The arty young crowd, the eclectic furnishings, the pool table in back—all make this Petworth restaurant/lounge feel like a college-town outpost. But instead of sprout cuisine, the focus is on the hearty cooking of Eastern Europe.
In keeping with the motif is a roster of wines and beers from the region, like the chewy Utenos Porter from Lithuania and Kindzmarauli Saperavi, a sturdy Georgian red wine. House-infused vodka aquavits come in oddball flavors like black currant and cardamom. These go well with big plates of pork chops, braised cabbage, and dumplings, or Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, and lingonberry preserves. A winter dish called Janssen’s Temptation shows what anchovies can do for a potato gratin. The two kinds of pork and cabbage in Bigos Warszawski give the robust stew a double whammy of flavor.
Almond cake with an almond-caramel topping is one way to go for dessert, but the hot glog, a warm brew of wine and vodka, is a contender, too.
Open daily except Monday for lunch and dinner.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
