Eric and Ian Hilton are on a mission to make their mark in Northern Virginia. The brothers and business partners’ newest venture? The Mosaic District.
In the former space of RJ Cooper’s Gypsy Soul and Mike Isabella’s Requin Brasserie, the duo is opening Parc de Ville, a French bistro set to feature classic cuisine for brunch, lunch and dinner.
Despite rumblings about the opening of Café Colline in Arlington, this location will be the first for the Hilton brothers in Northern Virginia. It is set to open for dinner service on Monday, Nov. 18.
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The French cuisine and selected wines are centered around the influence of the new executive chef, Brendan L’Etoile. Fans of Chez Billy Sud will recognize his name as the helm of the popular Georgetown location, also owned by the Hiltons.
“When this space became available, it seemed like a great opportunity to give [L’Etoile] a larger venue and the chance to bring—what I think is some of the best French cooking around—to our customer base that commutes into Georgetown occasionally, and give them something to try throughout the week,” says Ian.
The dining room will be an estimated 5,100-square-foot space, seating about 100 guests at a time, and will have a partially open kitchen and a traditional bar setting. The extra space that the Mosaic District offers will also allow for more “kitchen power” and a broader menu that “lends itself to a more casual experience,” says Ian.
The more casual experience will also bring approachable prices. Starters will range from $6 to $18 and entrees from $13 to $30. Dishes such as jambon persillé (pressed pork shank and parsley terrine, sauce gribiche and cornichons), d’avocat aux crevettes (poached prawns, avocado, grapefruit and Marie Rose sauce) and boudin blanc (delicate pork sausage, pommes puree and roasted apples) will be served alongside specials and dishes that may have appeared at Chez Billy Sud previously, according to Ian, but were not permanent on the tightly kept menu.
“[L’Etoile] might take a few more chances, rather than just sticking to the classics, and put a twist on some dishes,” says Ian.
The location will also boast a 3,150-square-foot rooftop space, set to open by April 15, 2020. It will not be a rooftop bar, says Ian, but will be dedicated to al fresco dining in a more casual “park-like setting.”
Now, with one foot in Washington, DC and another in Northern Virginia, why start in the Mosaic District?
“You can go to the Mosaic District and get some fantastic Vietnamese and some great Italian, but it appears to me—and no offense to anyone else—French is not represented there, as far as I can tell,” says Ian. “We’re trying to bring a little bit of that same experience we offer out in Georgetown, into Fairfax, and we hope it’s received well.” // Parc de Ville: 8926 Glass Alley, Fairfax
