen with the addition of Carb Bar on Cinco de Mayo. As the name implies, there's plenty of pizza and buttery danishes to choose, from with help from her husband Neil Dundee. The founder of roving pizza pad Eternal Love swears by rye flour to build an array of carbs. The next-level Honey Love hot pocket comes stuffed with imported mortadella, stracciatella, arugula, EVOO, pistachios, Parmesan, and lemon. The sommelier by trade also offers an off-menu selection of rare Italian varietals by the bottle. Rectangular-shaped 'Grandma Pizza' — Chersevani's childhood favorite growing up in Long Island — is en route soon. 3501 Connecticut Avenue NW
H STREET — Two-level Henceforth opened up on Monday, May 5 in the former H Street Country Club space. The retro-styled venture showcases a thorough craft beer list, all brewed in house, and a wine list that ranges from Maryland and Virginia vinos to bottles from the West Coast, Europe, and South Africa. The carefully curated food menu features triple-fried fat fries, beef sliders with charred pepper aioli, and honey Old Bay wings. There's also a succulent, braised beef cheeks sandwich and an array of vegetarian entrees, including charred asparagus or roasted cauliflower on black garlic labneh. The new neighborhood hangout will unveil its sunny rooftop seats soon. 1335 H Street NE
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New York Post
30 minutes ago
- New York Post
Human-like robot goes berserk and throws tantrum at San Francisco robotics lab
Welcome to this week's episode of 'man-made horrors beyond human comprehension.' A humanoid robot named DeREK had what you might call a 'moment' on the floor of a San Francisco robotics lab this week, putting a fright up millions of viewers. The now-viral clip shows the mechanical humanoid suspended from a crane, flailing like a drunk before causing the crane to collapse. Nearby, a man freezes in shock, hands on his head like he just realized he was standing in the prologue of a cautionary sci-fi movie. 8 The clip shows the human-like robot suspended from a crane. REK / X 'Oh my god, what the f*** was that?' a female voice gasps. 'I'm so sorry.' From off-camera, company REK's self-described 'chief robot fighter' Cix Liv replies: 'What the f*** did you guys run?' Whether this was a meticulously planned PR stunt or just an accident that doubled as great marketing is unclear. 8 The robot flailed around uncontrollably before making the crane collapse. REK / X Either way, it's a solid preview of what REK is selling, which is humanoid robots punching each other in the face for your entertainment. Think UFC, but with slightly fewer concussions. 'Please make this go viral so I can pay for repairs,' Liv wrote on X under the video. 'Our humanoid robot boy DeREK completely lost his mind.' According to Liv, the meltdown was not DeREK going rogue but a 'human error.' 8 The robot is designed for fighting. REK / X 'The technical reason is we ran a full body policy while the feet weren't touching the ground. Don't do that,' he wrote, explaining that the emergency stop takes five seconds and that the robot did not stop flailing until its connection to the internet was physically unplugged. 'Honestly everything happened so fast (we're) still trying to figure it out. 'First the policy wasn't supposed to do this, even in documentation it could be run while suspended. The issue was that the end state was back into walking mode. 'Killing it through netcode didn't work, the radio based [emergency] stop they give you takes five seconds to complete now. 8 Liv said that the incident was a human error rather than the robot simply going rogue. REK / X 'When the ethernet cable finally dislodged it finally stopped.' Liv, a decade deep in the VR gaming world, is now working on ways for humans to pilot these robot brawlers remotely via VR headsets. DeREK himself is a G1 model from Chinese robotics company Unitree, a machine so nimble it's been filmed pulling off Kung fu moves and chatting to West Hollywood pedestrians in Gen Alpha slang. The same technology that can bow politely can now also swing a high kick like Bruce Lee, all in the name of 'innovation.' Very comforting. 8 Liv working on ways for humans to pilot these robot brawlers remotely via VR headsets. REK / X And despite the impromptu demolition job, DeREK lived to fight another day. 'Surprisingly, he still walks,' Liv confirmed when asked if anything was permanently broken. He described the video as 'pure cinema' and attempted to play down the scene. 'He's growing up to be a strong boy,' he joked. Chinese robot 'gets aggressive' at festival There are more and more videos like DeREK's meltdown emerging as robotics development steams ahead. 8 DeREK himself is a G1 model from Chinese robotics company Unitree. REK / X People across the globe are now questioning whether we're a still able put the AI genie back in the bottle after viewing one too many malfunction videos. While warnings from AI pioneers may influence some, the reality is that the freight train of innovation will stop for nobody. In China, it appears to be pedal to the metal when it comes to the robotics industry. Earlier this year, a video surfaced appearing to show a robot 'getting aggressive' with a human at a festival in the highly-developed nation. The viral clip, shared by X user Ben Geskin, sparked a wave of speculation online, with the world's most popular podcast host suggesting it was the latest glimpse into our dystopian near-future. 8 Liv said that the robot can still walk even after the incident. REK / X 'An AI robot attacked a human at a mass event in China; is this the beginning?' Geskin wrote in his post. Popular podcaster Joe Rogan reported the footage on his Instagram and set off a snowball. 'An AI robot got aggressive with spectators in China. The way it did it was eerily human. I don't like this at all,' Rogan wrote. The clip in question is startling at first glance, with the robot clearly lunging towards a person behind a barricade. The event's security quickly grabbed the bipedal contraption and the situation looked a little tense for a fleeting moment. The problem is, the camera angle obscured the robot's legs and from there the debate raged. Those who want to believe we are hurtling towards a sci-fi future where robots roam the planet exterminating every human in sight had a field day, claiming the clip was irrefutable evidence that humanoid robots had achieved consciousness and were already annoyed at humans enough to attack one. 8 DeREK's meltdown is not the first from human-like robots. REK / X But others were a bit less dramatic and said the robot clearly tripped forward and gave the illusion it was shaping up for a drunken hook. Commenters pointed out that the robot appeared to 'trip and fall against the barricade,' with one claiming 'it's clear as day that it tripped FFS.' It does highlight a genuine issue in robotics. Boston Dynamics, one of the companies at the forefront of humanoid robot development, has been uploading videos for years showcasing their dexterity, with some able to perform backflips and complete manual labor tasks with relative ease. But there's still a long way to go in developing how AI handles unexpected situations. Robots are typically designed for stability, but when they do fall, their attempts to regain balance can appear erratic or even aggressive. Rogan has long voiced his concern over the rapid expansion of advanced AI. A famous episode with Elon Musk in 2018 saw the world's richest man declare we were already past the tipping point of AI capabilities, claiming he 'tried to warn them' and had now adopted an 'if you can't beat it, join it' approach. Spooky.


Eater
30 minutes ago
- Eater
An Inventive Koreatown Ice Cream Shop Is Closing After Just Eight Months
is an editor of the Southern California/Southwest region, who covers the evolving landscape of LA's food scene. Liu's Creamery, an extension of Hong Kong and Taiwanese bakery and cafe Liu's, is closing at the beginning of August after about eight months in the neighborhood. The ice cream spot, which started scooping in January 2025, will have its last day of business on August 3. Liu's Creamery, located right next door to Liu's Cafe, serves Asian-inflected ice cream, including Taiwan milk tea, honey toast, and ginger pear. Pastry chef Isabell Manibusan, who also oversees desserts at Liu's Cafe and modern Korean restaurant Danbi, developed the menu for Liu's Creamery. The closure was announced in an Instagram post on July 24. Liu's Creamery will operate from Friday through Sunday, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., until its closure. Liu's Cafe will not be affected by the closure. Though the closure is a loss for the neighborhood, the post promises that something 'exciting' will take its place soon. SF Gate visits Tomat For SF Gate, Karen Palmer writes of a recent visit to Tomat, a London-inspired restaurant on the outskirts of LAX. Opened by first-time restaurateurs Harry Posner and Natalie Dial, Tomat is open all day, serving pastries in the morning and proteins off the wood-fired grill at night. Does the Torrance hospital really have a great breakfast burrito? A breakfast burrito from the Torrance hospital has been making the rounds on TikTok and Reddit, with some claiming that it is among the best in LA. Yusra Farzan went to investigate for LAist and found that while the burrito was a good deal at $7, and was overall very solid, it may not quite be the best in the region. Summer collaborations at the Benjamin The next two collaborations for the Benjamin's With Friends dinner series just dropped. On August 10, chefs Michael and Bryan Voltaggio will revisit dishes from Michael's restaurant, Ink. A portion of the proceeds from the evening will go to support LA chef Sonny Sweetman, who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer. On August 26, Andrew and Michelle Muñoz of Moo's Craft Barbecue will serve dishes that blend Texas barbecue with the Benjamin's bistro sensibilities. A fundraiser for Indivisible Arts Notable Los Angeles barman Matthew Biancaniello will embark on a 21-mile swim from Catalina Island to Palos Verdes on September 25. The GoFundMe effort is to raise funds for Indivisible Arts, a nonprofit that supports underserved youth. To deal with losing his restaurant in the Woolsey Fire, back surgery, and personal loss, Biancaniello has found relief through ocean swims. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Eater LA All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Cosmopolitan
an hour ago
- Cosmopolitan
How to Style the A-Line Bob for Every Face Shape and Hair Length
The bob renaissance is fascinating (and it's one to rival that of the 15th century). With one cut, many interpretations, and a global reach, name me a more popular beauty movement, I'll wait! So far, we've decoded everything from graduated bobs, French bobs vs Italian bobs, and even shaggy bobs, but now, it's time for the A-line bob to take center stage. Move aside lobs because this cut is bridging the gap between longer and shorter bobs. In the wise words of Hannah Montana "you get the best of both worlds." As with the former bobs mentioned, the name A-line isn't as obvious about what defines the cut. So, to get to the nitty-gritty on what the style actually is, as well as who it's best suited to, and how to manage the style, we tapped the brains of Mark Hayes, Senior International Creative Director at HOUSE OF SASSOON, who shared his expertise. Just like how an A-line skirt flares out from a narrow waist, Hayes says that the A-line bob is cut shorter at the back and gradually becomes longer toward the front. "This creates a sleek, angled silhouette that gives the illusion of length around the face without the weight of a full-length style," he explains. Hayes adds, "The cut can be customized with or without layers, and with or without bangs. The angle itself can be subtle or more dramatic, depending on the desired look." Sound familiar? Well, the A-line bob has many similarities to a graduated bob, and Hayes explains the differences below. "As mentioned, an A-line bob is characterized by a longer front and shorter back with a visibly angled perimeter, cut in a continuous diagonal line that runs from back to front," explains Hayes. "It typically avoids heavy layering in the back and instead focuses on a clean, sharp line with a dramatic forward sweep. "This look has less volume at the crown and relies primarily on the outline for structure, with minimal or no graduation at the back.' According to Hayes, the finish is sleek and polished, making it best suited for straight hair or hair with a slight bend, and for clients seeking a modern, structured silhouette without visible layers. "In contrast," he says, "a graduated bob incorporates graduated layers in the back to create a rounded, voluminous shape. While the overall balance may resemble an A-line, it is not generally as sharply angled. The key characteristic is the distinct layered structure in the back, which contributes to its roundness and volume." "This cut provides fullness and lift at the crown due to the internal layering," he adds, "resulting in a more curved and rounded silhouette than a true A-line. The texture can vary from soft and sleek to tousled, depending on the hair type. Graduated bobs are ideal for thicker hair or for clients who want to reduce bulk while adding movement, as well as for those who prefer a more voluminous look with a curved shape." "The A-line bob flatters a variety of face shapes," says Hayes. He breaks down the benefits for each below: "In terms of hair types, the A-line bob works best on straight to wavy hair, which highlights the clean lines and structure of the cut," he continues, breaking down the need-to-knows below: Hayes says, "For a sleek, straight look, begin by blow-drying the hair with a half-round or round brush. Wrap the hair around the brush first, then gently curve the ends inward. You can follow this with a light pass of a straightener to further define the surface and the edges of the cut." Of course, Hayes recommends starting with a heat protectant spray to guard against damage, followed by a smoothing serum or cream to add shine and reduce frizz, and a shine spray to finish the look with a polished, glossy effect. "To create a textured, tousled look, use a curling wand or straightener to form soft waves," Hayes says. "Gently separate the curls with your fingers and mist them with a texture-enhancing spray. Recommended products for this style include a texturizing spray to add volume and create an airy, undone feel; a sea salt spray to enhance natural waves and add grip for a beachy finish; and a styling paste or cream to define the ends and offer soft hold." "For quick everyday styling," he suggests, "try parting the hair deeply to one side or tucking one side behind the ear for a chic yet simple effect. Adding a touch of dry shampoo at the roots can refresh the style and boost volume." A-line bob inspo: Lia Mappoura (she/her) is the Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. Covering everything from viral celebrity hair and makeup news to the latest trend predictions, she's an expert in recognising the season's next big beauty look (before it ends up all over your social media feeds). You'll usually find her putting TikTok's recent beauty hacks to the Hype Test, challenging the gender-makeup binary and social stereotypes, or fangirling over the time Kourtney Kardashian viewed her Instagram Story (yes, it's true). Find her also on LinkedIn. Jasmine Hyman is the Assistant Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she writes about the latest beauty trends and must-have products. Her most prized beauty possessions are a meticulous skincare routine and salon blowouts. You'll also likely find her in bed reading a good book or endlessly scrolling TikTok (spoiler: it's usually the latter) while listening to Harry Styles' entire discography on repeat. Follow her on Insta to be inundated with pictures of her meals.