About Restaurant Openings Around DC
A guide to the newest places to eat and drink.
Manifest 002. 1242 Third St., NE.
Manifest 001—the Adams Morgan barbershop/cafe/cocktail bar—has a Union Market sibling as of Tuesday, September 30. And while you can get a haircut, pick up designer sneakers at the boutique, or work remotely inside the sprawling 11,000 square foot space (Michelle Obama recently used it to record a podcast), Manifest 002’s biggest draw may be (h)ours, a restaurant from Maketto chef/owner Erik Bruner-Yang.
“There are a lot of places you go to be seen. This is the place that we want to make you feel nourished,” says co-founder KJ Hughes.
Bruner-Yang says his menu is influenced by DC culture and is “a time capsule of my entire career here.” The white Bolognese, for example, is a nod to Ethiopian spaghetti, one of Bruner-Yang’s favorite late night meals. Other dishes include whole fried lobster with aioli and celery; oysters with kiwi mignonette; chicken and dumplings with pickled okra; and buttermilk-fried plantains.
For dessert, there’s chocolate cake with miso caramel and profiteroles with coconut. Dinners kick off with complimentary plantain bread and pickled vegetables.
The cocktail menu features creations like the floral, gin-based ‘Go-Go Nights,’ and the ‘Backyard Cookout,’ a rum punch with hibiscus and pineapple. Sip them in the lounge, or inside after(h)ours, a speakeasy-inspired bar.
While the restaurant, retail, and other spaces are open to anyone, there are several tiers of monthly membership programs that range from $75 to $379, and include perks like food and drink credits, discounts, priority reservations, and access to the cocktail bar.
The venue boasts plenty of space for gathering, private dining, and community-building. “I’m a local. I’m a third-generation Washingtonian,” says Hughes. “It’s good to be reminded that DC is a real place. It’s more than just politics and politicos, right?”
