Image: Harold Roth, Forest Avenue, The Bronx (1937).
A few weeks ago the Mayor flipped the switch to lift restrictions in the District. That sudden move has been followed by a more deliberate pace of re-opening and limb-stretching. This week a few more green shoots, to mix metaphors, appeared on the dining scene. So let’s get on with the recap of the week!
Updates to the Recommended Restaurant List
Added:
Imperfecto – We were impressed with the new place from the team that brought us Seven Reasons, but still had a difficult time capturing it.
St. Vincent Wine – It was easier to capture the convivial nature of this Park View wine bar and garden.
Reopening:
Boqueria (Penn Quarter) – The second D.C. outpost of the NYC-based restaurant chain is set to reopen on July 14th.
The drinking and dining spaces at The Jefferson are re-opening. Eater reports though that Plume will drop its name in favor of The Greenhouse. The restaurant appears to be in the same space, with the same chef and the same impressive wine list. The menu, though still expensive and New American in approach, looks to be slightly slimmed down without a tasting menu option for now. We are sure that Michelin will figure it out sometime next year.
Barred in DC flagged that Timber Pizza is open for indoor dining.
News
Streateries came down on 17th Street to make way for a bike path. Have no fear, they will return. As former Dupont Circle ANC commissioner Randy Downs explained, it is a years-long project to improve the flow on the busy thoroughfare.
There was a short, though-provoking exchange about the nature of food social media, that expressed the hope of a return to sincerity. It made us recall our early affection for food bloggers like Carol Blymire cooking her way through the French Laundry cookbook. It did feel more communal and less contrived.
Speaking of a revival of sincere and passionate writers, Lori Gardner of Been There Eaten That returns to posting about going out to new restaurants with a write-up of her visit to Oyster Oyster. Under chef Rob Rubba, this place focuses on vegetarian dishes. It scraped by on take-out and a bagel pop-up during the shutdown. In a very Lori-like summary she says, “There is nothing I enjoy more than introducing people to a restaurant I love, and watching their adulation take hold. Our meal at Oyster Oyster is accompanied by a series of exclamation points which begins anew each time a dish is set before us, and is repeated as the flavors of the food is fully realized.” Safe to say she approves.
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If you are a fan of things French, or Italian sport, or long-suffering supporters, or still recovering from a celebration last night of Messi and Malbec, we have a restaurant to match your mood. We like to think of this site as the best way to find a place to eat in the District. There are 300+ recommended restaurants that you can sort by cuisine, neighborhood, and current operating status (dine-in and/or take-out, etc.) in either LIST or MAP format.
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