Every week, Washingtonian Food Editor Jessica Sidman rehashes the latest news from Washington’s food and drink scene in a newsletter, which you can subscribe to here.
Hi there,
Congrats are in order for Bread Furst owner Mark Furstenberg, who took home a James Beard Award for “outstanding baker” Monday night. This was his third nomination in the category, and the third year the category has even existed. Pineapple and Pearls was a finalist for best new restaurant, while Centrolina’s Amy Brandwein and Bad Saint’s Tom Cunanan were contenders for the best chef in the Mid-Atlantic—sadly, they were beat out in the end.
So, what should you be eating and drinking this week? Here are four new DC-area restaurants and bars to try. There’s also a new hotel-inspired bar in Bloomingdale—except it isn’t in a hotel. Truxton Inn, from the team behind McClellan’s Retreat, is outfitted with leather sofas and serves classics like daiquiris and martinis.
While everyone seems to be drinking rose right now, here’s another suggestion: Gamay. Burgundy’s lesser-known, more affordable grape is getting the spotlight at a handful of restaurants this month, thanks to Max Kuller, beverage director at Proof, Estadio, and Doi Moi. After his father, Washington restaurateur Mark Kuller, passed away three years ago from pancreatic cancer, Max has been raising money for the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research through Gamay promotions.
On the beer front, the big news is that Dacha beer garden is headed to 14th Street. The kicker: the new location will be right across the street from another beer garden, Garden District. Meanwhile, Dacha is also expanding to a lot near Nationals Park (not far from Bardo’s new beer garden).
Last but not least, if you’re feeling adventurous (and have some cash to burn), you might want to head to Ginger at the new MGM National Harbor. The pan-Asian restaurant is serving bird’s nests—a Chinese delicacy—for $188. The off-menu special of twigs, leaves, and saliva is braised for 48-hours with filtered spring water and rock sugar until it has a slightly gelatinous texture.
That’s all for now. Send questions and comments to jsidman@washingtonian.com.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
