Barton Seaver to Blue Ridge

Barton Seaver is back. Seven months after his split from Hook, the chef will be at the helm of the new Glover Park restaurant, Blue Ridge.

The 200-plus seat restaurant, which takes over the former Busara space, aims to be a neighborhood spot. On the menu: pork terrine with preserved fruit, shellfish stew with smoked ham broth and, of course, a great burger. Appetizers will be priced between $6 and $12. Entrees will range from $13 to $20.

"The four-star destinations have put us on the map, but the Monday night dinner at the neighborhood spot is what makes a city worth living in," Seaver said.

Blue Ridge, which will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week, is slated to open April 1.

Seaver earned a national reputation at Hook, a sustainable seafood restaurant in Georgetown. But he left last summer after some disagreements with owner Jonathan Umbel. Since June, Seaver has, among other things, been working with DC Central Kitchen, a local anti-hunger organization, and working on a cookbook.

Seaver's new partner is Eli Hengst, the force behind Sonoma on Capitol Hill and Redwood in Bethesda. (Hengst has recently sold his stake in Redwood to focus on downtown properties.) The look at Blue Ridge will be in line with Hengst's earlier ventures. The space, which includes a 100-seat backyard patio, will be rustic but sleek with an antique bar, hardwood floors and exposed brick.

As he proved at Hook, Seaver has a passion for locally sourced and sustainable ingredients -- there'll be Virginia grass-fed beef only in that burger!

Hengst and Seaver's focus is now on Blue Ridge. But the pair is already planning new projects, including a new restaurant on 14th Street.

-- Jane Black