Liam LaCivita has taken over the space of the old Murphy's Irish pub in Woodley Park, but part of it lives on in spirit. "I wanted to let people know that we're causal and you can come in just for drinks," LaCivita said of the decision to name his first solo venture Bar Civita, even though it's a restaurant.

LaCivita kept Murphy's 25-seat bar as a focal point in his Italian-influenced American spot, set to open April 28. He looked to places such as San Francisco's Bar Tartine for inspiration on how to incorporate a bar into a place that also serves "really good food."

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Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/