Washington's Most Controversial Restaurant

Sushi Nakazawa is beloved in New York. Will the honeymoon end when it opens in Trump’s D.C. hotel?

- Larissa Zimberof

The most famous address in Washington is 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. But starting in late April the Trump International Hotel just down the street will be the most polarizing—at least for foodies.

The hotel was supposed to open with a Spanish-Japanese-themed restaurant from chef José Andrés, but after candidate Donald Trump denigrated Mexican immigrants as “rapists” while announcing his run for the presidency, Andrés, an immigrant himself, pulled out of the deal. Food Network star Geoffrey Zakarian, who’d been planning a bistro inside the lobby, followed suit. Since then, restaurateurs Stephen Starr, Tom Colicchio, and Bryan Voltaggio have all passed on the chance to open a spot in the historic Romanesque building.

Yet where others saw a toxic brand, Alessandro Borgognone sensed an opportunity. The serial entrepreneur, who got his start at his family’s red-sauce joint, Patricia’s, in the Bronx, N.Y., loves taking risks. After seeing