RJ Coopers Gypsy Soul takes him to Merrifield Virginia
I don't cover restaurants outside of DC (well not usually) but the exception here is for RJ Cooper, of Rogue 24/Blagden Alley fame, and his new venture Gypsy Soul in Merrifield Virginia's Mosaic District
In an earlier Eater DC article they reported that Cooper started a Don Rockwell thread with a series of bullet points about the new restaurant. It turns out that Rogue 24's Bryan Tetorakis will lend his considerable mixology talents to the new restaurant, plus there will be a rooftop bar with three wood-burning grills. Cooper further explains that the menu he has in mind is "not cheap but not expensive either" and is reminiscent of his Vidalia days but "with less boundaries." He also shares that he picked the Merrifield project because it's a mere 10-minute Harley ride from his house.
For information, and a very good article, including a "draft" menu Northern Virginia Magazine covers pretty much everything you will need to know, and is well worth the read.
And finally, in an interview RJ Cooper recently gave to BIZNOW DC (below) in the form of a Q & A.........
Prepare your taste-buds for casual fare bursting with chef RJ Cooper's turbo-charged creativity: The long-awaited opening of Gypsy Soul is finally on the horizon.
Q. What’s your vision for Gypsy Soul?
A. It’s free-spirited—fusing my love for motorcycles and respecting product. While Rogue 24 is experienced-based, Gypsy Soul is focused on the food, the craft of cooking, and sourcing.
Q. Why the Mosaic District—what void are you trying to fill?
A. There are no chef-driven restaurants out here. Gypsy Soul is a true showpiece that’s been highly developed to have a big personality.
Q. What do you expect to be the top seller on the menu?
A. That’s impossible to say because the menu will change daily. The beauty about food is that it shouldn’t be stagnant; it’s constantly evolving. We don’t want to have a signature dish. If we buy a truck full of veggies, I’m going to get them on the menu.
Q. What excites you about the kitchen?
A. Going beyond an "open kitchen," Gypsy Soul has a true “show kitchen.” It’s as if we took the kitchen at The Inn at Little Washington and put it in the middle of the dining room. That kitchen was actually my model; I thought, how pretty can I make this kitchen so that Patrick [O'Connell] says, “Hey this looks like my place.”
The anticipated opening date is July 23.
In an earlier Eater DC article they reported that Cooper started a Don Rockwell thread with a series of bullet points about the new restaurant. It turns out that Rogue 24's Bryan Tetorakis will lend his considerable mixology talents to the new restaurant, plus there will be a rooftop bar with three wood-burning grills. Cooper further explains that the menu he has in mind is "not cheap but not expensive either" and is reminiscent of his Vidalia days but "with less boundaries." He also shares that he picked the Merrifield project because it's a mere 10-minute Harley ride from his house.
 |
| Rendering of the interior of Gypsy Soul |
And finally, in an interview RJ Cooper recently gave to BIZNOW DC (below) in the form of a Q & A.........
Prepare your taste-buds for casual fare bursting with chef RJ Cooper's turbo-charged creativity: The long-awaited opening of Gypsy Soul is finally on the horizon.
Q. What’s your vision for Gypsy Soul?
A. It’s free-spirited—fusing my love for motorcycles and respecting product. While Rogue 24 is experienced-based, Gypsy Soul is focused on the food, the craft of cooking, and sourcing.
Q. Why the Mosaic District—what void are you trying to fill?
A. There are no chef-driven restaurants out here. Gypsy Soul is a true showpiece that’s been highly developed to have a big personality.
Q. What do you expect to be the top seller on the menu?
A. That’s impossible to say because the menu will change daily. The beauty about food is that it shouldn’t be stagnant; it’s constantly evolving. We don’t want to have a signature dish. If we buy a truck full of veggies, I’m going to get them on the menu.
Q. What excites you about the kitchen?
A. Going beyond an "open kitchen," Gypsy Soul has a true “show kitchen.” It’s as if we took the kitchen at The Inn at Little Washington and put it in the middle of the dining room. That kitchen was actually my model; I thought, how pretty can I make this kitchen so that Patrick [O'Connell] says, “Hey this looks like my place.”
The anticipated opening date is July 23.
Comments
Post a Comment