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Many restaurants and bars decided to shut down altogether when local governments banned dine-in service more than a month ago. But as the weeks have dragged on and stay-home orders have been extended, some businesses are popping back up for takeout. That means some new eating options for you:
Bistro Bis
15 E St., NW
A paired-down menu of French classics will go live on Wednesday, April 22. Start with shellfish bisque or asparagus polonaise or go straight for entrees like beef short rib bourguignon and bucatini mushroom bolognese. Accompany your meal with beers and wines to-go. It’s all pickup to start but delivery is coming soon.
Bresca
2000 14th St., NW
For a fancier night in, chef Ryan Ratino‘s modernist hotspot is offering a four-course prix-fixe menu for $45. Offerings rotate weekly, but look for dishes like a foie gras brioche tartine, pastrami lamb breast, and wagyu beef brisket. You can even get the restaurant’s signature Bee’s Knees cocktail with one of those Instagrammable bee-shaped glasses. Pickup only.
Buttercream Bakeshop
1250 9th St., NW
Just because you’re stuck at home doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate special occasions. This beloved bakeshop is offering a limited selection of cakes ($55 each) in weekly changing flavors like peaches and cream or chocolate and cherry. Preorder here and pickup on Saturdays.
Chloe
1331 4th St., SE
Chef Haidar Karoum is bringing back a limited menu with caramelized cauliflower, potato gnocchi, and Vietnamese-style roast chicken beginning Thursday, April 23. Choose your own wine bottle or let the somm pick one for you based on your food order. Batched cocktails, including “proper” martinis and Manhattans, are also available. Call 202-313-7007 or order for pickup and delivery through Caviar.
DC Harvest
517 H St., NE
The H Street restaurant returns Wednesday, April 22, with “farm to table dinner boxes” that include a salad, two sides, and a main like roasted chicken paella or barbecue beef brisket. Beer, wine, cocktails, and groceries will also be available. For every carryout and delivery order, $2 will go to Feed The Fight, an effort to deliver meals to healthcare workers and first responders.
Fiola Mare
3100 K St., NW
Fabio Trabocchi’s luxe waterfront restaurant is offering four-course meals for two ($85-$95) including salad, pasta, mains like arctic char or grilled beef tenderloin, plus dessert. You can also order a la carte or get ingredients like pesto, salad dressing, and grilling essentials to prepare your own feast. Add on cocktail kits, liquor, beer, and wine. Available for pickup and delivery (for orders of $150 or more, with a $30 fee).
Le Diplomate
1601 14th St., NW
Le burger is back. Starting Wednesday, April 22, the French favorite will return with a limited menu including pastries, cheese, steak frites, and that famed cheeseburger Americain. The restaurant will have a grab-and-go window on 14th Street and delivery through Caviar and DoorDash. Wine will also be available for pickup only.
Makan
3400 11th St., NW
Chef James Wozniuk’s Malaysian restaurant in Columbia Heights had barely been open before it had to close. But now’s your chance to try a condensed menu of hits like chicken sate or beef rendang, alongside a small selection of wines (buy three bottles, get one free) and batched cocktails (Malaysian milk punch, mezcal tamarind lemonade). The menu is available for pickup and delivery on UberEats.
Mintwood Place
1813 Columbia Road, NW
Not only has this Adams Morgan standby reopened, it has a new chef. Harper McClure previously worked at Vidalia, Brabo, and most recently, Le Diplomate. A rotating daily menu includes staples like the wood-grilled burger and pasta bolognese alongside seasonal options such as asparagus with truffle vinaigrette. You can also get beers and wines at wholesale prices.
Red Derby
3718 14th St., NW
One of the city’s chillest bars is back with beer and shot combos, batched cocktails, and five-can “dealer’s buckets.” Grab comfort bar food like grilled cheeses, chicken tenders, and piggies in a blanket.
Room 11
3234 11th St., NW
Spoken English chef Matt Crowley has launched a pop-up sandwich shop inside the Columbia Heights bar. Try an eggplant muffuletta, a Cubano, or a simple grilled cheese (plus ice cream sandwiches too). Add on beer, cider, and wine (all 25-percent off), bottled cocktails like a burnt sugar old-fashioned, and limited grocery items. Pickup only.
Thompson Italian
124 N. Washington St., Falls Church
Order a la carte options such as spicy pork meatballs and spring pea ravioli or opt for pasta and sauce kits that you can prepare yourself. For families of four, try a dinner box with house-made focaccia, arugula salad, baked rigatoni, and chocolate-hazelnut bread pudding. There are also takeout kids meals, batched cocktails, and affordable beers and wines.
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.
