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May 22, 2012

Blogs / Table Talk / January-February 2012 / Jeff Black’s 'wurst' idea: A beer garden at Addie’s

Feb 8, 201207:32 AMTable Talk

Jeff Black’s 'wurst' idea: A beer garden at Addie’s

You’d think Jeff Black would want to take a breather. Co-founder of the Black Restaurant Group with his wife Barbara, the couple have five restaurants in the metro area—including the recent Logan Circle hit, Pearl Dive Oyster Palace—and will be opening another eatery this fall in Mosaic, an urban renewal development in Merrifield, Va.

In Montgomery County, the Blacks own Addie’s in Rockville, Black’s Bar & Kitchen in Bethesda and Black Market Bistro in Garrett Park.

Now Jeff Black says he wants to revisit Addie’s, the first restaurant the couple opened in 1995. A bright and cozy converted house on Rockville Pike, Addie’s initially stood apart from other restaurants, which back then were dark and clubby, says Black. “Now it’s just another restaurant. I want to make it special again,” he said.

To do so—and profitably—Black says he will need to get an extension of his lease, which he is currently negotiating. He has four years remaining on the property, and wants to extend it by six—for a total of 10 more years.

What Black has in mind is building a beer garden on the back patio, and revamping the menu inside and out to make it a little more casual and approachable. Black says he wants to make it “more of a hangout” rather than a place to order a three-course meal. “I’m trying to get away from that predictable dining experience,” he said.

Black says the beer garden will make better use of the patio—where he plans to offer “lots of sausages.” Sounds like fun; I’ll be eager to find the best of the wurst…