Geoffrey Zakarian Opens First-Ever Restaurant In Washington DC

Good news, Chopped fans and culinary enthusiasts who reside in the nation's capital: Geoffrey Zakarian, Iron Chef, Chopped judge, and acclaimed restaurateur, is opening his first-ever restaurant in Washington D.C. inside what was once the Old Post Office Pavilion and will now become a Trump hotel.

Zakarian, along with partner Louis Ceruzzi, will be opening The National — an American eatery — inside the 270-room luxury hotel when it opens in 2016, after a $200 million renovation that will transform it from a classic regal post office building into an internationally recognizable Trump property.

"Trump International Hotel, Washington, D.C., will be one of the finest hotels in the world and we've tapped culinary partners who, too, are the very best in the business," said Donald J. Trump.  "We're thrilled to announce that Geoffrey Zakarian will open his very first Washington, D.C., restaurant in our hotel, offering both guests and residents truly exceptional cuisine and an unrivaled hospitality experience."

The restaurant menu is best described as American bistro with French techniques, and will have menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Chef José Andrés, the culinary darling of the D.C. upscale dining scene, will also open a restaurant in the hotel.