It’s Mother’s Day weekend, which is a great excuse to check out a new brunch spot with mom (as if you needed one).
A Rake’s Progress
1770 Euclid St., NW
Woodberry Kitchen chef Spike Gjerde recently added Sunday brunch to his new restaurant inside the Line hotel in Adams Morgan (Saturday service is coming soon). Expect the same hyper-seasonal-and-local approach with creative twists, such as wood-grilled French toast with maple pork belly, an East Coast-style hangtown fry (soft-scrambled eggs, fried oysters, crab gravy), and southern Maryland stuffed ham. To drink, we like the sound of sparkling rosé with fresh watermelon juice.
Casolare
2505 Wisconsin Ave., NW
Love bagels? You’ll want to check out this Glover Park Italian restaurant’s new brunch, where pastry whiz Alex Levin is making plain, sesame, and everything varieties for a smoked salmon or whitefish plate. Other Jewish-Italian dishes take inspiration from Rome’s Jewish Quarter (think Roman pizza) and a pastrami-jalapeno hash that’s a nod to NYC’s Lower East Side.
DNV Rooftop
1155 14th St., NW
The rooftop pool bar and restaurant at the Kimpton Donovan Hotel near Logan Circle just reopened for the season. Chef Yo Matsuzaki designed a new weekend brunch menu with dishes like avocado/ricotta toast and “superfood nachos” that add avocado, nori, and black beans into the usual cheesy mix. On Sundays after Memorial Day, you can combine brunch and a pool party starting at noon.
Crimson Whiskey Bar
627 H St., NW
The Hilton brothers’ subterranean whiskey den in Chinatown’s Pod Hotel is getting in the Sunday brunch game. Dim lighting and hearty southern eats make this a good hangover-curing option—think dishes like fried oyster Benedicts, grillades and grits, and po’ boys. To drink: a lot of brown brooze, or brunch cocktails.
Occidental Grill & Seafood
1475 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
One of Washington’s oldest restaurants has a new weekend brunch thanks to the recent addition of chef Jake Addeo (formerly head chef at Bibiana). Look for fresh items like crispy duck and waffles, and a seafood tower with scallop ceviche, tuna tartare, and more.
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.
