Women of Washington, there’s a steakhouse opening just for you. STK is set to inhabit the former Casa Nonna space with a “female-friendly mindset,” as described by managing hospitality company the One Group. The company has already expanded the concept from New York to Atlanta, London, Las Vegas, LA, and Miami. Tagline: “Not your daddy’s steakhouse.”
So what does an un-fatherly chophouse entail? Well, you won’t find a lot of mahogany paneling or soft piano music. Other locations look like a cross between a restaurant and nightclub and, according to the One Group, boast features such as black platform seats, smoky mirrors, and “textured crocodile tiles.” Steaks arrive in small, medium, and large—just don’t call them unladylike—portions, alongside a variety of sauces and sides like truffle fries and mac and cheese. The lineup also includes non-beef options such as a raw bar, crab salad, and lobster, or tiny beef options like the signature slider-like “Lil’ BRGs” (which could potentially undergo a name change based on past vowelless burger battles). If the DC location is anything like New York, you could dress up various dishes with truffles or foie gras.
The arrival of STK marks the second overtly woman-oriented restaurant planned for Washington, the first being the “lady-friendly” sports bar Bracket Room from The Bachelorette’s Chris Bukowski. So, ladies, what do you think? Is it the dining equivalent of the Bic Pen for Her, or an attempt to fill a niche of female-friendly dining we’re lacking in the city? To the poll!
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.
