We are kicking off a Green Initiative that we hope will set a trend for restaurants now and in the future. For the week of Monday, August 17 through Friday, August 21, we will discontinue using ambient lighting during both lunch and dinner service. The restaurant has set its presence in the eco-conscious community by serving certified humane all natural meat and sustainable seafood. Now we want to shed light on another “green” topic by reducing it’s consumption of electricity in the heat of the summer. During this period, Hudson Restaurant & Lounge will continue to operate essential equipment and refrigeration as required by the District of Columbia Department of Health and for the comfort of valued customers. As the sun sets on the horizon, organic soy candles will illuminate the dining room and bar creating a sustainable and romantic atmosphere.

A percentage of net sales during this five-day period will be donated to the US Green Building Council. To launch the week of conservation, Hudson will host a cocktail party on Monday, August 17^th from 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm. The event will feature live acoustic music by the Satin Doll Trio. Exclusive, certified-sustainable wines will also be featured for the first two hours of the reception.

I hope you can join us on Monday or any other day/night next week to help us push our initiative to the public. Alan

Did you know the real meaning behind the Dog Days of Summer? According to Fact Monster:Dog Days is the name for the most sultry period of summer, from about July 3 to Aug. 11. Named in early times by observers in countries bordering the Mediterranean, the period was reckoned as extending from 20 days before to 20 days after the conjunction of Sirius (the dog star) and the sun.

For the next twenty days, we will be featuring our Dog Days of Summer, 3 course lunch menu at just $20.09. It’s actually a prelude to this year’s Summer Restaurant Week Menu and you can find it on our website on the main page.

It’s so easy to spend $20 these days, at least you can fill your tummy with some good food while doing it.

August 9 is Nats Brunch at Hudson. We have a special Nats all inclusive brunch option for all you baseball fans.

The new Hudson Restaurant and Lounge has taken over the former David Greggory space on the ever-visible corner of 21st and M Streets.

The venue vacated earlier this year by downtown hotspot David Greggory Restau-Lounge didn’t stay empty for long. Hudson, a new restaurant and lounge from Alan Popovsky (owner of Adams Morgan spots Felix and Spy Lounge), has moved into the power-alley space on 21st and M Streets and will open tomorrow.

The chic 4,800-square-foot interior is outfitted with contemporary lighting, hardwood floors, and modernist striped carpeting. An airy dining room designed by Washington-based architect Belinda Ramos completes the brasserie-style restaurant, which will serve both classic and fun takes on comfort food from morning to night (2:45 a.m. on weekends, to be exact). Menu highlights include diver scallops with wild mushroom ragout and applewood bacon, and a wood-ovenbaked pizza with shiitake and white mushrooms, fresh herbs, garlic, and brie. Fancy sandwiches are on offer, too, ranging from a swordfish club to truffle ham and Idiazabal cheese on brioche.

After dark, the venue will turn into a comfortable late-night lounge. Two plasma TVs hang above a granite-topped bar, and plush banquettes decorate the stylized, dimly-lit lounge space. The house cocktail is dubbed Hudson Punch: a blend of Malibu rum, Licor 43, and pineapple and coconut juices on the rocks.Three on-site private dining or party spaces—including a curtained-off V.I.P. area with raspberry walls, a private dining room, and an outdoor patio—can accommodate groups of 24 to 100. The 250-person restaurant is also available for full buyouts.

Remember the restaurant David Greggory’s on 2030 M St. NW? That space has given way to Hudson, which takes its name from the Elizabethan explorer and navigator. Hudson, which held its grand opening party Wednesday, organized by Flash Communications, caters to hungry patrons looking for ‘comfort foods’ and the party guests received exactly that: tastings of french fries, miniature pizza bites, fried shrimp with spicy chutney, washed off with wine, beer and champagne.

The eatery features contemporary lighting, a curtained-off VIP area, granite-topped bar, handsomely upholstered banquettes in the bar and dining room, hardwood floors, plasma TVs in the bar area and a stylized, extended patio area, which is a must for the smoking crowd these days. Proceeds from the event were donated to Hoop Dreams.