Acqua Bistecca , 14 Ridge Sq., NW

To understand the peculiar name Acqua Bistecca—“water steak”—it helps to have some background knowledge about Michael Mina.

The celebrity chef cut his teeth in the ‘90s at Aqua, a San Francisco fine dining restaurant he later rechristened simply “Michael Mina.” There, practically everything came from the sea— steak wasn’t even on the menu. But at two of his more recent concepts—Stripsteak and Bourbon Steak—the focus is right in the name.

Acqua Bistecca, Mina’s latest project and second DC restaurant (he opened Bourbon Steak at the Georgetown Four Seasons in 2009), blends elements from several of these earlier efforts. It opens on Wednesday, September 10 in the City Ridge development near Tenleytown.

The Italian-focused Mediterranean menu, developed by

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