Lincoln on the menu for February

The owner of Hudson in the West End is expanding his reach to downtown, assuming the space vacated by Il Mulino at 1110 Vermont Ave. NW and turning it into an "upscale-casual" Lincoln, a 210-seat nod to the 16th U.S. president.

"We live in Washington, D.C. Lincoln represents freedom, individuality," says Alan Popovsky. He recently celebrated Hudson's third anniversary with a new chef, Demetrio Zavala, who comes to the city from restaurants in south Florida. Zavala, who replaces Ryan Arnold, will head the kitchens at both of his employer's businesses. Popovsky has tasked him to create a "small plate comfort food" menu for the new place. On the drawing board are bacon-wrapped scallop sliders and a sampler of pot roasts, each taste staged on a spoon. The dishes will run from $5 to $17; there will also be entrees.

Popovsky is using the designer behind trendy Oya and Sei in Penn Quarter, Maggie O'Neill, to transform the staid interior left by Il Mulino into a "bright space" incorporating a contemporary log cabin motif using a million pennies. We can't wait to see that one.

"It was a no-brainer to do this," says Popovsky, referring both to the deal and the "fantastic condition" of the young restaurant that precedes his.

Lincoln is scheduled to open February 12 -- the president's birthday.

-- Tom Sietsema