DC nightlife gurus Eric and Ian Hilton are on to their next project: the Crimson Diner and Crimson Room, a southern-inspired eatery and cocktail lounge for Penn Quarter’s upcoming Pod D.C. Hotel. The Hiltons are behind a variety of hospitality venues, including the Brixton and American Ice Company, but have tapped their culinary team at Chez Billy/Chez Billy Sud to head up the new venture.
Chefs (and cousins) Brendan L’Etoile and Lawrence DiJoseph from Chez Billy will turn their sights from French bistro fare to Southern comforts at Crimson Diner, serving breakfast through dinner and late-night bites. Sister bar the Crimson Room will focus on craft brews, cocktails, and moonshine from across the South. Both are slated to open the winter inside the 245-room “micro-hotel” from the Washington-based Modus Hotel group–the first of its kind in Washington and outside New York, where the original US Pod Hotel launched as a hip, budget-friendly alternative to the city’s many pricy accommodations.
Crimson Diner and Crimson Room. 627 H St., NW
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.
