We’ve been looking forward to the debut of Mike Isabella’s 14th Street sandwich shop, G, since the toque divulged details and the upcoming menu back in February. Now it looks like Jerseyites in his home state will get first dibs on a similar concept, as a new eatery, G GrabandGo, was just announced for an opening in Edison, New Jersey, this spring. The Washington version is slated to debut later in the summer.
Isabella partners with sister Diana Isabella and brother-in-law Rob Wetchkus for the 20-seat spot, which promises to combine aspects of both Graffiato and the upcoming G. Both sandwich spots will serve breakfast creations such as the Jersey Mac—duck egg, ham, and Muenster cheese tucked between fresh-baked English muffins—and a variety of Italian classics like chicken Parm and an Italian hero.
Isabella isn’t the first Washington toque to expand to the Garden State. The Revel in Atlantic City drew Robert Wiedmaier and Michel Richard to set up outposts of Mussel Bar and Central, respectively.
Pisco Sours will be among the liquid offerings at Del Campo. Photograph courtesy of Shutterstock.
When chef Victor Albisu first conceived of Del Campo, he imagined a cozy rowhouse restaurant with exposed-brick walls. Then he toured the 5,800-square-foot space at 777 I Street, Northwest, the former home of PS 7’s. He says immediately his vision for the place changed into something larger, a restaurant that captured the rustic-elegant charms of dining in countries such as Peru and Argentina.
Entering PS 7’s, guests traversed a dark, closed-off hallway with walls dividing the dining room from the bar area. At Del Campo, however, the entranceway is flanked by half walls, opening up the entire space. Enormous antique chandeliers hang down from the ceiling, and there are lots of ornate mirrors, wood, and earth tones. The restaurant is big enough to house an asado bar—get ready for flights of grilled meat—and an adjacent wine bar where staff can decant the full-bodied red wines that wine director Morgan Fausett selected for the bottle list. There is also a 36-seat bar with its own menu—a casual counterpart to the fine-dining one you’ll find in the rest of the restaurant. A big fan of all things smoked and charred, Albisu even found a way to incorporate the grill into the cocktails. Read on for all the details on Del Campo’s exciting bar plans.
Washington welcomes its second fried chicken and doughnuts venture on Monday. Photograph courtesy of Astro.
Friday marked the official debut of GBD, the Dupont fried chicken and doughnut spot from the Neighborhood Restaurant Group. Prior to its grand opening, GBD held a soft opening of sorts, giving out free food to its happy early fans.
On Monday, April 8, we welcome a second fried chicken and doughnut destination to downtown DC—Astro. And guess what, fans of free fritters? Those are part of the plan once more. The restaurant from partners Elliot Spaisman and Jeff Halpern (Jason Gehring is the pastry chef) will be giving away gratis pastries on opening day to the first 200 people in line. Astro opens with limited hours in its first week—from 8 AM until everything sells out. After that you can get your greasy goodies from 7:30 to 6 on weekdays. Check out the full menu after the jump.
Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken. 1308 G St., NW. Regular hours: Monday through Friday 7:30 AM to 6 PM.
At the height of the so-called cocktail revolution, when most every serious bartender wore sleeve garters and silken vests, we were taught to wait for our drinks. “It’s not like you’re getting a vodka soda; the good drinks take time,” we obedient cocktail fans told our friends knowingly as they wondered aloud whether that $16 Boulevardier would ever materialize. At the same time ingredient-focused new restaurants were eschewing French service and leaving tables nude of linens, bartenders had just begun to reclaim the pomp and circumstance of their profession, and with all those waxed mustaches and vodka soda jeers came real devotion behind the bar—not to mention some very delicious drinks.
Fast-forward a few economically disastrous years to an era in which innovations like on-tap cocktails have started to show up behind top bars. “Someone once said to me, ‘I want what comes after the revolution,’” says Derek Brown, owner of the Passenger and the Columbia Room. In other words, how do bars put out drinks that are just as good as those bespoke concoctions, but faster, with less fanfare, and—given the recession that just won’t quit—cheaper, too? And how can you bring the quality of cocktails at craft bars to less-formal settings?
Answering these questions is the aim of Brown’s new company, Brigade. Their first project is a gin and tonic in a keg—an on-tap concoction that requires no measuring, stirring, or shaking. Whoever is manning the bar simply pours it over ice. On-tap drinks have popped up in bars from New York to San Francisco, and Brown traveled with Columbia Room alum JP Fetherston to see how (and how well) those bars were pulling it off. They learned that most establishments hire an outside consultant to install the systems, then find themselves out of luck if something breaks down during service. So they brought local homebrewer John Burke onboard to help them figure out the hard science. This approach likely made perfect sense to the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, which owns the Red Apron Butcher in Union Market—the only place you will find the G&T. Owner Michael Babin has an uncommonly DIY approach to his eateries—everything from design to public relations is done in house. Recently, he even built a commissary behind the market where butcher Nathan Anda can break down whole animals and distribute meat to NRG restaurants around Washington.
On paper it sounds good: a firehouse turned restaurant that crosses pubby conviviality with industrial chic, a menu that gives a nod to foodie trends. But this multilevel hangout falls short of its promise. Pacing is a problem—the wait to get a menu can be trying, and our starters and entrées showed up in tandem. A dazzling kitchen might redeem such snafus, but rosemary-garlic fries were flabby and a cider-brined pork chop was puckeringly sour. 109 S. Saint Asaph St., Alexandria; 703-683-1776.
We often say we could make a nice night of it at this bistro by supplementing the wines from its excellent stash with a few small plates. But a recent dinner had us wishing we’d mostly stuck to sipping. Cornmeal-crusted oysters were a standout, as were pan-seared scallops. Nothing else sang. Gnocchi were sticky; a pork chop was listless. An off night? Perhaps. But it’s not as if the out-of-date dining room offers much compensation. And service was uneven. 4865 Cordell Ave., Bethesda; 301-986-9592.
In the ’70s, chef Nora Pouillon was an early adopter of eating organic and local—a philosophy that nearly every chef worth his or her salt has come to embrace. Dining at this renovated 19th-century grocery—with its artifacts and Amish quilts—feels civilized and urbane. But while dishes such as Peekytoe crab with avocado and sake-glazed black cod are pleasant enough, they lack that “wow” factor that turns a good meal great. 2132 Florida Ave., NW; 202-462-5143.
This article appears in the April 2013 issue of The Washingtonian.
Heads up, Shirlingtonians: A new restaurant from the team behind Irish Whiskey is headed to the former Bistro Bistro space. Co-owner Reese Gardner reached out to tell us about the latest project, a 5,700-square-foot tavern and bar called Copperwood Tavern.
The restaurant is slated to open in August, with Irish Whiskey chef Sean McIntosh at the helm. While McIntosh created a pub grub menu for the Dupont bar with delicacies like the “Irish egg roll,” Copperwood will have more of a full-service restaurant feel in the 115-seat dining room. Diners can make a meal of several seasonal small plates, or order entrées such as roast chicken and steak alongside family-style sides of macaroni and cheese, corn casserole, and a changing array of seasonal vegetables like asparagus and Brussels sprouts. Brunch brings a Bloody Mary and seafood buffet with freshly shucked oysters, clams, and steamed shrimp. A separate bar area will cater to drinkers with 24 craft brews, a large collection of whiskeys, and number of local Virginia moonshines. The service bar for the dining room is also separate, meaning you won’t wait for ages while your bartender mixes martinis for a table of ten.
Designer Maggie O’Neill, who conceived spaces such as Sax and Hank’s Oyster Bar in Dupont, is behind the cabin-like decor, with an emphasis on natural woods and accent pieces such as copper moonshine mash pots. Dog lovers will be drawn to a 56-seat outdoor patio, where guests are encouraged to bring their four-legged companions. While you sip a beer and read the paper, Fido will be treated to house-made biscuits and water out of custom-made bowls.
Check back in with more details closer to the opening.
The boutique at Co Co. Sala in Penn Quarter. Photograph courtesy of Nisha Sidhu.
It is about to get even easier to part with your cash at foodie hub Union Market (1390 Fifth St., NE). Penn Quarter palace of chocolate Co Co. Sala, which has had an installation at the market for some time now, will make it official this spring with a permanent retail store. Its current configuration has worked as a sort of pop-up—according to a company rep, Co Co. Sala wanted to use it for market research “so we can really cater to the needs of the Union Market guests once we are permanently open.”
The shop should be open in time for Mother's Day, but the exact date depends on custom display cases being built for the space, according to the rep. Inventory—which will include chocolate-covered bacon and confections in flavors like banana ginger and mango lassi—will be similar to the boutique that neighbors the F Street restaurant. The rep says that Co Co. Sala will collaborate with other Union Market vendors, (new wine shop Cordial seems like a logical-enough partner for pairing events and such) but had no specifics plans to announce at this time.
See also:
Gina Chersevani, Red Apron, Rappahannock Oyster Co. Sign On at Union Market
Guide to the Union Market Opening
A Dolcezza Stand at Union Market? Not So Fast.
Buffalo & Bergen Will Offer Knishes Made by Jamie Leeds
Co Co. Sala to Go
Gordon Biersch offers Nats fans a new place to party. Photograph courtesy of Flickr user kurafire.
It’s April 1 and time to welcome two new restaurants to Washington. Over by Nationals Park, you might want to swing by the big opening-day debut of Gordon Biersch’s new Navy Yard location at 100 M Street, Southeast. (The German lager spot has another local restaurant at 900 F Street, Northwest, in Penn Quarter). The new 8,296-square-foot space will squeeze in 226 pumped-up Nats fans at a time, and can corral 88 more into its outdoor beer garden. A weekday happy hour happens from 3 to 6:30.
Come May, Gordon Biersch will have some competition when the Neighborhood Restaurant Group opens its brewery, restaurant, and brewpub Bluejacket nearby at 300 Tingey Street, Southeast. Similarly spacious, it will accommodate 200 people inside and 100 more on its patio. (Bluejacket’s also-soon-to-debut neighbors include locations of Buzz Bakery and Nando’s Peri-Peri, plus a place called Willie’s Brew and Que.)
Since we’re sort of talking about the Nats here, we should take this opportunity to let you know that Sprinkles is doing a two-for-one-deal at its Georgetown location (3015 M St., NW). Stop in the shop wearing apparel bearing the Nationals logo, and the bakery will give you two cupcakes for the price of one. The same deal stands for Orioles fans on April 2, that team’s opening day.
In news totally unrelated to the Nationals, global pasta chain La Tagliatella opens at 2950 Clarendon Avenue in Arlington Monday as well. This is its third location in the United States (the other two are in Atlanta), though there are 130 around the globe. The menu includes a staggering 400 pasta-and-sauce combinations, plus Neapolitan-style pizzas and antipasti such as provoletta baked with sautéed zucchini and Sole di Puglia tomatoes. Entrées include lasagna verde—layers of spinach, sweet tomato, zucchini, raisins, and pine nuts—and risotto al salame with cream sauce and a sausage blend. The bar-and-patio-only happy hour, held Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 and Saturday and Sunday from 11 to 4, brings $4 beers and $5 cocktails and wines. Consult the restaurant’s website for more information.
See also:
Early Bluejacket Beers |
What the Nats Eat for Breakfast |
Trummer’s debuts the Burger Bar this spring. Photograph courtesy of Shutterstock.
I’m a big fan of weekend jaunts to Trummer’s on Main in the tiny historic town of Clifton, Virginia. I love the downstairs bar in the evening, when all of Clifton seems to come out for cocktails and cones of fries. I like having brunch in it sunny dining room on Saturday morning—with its French doors and silk-paddle ceiling fans, it feels distinctly, charmingly Southern. And the food’s good, too.
Here’s a reason to head out there on weekdays. Tuesday through Thursday from 5 to 9 between April 9 and May 2, the restaurant is hosting a burger and spiked shake pop-up in its Gallery Room, usually used for private dining. Trummer’s Burger Bar will offer eight burgers, sides, and boozy and non-boozy shakes in flavors like caramel corn and Froot Loops. Sides include barbecue, truffle, and original French fries, fried mac and cheese, and a chopped cucumber salad for that health-conscious friend you managed to drag to a hamburger pop-up to watch you scarf down a sandwich called the Farmers Burger, which involves a pork patty, braised pork belly, a fried egg, apple jam, and rapini. No reservations—like any pop-up worthy of the name, the Burger Bar is first come, first served.
The full menu is after the jump. Enjoy.
At Rye Bar, snacks—such as these roasted marrow bones with a parsley-and-rye-whiskey crust—are designed to stand up against bracing whiskies. Photograph by Jeff Elkins.
Reports came over the weekend that the Capella Hotel had begun serving guests at the Grill Room and Rye Bar—new high-end hangouts that many Georgetowners hope will fill the Citronelle-size holes in their hearts. (No pressure, Grill Room and Rye Bar).
Swedish chef Jakob Esko presides over the daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner service. Evenings, staff will serve tableside steak tartare prepared with coarse mustard and Gordy’s pickles along with main courses such as grilled American Wagyu with a pancetta-and-onion tart with truffle and fortified wine sauce. Dessert and Champagne trolleys will also make the rounds. When securing reservations—a rep for the hotel told us they are highly recommended—ask for a table overlooking the C&O Canal.
The 26-seat Rye Bar will be open daily from 11 AM to midnight and will feature craft cocktail flourishes such as supersize ice molds and plenty of rare bottles. Something to look forward to should spring ever show up: a poolside bar on the hotel rooftop with views of the Washington Monument, Kennedy Center, and Potomac River.
Before you go, be sure to take this tasty photo tour of dishes and snacks at the restaurant and bar, and to read this Q&A with the hotel owner by Carol Ross Joynt—she has more Capella coverage coming this week on the Capital Comment blog.
The Grill Room and Rye Bar. 1050 31st St., NW; 202-617-2400. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner served daily in the Grill Room; the Rye Bar is open from 11 AM to midnight daily.
