The contest to name Artisphere’s cafe is over, the votes are in, and the winner has been revealed.
Borrowing the last four letters of Artisphere, HERE is the new name of the cultural center’s cafe. HERE will feature a “seasonal menu of comfort food with Latin flavors made from locally-sourced and fresh ingredients.”
In addition to being a restaurant, HERE will be a full bar, a nightclub and a catering service. It’s owned by Barroso, Inc., the same group that runs Guajillo on Wilson Boulevard in Rosslyn and Casa Oaxaca in Northwest D.C.
The contest to name the cafe was organized by the Washington Post Express. More than 530 entries were submitted. HERE, which was submitted by Bonnie Imlay of Silver Spring, Md., beat out two other finalists in the final public voting: “Artesano” and “Tamién.”
To celebrate the new name, Artisphere and HERE will be holding two events at the end of the month.
First, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 31, Artisphere will be hosting a “neighborhood tasting and open house” with “samplings of the restaurant’s cuisine, live music by Brazilian jazz combo Origem and hourly drawings for lunches for two and tickets to Artisphere events.”
Then, from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. on Friday, April 1, HERE is holding a launch party with more food samplings, door prizes and music by Thunderball and DJ Rex Riddem. The free event is open to the first 300 people who register for it.