By A.D. AMOROSI
Bravo TV's Top Chef alums Mike Isabella and Jennifer Carroll will partner on Requin, a French Mediterranean concept that will first exist as a pop-up in Isabella's second location for his Kapnos Kouzina restaurant (due to open early in 2016) in Fairfax, Virginia. Requin, which means "shark" in French, intends to feature Mediterranean fish along with local seafood including an area favorite, Maryland crabs. After the pop-up, Requin will open in 2017 as part of Washington D.C.'s Wharf Development Project as a Southwest Waterfront boardwalk location. The Requin launch dates have yet to be announced.
Isabella and Carroll remain Top Chef fan favorites even though, oddly enough, neither of them has won the title. Isabella appeared on Top Chef season six, a season of Top Chef Duels, and was a runner-up on Top Chef: All-Stars. Carroll appeared on-screen with Isabella on Top Chef, as well as on Top Chef: All-Stars. Carroll was also on Bravo's Life After Top Chef, where she was shown scouting restaurant locations in New York City.
Until Requin, Carroll hasn't had her own restaurant, but has held high-profile positions including working with the Marcus Samuelsson Group at the Red Rooster in Harlem, and with Eric Ripert in two locations: as sous chef at Le Bernardin in New York City, and as chef de cuisine at 10 Arts Bistro in Philadelphia.
Isabella's career as a chef-owner is long underway – in addition to Requin he holds the keys to Graffiato, Kapnos, and G in Washington, D.C.; Kapnos Taverna and Pepita Cantina in Arlington, Virginia; and a second location of Graffiato in Richmond, VA. Upcoming projects include two locations of Kapnos Kouzina and Kapnos Taverna, as well as Yona, a partnership with chef Jonah Kim.
For more information visit RequinDC.com
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Photo ©Reese Amorosi 2013
Posted on Wednesday, August 26, 2015
