Wake up and smell the coffee, Capitol Hill.

Pound Coffee’s second location at 621 Pennsylvania Ave. SE is having a soft opening today. Dubbed Pound the Hill, the new coffee shop features coffee roasted from Kickapoo Coffee’s organic beans and a globally inspired lunch menu similar to shop’s original location at 1300 2nd St. NE.

Pound the Hill will be open for coffee service everyday this week from 6:30 to 11 a.m. The food menu will be available next week on March 14, when the shop officially opens for business. Free coffee alert: For 10 days beginning on March 21, Pound the Hill will be giving the first 100 people a free Nutella latte.

Pacifico closer to Barracks Row

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee for a Capitol Hill Advisory Neighborhood Commission agreed to support a liquor license for Pacifico, a new restaurant planned for Barracks Row, reports EMMCA. Neighbors are protesting the restaurant’s license application because of concerns about possible noise coming from eatery’s rooftop garden, which would stay open until 1 a.m. on weeknights and 2 a.m. on weekends. According to EMMCA, owner Xavier Cervera compromised by agreeing to enclose four sides of the garden area and reducing the number of seats from 75 to 45. Residents can protest before the city’s Alcoholic Beverage Regulatory Agency on April 13. If ABRA approves the license, the restaurant could open as early as six months.

Sixth Engine moving forward

The owners of the Dubliner and Town Hall are planning to open Sixth Engine at the historic firehouse at 400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. The Washington Business Journal reports that the new concept will be an American tavern featuring upscale comfort food that’s similar to the menu offered at Town Hall. The restaurant is expected to open at the end of this year.

Society coming to Silver Spring

Former NBA player Jason Miskiri’s upcoming restaurant and sports bar is expected to debut in Silver Spring this May. Society, located at 8229 Georgia Ave. in the space previously occupied by Nicaro Restaurant Lounge, will feature Caribbean cuisine during lunch hours and modern American fare during dinner hours. Miskiri tells the Gazette he may host poetry and game nights and live jazz music.

In other food and restaurant news...

• Banana Leaves is closed after a fire broke out at the restaurant Saturday night. The Asian eatery, located at 2020 Florida Ave. NW in Dupont Circle, suffered about $200,000 worth of damages that was caused by a malfunctioning gas water heater. No injuries were reported. PoP has photos here.

• Jerome Laurent, owner of the Michelin one-star restaurant Le Cilantro in Arles, France, will serve as a guest chef at Bezu in Potomac this month. (Bethesda Magazine)

• Cleveland Park’s Cereal Bowl will not be reopening as the company had hoped. The cereal-focused eatery closed last November, less than a year after opening. (Cleveland Park 2.0)

• Wondering what the next hottest restaurant will be? America’s Next Great Restaurant is looking to find it. In the new competition-focused reality show that premiered last night on NBC, 21 contestants are offered the chance to compete to have their restaurant concept fully funded and come to life. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay is among the four investors that will fund the concept and serve as mentors to the contestants.

• “Fecal matter on your shopping cart doesn’t matter.” (GOOD)

From TBD’s Community Network

• Metrocurean: Chef Bites with Mike Isabella
• Will Blog for Food: Savouring Bells Hopslam Ale
• Girl Meets Food: Six Provocative Cocktails

• Capital Cooking: Recipe: Mardi Gras Beignets
• We Love DC: Cafe Atlantico celebrate Carnival
• We Love DC: Beer dinners at Lyon Hall

• We Love DC: A first look at Pound Hill
• EatMore DrinkMore: Review: Yamas Mediterranean Grill
• Lunching in the DMV: Review: AGAINN Tavern

Plan Ahead -- Upcoming food and drink events

• March 7-13 -- Frederick Restaurant Week
• March 8 -- Café Atlántico’s Brazilian Carnaval
• March 10 -- Dining out for Life

Sweet Deals

• March 21 -- Free Nutella latte at Pound the Hill

Food truck time