la Betty

La Betty Restaurant in Mount Vernon Triangle Expected to Open in Mid-March | Eater DC

"I understand la Betty, expected to open in mid-March next to A Baked Joint in Mount Vernon Triangle, is the Velazquez family's new full-service restaurant meant to rebuke fussy food by offering multi-cultural American staples in a warm, wood-lined space. The team is intentionally keeping a simple food and drink menu so diners don't have to make too many decisions, and the menu will center on home-cooked dishes Teresa Velazquez grew up making, informed by her German and Irish heritage (Tony Velazquez is Puerto Rican, though for now Tessa says nothing on the menu is overtly Puerto Rican). The family tapped Pablo Catalan as chef de cuisine, A Baked Joint will supply fresh bread, and Tony—who trained as an architect—designed a 65-seat dining room with a dynamic wooden ceiling, custom wood booths, a mahogany communal table, and an open kitchen that brings sights, sounds, and smells front and center. Positioning itself as a neighborhood restaurant, la Betty promises affordable, homey meals you can eat a few times a week, and its website teases a persona who “takes her whiskey neat, always has the best playlist, and whips up one hell of a roast chicken.”" - Gabe Hiatt