WASHINGTON 鈥� Mike Isabella has been starved for sleep lately.
Blame everything that鈥檚 on his plate.
Just this year, his Mike Isabella Concepts added two new restaurants in D.C. (Arroz downtown; Requin at The Wharf) and a new Kapnos Taverna location in College Park, Maryland.
These sizable projects themselves are something of an appetizer for MIC鈥檚 main course: Isabella Eatery, a massive 41,000-square-foot, 600-seat food hall that at Tysons Galleria.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something that hasn鈥檛 been done before on this level,鈥� Isabella said.
Indeed, it鈥檚 the largest project the former 鈥淭op Chef鈥� standout has ever taken on. Isabella Eatery comprises six of the celebrity chef鈥檚 existing concepts and three new ones.
- Graffiato will offer pizza, paninis and other Italian fare.
- At Kapnos Marketa, diners will be able to take home roasted meat and other Greek specialties.
- Similar to its location in Arlington, Yona聽will offer sushi, poke bowls and other quick eats.
- A version of Requin will serve wine and features a seafood raw bar.
- Pepita will offer Mexican options and south-of-the-border drinks.
- Arroz will have Spanish-Portuguese entrees and snacks.
- The new Retro Creamery is an ice cream parlor and soda fountain that will scoop out both classic and 鈥渃hef-driven-style鈥� flavors.
- Non-Fiction Coffee, a new style of coffeehouse lounge, will offer artisan beans, pastries, fresh juices and sandwiches.
- The new Octagon Bar, a prohibition-style mixology bar, will serve old classic-style cocktails.
鈥楳ore of an experience鈥�
Isabella Eatery plays with the food hall concept, drawing inspiration from Italian and Spanish markets, as well as from Moroccan bazaars. And unlike the Eataly chain, which combines a restaurant with a market, Isabella Eatery focuses on the former.
Its ambition extends beyond the menu, too: It aims to tweak the food hall experience itself, offering the flexibility of formal, casual and take-out options.
鈥淵ou can come here seven days in a row and get a different meal,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be more of an experience than just coming out to eat. You can come and hang out.鈥�
Originally, Isabella鈥檚 share of the project was smaller. The mall鈥檚 developer had offered a couple of spaces for the food hall, he said, but as he thought it over, it made more sense to make a play for everything.
After all, he鈥檚 a guy who likes to go big.
鈥淚 have three restaurants in one building 鈥� with Yona, Pepita, Kapnos Taverna 鈥� and in D.C., I have Kapnos attached to G sandwich shop,鈥� Isabella said. 鈥淪o technically in two buildings I have five restaurants.
鈥淚 figured, 鈥榃hy not just do 10?鈥欌��
Going big 鈥� and letting go
Going this big has its advantages. Buying power is one example. Another is the cross-utilization among concepts.
鈥淲ith a commissary kitchen, you can cook a lot of the base sauces and the vinaigrettes and the chickens and the porks and everything in the same kitchen,鈥� he said.
A downside of going this big? Letting go. One chef can only feed so many 鈥� especially if he鈥檚 managing an empire.
鈥淚 mean we have all these restaurants and now this 鈥� I mean, it鈥檚 a lot,鈥� he said.
So as he鈥檚 followed the construction, he鈥檚 brought aboard (and coached) talent eager to make his ambitious vision succeed. He鈥檚 also entrusted the major roles to experienced hands, including culinary director Joe Palma and director Chloe Caras.
鈥淚 have a great team around me. I have a lot of experienced guys 鈥� a lot of guys who鈥檝e been with me for years, a lot of new guys who come from really big properties and corporations,鈥� he said.
It鈥檚 all a far cry from the days when Isabella was making meatballs with his grandmother. What would she think of something this massive?
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if she鈥檇 understand it, but I think she鈥檇 be happy,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y family is definitely excited for it. It鈥檚 something unique and special.鈥�
