Details About Chef Mike Isabella’s New Mexican Restaurant Unveiled; Gtown’s Bandolero Debuts In Early 2012!

GEORGETOWN -- Less than a year after the wildly successful summer launch of his Italian-inspired Graffiato restaurant in Penn Quarter, Chef Mike Isabella is slowly leaking details about his next eatery, which is scheduled to open in Georgetown in early 2012.

Taking over the space at 3241 M Street, NW that formerly housed restaurateur Jonathan Umbel’s Hook restaurant, the newly envisioned Bandolero will offer modern Mexican small plates across two stories, including a special chef’s table with kitchen views and a communal table overlooking the street below.

Photo: Streetsense Designs
Streetsense designers Rhena Saar and Sumaya Kaufman have been commissioned by Isabella and Umbel to create a unique “Day-of-the-Dead” interior for the new restaurant, incorporating cemetery gates, tequila crates, reclaimed wood, mismatched furniture, and simulated candlelit lighting.

“My vision for Bandolero is a high-energy, high-volume restaurant to match the bustling vibe of the Georgetown neighborhood and feed the late-night appetite of its college students,” said Isabella. “The menu will change frequently with my twist on classic Mexican dishes and a large cocktail menu.”

Dishes on Bandolero’s menu will include salsas, guacamoles, ceviches, tacos, vegetables, and “carbons,” some featuring rather untraditional fillings such as duck and goat meat.

Graffiato’s famed “prosecco-on-tap” is also rumored to be a staple of the new place.