Qui Qui, One of D.C.’s Best Puerto Rican Restaurants, Is Moving to Park View | Eater DC
"Set to reopen in Park View in mid-August, the operation closed its Shaw location with its last day of service on Sunday, June 22, where it had operated above the downstairs cocktail bar since 2021. “Once we find our footing again. I’ll let you know,” chef Ismael Mendez told Eater at the time. The move to a Northwest neighborhood will occupy the space that formerly housed Tabla (3227 Georgia Avenue NW). Named for Mendez’s childhood nickname, the 2.0 iteration will be a wildly different setup than the second-story original: a ground-floor location with its first patio, room for 40 outside and 75 inside with a full bar, roll-up garage doors framing the exterior that evoke a breezy, beachy vibe reminiscent of Puerto Rico’s coastal capital of San Juan, and light renovations including a pastel-soaked paint job with finishing touches completed this week. Praised by the Washington Post as “Puerto Rican party you don’t want to miss,” signature and best-selling items include pan sobao (bread), morcilla (blood sausage), mofongo with fried and smashed green plantains, chicharrón de pollo, costillas (ribs) slathered in barbecue sauce, and ample use of criollo spice across the menu. Prior to brick-and-mortar service, the venture began as a Maryland-based catering company and then as a roving pop-up around D.C." - Tierney Plumb
