RJ's New Gem

Prepare your tastebuds for casual fare bursting with chef RJ Cooper's turbo-charged creativity: The long-awaited opening of Gypsy Soul is finally on the horizon.

Q. What’s your vision for Gypsy Soul?

A. It’s free-spirited—fusing my love for motorcycles and respecting product. While Rogue 24 is experienced-based, Gypsy Soul is focused on the food, the craft of cooking, and sourcing.

Q. Why the Mosaic District—what void are you trying to fill?

A. There are no chef-driven restaurants out here. Gypsy Soul is a true showpiece that’s been highly developed to have a big personality.

Q. What do you expect to be the top seller on the menu?

A. That’s impossible to say because the menu will change daily. The beauty about food is that it shouldn’t be stagnant; it’s constantly evolving. We don’t want to have a signature dish. If we buy a truck full of veggies, I’m going to get them on the menu.

Q. What excites you about the kitchen?

A. Going beyond an "open kitchen," Gypsy Soul has a true “show kitchen.” It’s as if we took the kitchen at The Inn at Little Washington and put it in the middle of the dining room. That kitchen was actually my model; I thought, how pretty can I make this kitchen so that Patrick [O'Connell] says, “Hey this looks like my place.”

The anticipated opening date is July 23. Expect a menu ranging from four types of comforting macaroni and cheese to more refined dishes like an impressive appetizer of beef marrow, sea urchin, antler mustard, and ink toast.