More restaurants in transition?

[Tweaked]

The other board is reporting the closings of Ella's wood fire pizza and Kuna...any details available...

[JennyUptown]

Ella's I could do without...but Kuna? Huh?

[Nadya]

Ella's I could do without...but Kuna?  Huh?

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I used to really, really, really like Kuna when they opened (like, two years ago), but they have been going downhill since, and particularly in the last six months. Plus they never seem to be overwhelmingly busy. I also have to wonder if their neigborhood can sustain their type of dining for a long time.

I'll be sorry, in any event...

[Fynnicki]

That's too bad...I really like Ella's. It's one of the few places I can dash out to for a quick lunch without a reservation and still get good food. They've always seemed busy when I've been there (which admittedly has only been around the standard lunch hour on weekdays).

[DCatty]

No!!! I am fully on record as preferring Ella's pizza to Matchbox's, and it is such a simple, casual place. A real loss for the neighborhood, if it is true. Maybe they could move a couple of blocks east, and kick out the waste of a space that is La Tasca, next to MCI.

[iamthestretch]

Very sad. Though the little thread on Ella's is quite amusing for other reasons.

[mnebergall]

Very sad. Though the little thread on Ella's is quite amusing for other reasons.

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Yikes.

[oliveDC]

I hear Kuna's just getting spruced up on the interior and maybe moving away from farmhouse Italian to French cuisine (?) but I'm pretty sure it's the same owners and chef.

Regardless, it makes me a little sad as we ate there all the time being just around the corner, and I loved the dark brown walls and simple, hearty food. The place was always packed on weekends so I'm not sure this was financially motivated, though I have a feeling menu prices will have increased when they reopen.

I ate at Ella's once shortly after they opened (maybe too soon) and the pizza crust was pale and doughy and the sauce tasted like Ragu. I know people raved once they got the kinks worked out but I could never bring myself to go back.

[DCMark]

From Tom Sietsema's chat today:

Penn Quarter, Washington, D.C.: Say it ain't so about Ella's!!!

Tom Sietsema: It ain't so.

I just spoke with the owner of Ella's Wood Fired Pizza in Penn Quarter, who told me "there's no truth at all" to the unfortunate rumor going around.

[dcfoodie]

Does anyone know if this post at Chowhound is true? How is this true? They were always so crowded. Is anything else opening up in it's place? Perhaps the owners are just remodeling...

[oliveDC]

Same owners, same chef, new name and concept. They're sprucing up the dining room and reopening in two weeks.

The phone message says Keith and Mark (owners/chef) thank you for your patronage and look forward to serving you in the future.

I'll be interested to see the new menu and hear the new name. And I'm glad these guys are still running the operation as I think they're some of the more genuinely hospitable people in the business. I always looked forward to a nice chat with Keith while sampling wines and waiting for a table. (Hope they keep the wine sampling thing going!)

[morela]

I heard Faccia Luna in Glover Park closed and it's another pizza/pub now. Anyone been? I wonder if Faccia in NoVa is doing okay...

[morela]

And what's the deal with rumored closings...

Rumored openings, that's one thing, but how on earth does that shit-talk start.

[Busboy]

I heard Faccia Luna in Glover Park closed and it's another pizza/pub now.  Anyone been?  I wonder if Faccia in NoVa is doing okay...

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Faccia Luna has been closed for a while -- weeks or months, I think. There's a handmade sign tied atop the old sign that reads "Kavanaugh's Pizza." Haven't been since the change, though, so no details to report.

[dmede]

I heard Faccia Luna in Glover Park closed and it's another pizza/pub now.  Anyone been?  I wonder if Faccia in NoVa is doing okay...

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Faccia Luna has been closed for a while -- weeks or months, I think. There's a handmade sign tied atop the old sign that reads "Kavanaugh's Pizza." Haven't been since the change, though, so no details to report.

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Well, I guess I can make this my very first post. My wife and I recently ordered a pizza from Kavanaugh's, and we were struck by just how similar it seemed to Faccia Luna pizza. And the bartender who handled our takeout order was, I think, a bartender who had worked at Faccia Luna. I wonder if this was some sort of divorce involving this branch of Faccia Luna rather than an entirely new restaurant.

Ah, my first post. I have a review of Palena from a few weeks ago to post, but I must admit to being a bit intimidated by the knowledge on this board..

[morela]

Welcome dmede.

Keep posting.

[laniloa]

The Glover Park Facia Luna was sold to someone who worked there and renamed Kavanaugh's. Some of the staff are still there. The pizza is the same but the entrees have been updated. They dropped my favorite angolotti but added a few more non-pasta choices -- chicken parmigiana, etc. They also added some more entree salads.

[mdt]

Ah, my first post.  I have a review of Palena from a few weeks ago to post, but I must admit to being a bit intimidated by the knowledge on this board..

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Welcome to the board!

Post away! Most of the people on the board are pretty harmless. As long as you are fair in what you report we will go easy on you! I look forward to reading your Palena review.

[JennyUptown]

Regarding Kuna, now Opera

I'm sure none of you will be surprised to hear that the price point at Opera will be higher than what was offered at Kuna.