"Less than two years after opening off the lobby of The Morrow Washington DC, Curio Collection by Hilton, chef Nicholas Stefanelli’s first French restaurant quietly fizzled out about four weeks ago. Stefanelli, who’s behind Italian spots like nearby Michelin-starred Masseria and Officina on the Wharf, leaned into his classically-trained French foundation at Le Clou. The modern brasserie served abundant seafood towers, frisee salads, Hudson Valley foie gras, escargot, frog legs, steak frites, French onion soup, delicate trout, and plenty of Champagne. The gilded dining room plans to reboot service under a new to-be-named chef by the end of the year, per a hotel employee; details on the replacement project and its cuisine focus remain under wraps for now while the contract is being finalized." - Tierney Plumb
