David Guas is taking his culinary talents to McLean with his new restaurant Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen, which is set to open in early 2024.
The menu will feature seasonal, American-inspired dishes with ingredients sourced from the mid-Atlantic and Gulf Coast. This is Guas’s second NoVA eatery. The New Orleans native opened the Bayou Bakery in 2010 in Arlington.
“I am incredibly excited to be opening in McLean and have my newest venture only 15 minutes away from my Arlington gathering spot, a community I take pride in being a part of daily,” Guas said in a news release.
Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen will pay homage to Guas’ Louisiana roots, mainly through the restaurant’s name. The term “neutral ground” refers to New Orleans’s Canal Street after the Louisiana Purchase. Feuds between the French Creoles and Europeans divided the city. But, Canal Street’s linear grassy space became a common area for both groups to trade and interact.
The “neutral ground” philosophy is reflected in the restaurant’s open-concept design, meant to facilitate a casual and relaxed feel. The interior will feature warm tones and wood accents. A bar will anchor the rear of the restaurant, and there will be open-air dining on a patio.
Guas is no stranger to the cooking scene. The celebrity chef has judged Food Network’s Chopped and hosted the Travel Channel’s American Grilled. He has also appeared on CNN, NBC, The Today Show, and The Dish.
In addition to being a television celebrity, Guas is an award-winning cookbook author. In NoVA, he has received recognition for his recipes, along with his anti-hunger advocacy and COVID-19 relief work.
“Being in Northern Virginia for 20-plus years, I have been waiting for the right space in McLean, VA, to turn up vacant and make sense to me,” he said. “I’ve been listening to McLean friends and family for a long time, who ask me, ‘Why won’t you open a restaurant here?’ Their increased desire for a place to fill a void in downtown McLean catapulted me to take a vested interest this year and move forward.”
When the restaurant opens at 6641 Old Dominion Dr. in 2024, it will only be open for dinner initially from Tuesdays through Saturdays.
Feature image courtesy Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen
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