The Curious Case of BLT's Upcoming Carmine's-Esque Eatery

Right before the Thanksgiving break, it came out that the BLT Restaurant Group was planning another new restaurant in the DC area called Casa Nonna that—per Tom Sietsema—will be "modeled on the festive Carmine's eateries in New York." The thing is, Carmine's just happens to be opening its own DC branch too. Do we sense some thunder-stealing at work here? Of course, by no means does Carmine's have a monopoly on the concept of the old-school Italian-American restaurant, and it's likely not a sinister move on Team BLT's part. So, as the race begins to see which one will open first—both are vaguely slated for "spring"—let's just call the situation curious.
· Carmine's Washington DC [Official Site]
· BLT Plans a Third DC Restaurant (But Sans Initials) [Eater National]