Have you missed BlackSalt? You won't have to wait much longer until the Palisades restaurant reopens its doors in time for dinner on Friday evening.
Then, Black figured, "If we're going to close, we might as well get some other projects done."
Among the changes that diners will notice are some new barstools and dining room chairs, as well as renovated bathrooms. Black said he also switched out cafe tables for booths, which he said customers prefer. The host stand is also moving forward to a more prominent position, to prevent the confusion that led some diners to stand around the adjacent fish market.
Black's kitchen staff will also have a new toy to play with -- a 54-inch, wood-burning Aztec Grill. Also newly installed: a 3,000-pound(!) ice machine, which will give the market about 1,000 more pounds of ice to work with in seafood displays and packing orders for customers.
"You build a restaurant and you think you thought of everything," Black said. More than a decade in, he can fix what he said has been eating away at him.
He estimated the total cost of the renovations to be in the neighborhood of $750,000 to $800,000, with some of that covered by insurance. "It's been pretty expensive, a lot more expensive than I planned," Black said.
But BlackSalt was due for a facelift.
"We've been busy since the day we opened," Black said. "It needed some love."
BlackSalt, 4883 MacArthur Blvd. NW. 202-342-9101. Reopening Friday at 5:30 p.m. www.blacksaltrestaurant.com.
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