The architects at CORE are at it again. This time the restaurant they designed is Sugo Cicchetti—an Italian-inspired eatery run by the same people who operate Cava (the Greek food chain). But the menu isn't the only thing that is different. "The owners wanted us to use lighter design touches because they knew parents would be coming in with kids during the day time," said Allison Cooke of CORE. That's where those tufted maroon chaises and the mosaic tile were brought in to make it feel more like an upscale cafeteria. The tile was all installed by hand which would be the most impressive thing about the space if it wasn't for the pizza oven. The father in this family-run empire built the brick oven himself after CORE designed its layout. "We wanted to create interest all the way across the space and the pizza oven draws your eye right across the room from the entrance," says Cooke. The team also used simple globe lights and an open kitchen plan to keep passers by interested in what is going on inside. The restaurant opens officially tonight and our friends at Eater have all the information about what's on the menu.
· Sugo Cicchetti [FB]
· CORE [OfficialSite]
· Cava's Italian Spin-off Sugo Cicchetti Opens Tonight in Rockville [EDC]
· All Previous CORE coverage [CDC]
All photos by Ron Ngiam/CORE