Welcome to a.m. Intel, your bite-sized roundup of D.C. food and restaurant news. Tips are always welcome, drop them here.

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When Beeliner Diner (3648 King Street) opens in Alexandria, an open dessert kitchen will sling boozy (and also not) milkshakes and other sweet treats at a 38-seat all-ages bar. The cherry on top might be the massive elephantine TowerCakes though: Each slice of a 25 to 35 pound cake serves three or four people easily. In the evenings, the diner will serve burgers, hot dogs, and chicken sandwiches from Bun Papa. Plan stomach real estate for the opening early next year. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

An all-day brunch haven will bring steak and eggs, scotch eggs, and corn flake-crusted French toast to Del Rey. Matt & Tony’s will open at 1501 Mount Vernon Avenue, formerly home to Charlie’s on the Avenue. Charlie’s closed in February 2020 after two years in business. Before that, Fireflies restaurant operated there for 15 years before closing its doors in 2017. Owner Matt Sloan hopes to open the doors to the new family-friendly neighborhood spot by early 2022. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Mi Vida serves enchiladas in mole negro with braised brisket, sesame seeds, cotija cheese, and crema.

Mi Vida/Facebook

Mi Vida restaurant (575 Seventh Street NW) is going to slide into the 10,000-square foot downtown D.C. space that was formerly Rosa Mexicano. Located across from Capital One Arena, the new Mexican food hub comes from Knead Hospitality + Design, whose co-founder, Jason Berry, worked at Rosa Mexicana for over a decade. Rosa Mexicana closed in July. [Washington Business Journal]

That’s not the only Mi Vida on its way to D.C. The fast-expanding restaurant group will open a location this spring in the former Matchbox space at 1901 14th Street NW. The pizza-and-slider chain closed that two-story location in September 2020. After that a location of Mi Vida will open in Penn Quarter in the fall of 2022. [Washington Business Journal]

Teamwork makes the dream work

Capitol City’s Arsha Jones inked a deal with KFC to put mambo sauce in some …….

Source: https://dc.eater.com/2021/12/9/22823981/washington-dc-alexandria-beeliner-mi-vida-kfc-silver-diner