The last time we frequented Art and Soul
it was during a blowout inauguration bash
with big-name chefs and celebrities including
Modern Family’s
Jesse Tyler Ferguson. But it still had
that carpet (which wasn’t bad, but hey, chef-owner
Art Smith didn’t love it). After closing for a month, the fresh-faced space is finally open
again, with both new aesthetic features and menu items.
Design snobs will find touches such as herringbone wood floors, textured walls, and
eclectic artwork that’s still in the final stages of installment. Ready now: chef
Wes Morton’s touched-up lunch and dinner options. You’ll notice two new shareable menu sections:
For the Table and Pots, which include a Southern dream of a snack board—deviled eggs,
pimiento cheese, pickles, pork rinds—as well as seafood gumbo served for one or two
and dunkable bacon cornbread cooked in a tin. Bar-goers can also test out new options,
with fried pickled green tomatoes and Cajun boudin balls to snack on alongside bourbon.
Naturally, classics like fried chicken and waffles and shrimp and grits remain.
The restaurant is open now for breakfast,
lunch, brunch, and dinner. Another option: Hold off until
March 4, when the restaurant will offer a three-course Welcome Back, Art and Soul menu
for $35.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
