Boss Shepherd’s Opening Downtown in July
Boss Shepherd’s, a modern farm-to-table restaurant serving American comfort food, will open a block from the John A. Wilson Building at 1299 Pennsylvania Ave. NW in the former John Harvard’s Brew House this July. The 6,000 square-foot restaurant located next to the Warner Theater will seat roughly 125.
“We plan to bring a dynamic restaurant, filled with D.C.’s power players, to Penn Quarter this summer,” restaurateur and founder Paul J. Cohn said in a release. Cohn is the founder of J.Paul’s and former senior executive officer of Capital Restaurant Concepts, which owns J Paul’s, Old Glory BBQ, Georgia Brown’s, Paolo’s Ristorante, Neyla, The River Club and Club Zei.
Executive chef Jeremy Waybright will use locally sourced ingredients in his scratch-made classics. Diners can expect a diverse cocktail, wine and local craft beer list comprised of iconic labels from around the region. The beverage menu will boast specialty drinks including the Signature Boss Shepherd cocktail.
The restaurant is named for D.C.’s first appointed governor, Alexander Robey “Boss” Shepherd. Shepherd is largely credited with modern Washington, paving miles of roads and sidewalks after the Civil War and putting in a modern sewer system in the 1870s.
The restaurant will offer lunch and dinner Monday-Friday and dinner only on Saturday.
1920s themed Chaplin Cocktail Bar to open in July
Mixologists and brothers Ari and Micah Wilder, along with their partners Armin Amin and Adrian Williams, are planning to open the Chaplin Cocktail Bar at 1501 9th St. NW in the former Mandalay Burmese restaurant next month.
Chaplin is a nod to Sir Charles Spencer “Charlie” Chaplin, an English actor, comedian and filmmaker who rose to fame in the silent era. The bar will showcase cocktails from the 1920s from 4 p.m.-midnight Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday, noon-1 a.m. Saturday and noon-midnight on Sunday.
The Wilder brothers have 29 years of combined experience. While Micah was opening cocktail bars throughout San Francisco, his younger brother Ari was following his lead in the DMV. In 2008, Micah joined his brother to found Wilder Bros. LLC, a cocktail consulting company. The duo created over a dozen cocktail programs throughout the city since launching their company. They opened their first venture together, Fed Restaurant in May 2013 and supply cocktail programs throughout the city with their proprietary mixers and ingredients.
The cocktails at Chaplin will be influenced and named after Charlie Chaplin’s comedic films including the Gold Rush with Champagne, Montenegro amaro, peach liqueur, peach bitters and golden flake; The Tramp with rye whiskey, Bénédictine, Peychaud’s bitters and burned orange peel; The Vagabond with Tom Cat gin, blanc vermouth, lemon bitters and tonic; The Pilgrim with Genever, Crème de Violet, ginger beer and lime; Lime Light with vodka, Leopold’s apple liqueur, green apple soda and lime vin; Sunny Side with a combination of three rums, orange Curaçao, cherry liqueur, Peychaud’s bitter and pineapple with citrus; By the Sea with Speyside scotch, Porto, apricot liqueur, Champagne and lemon; and the Laughing Gas with Blue Coat gin, blackberry liqueur and lemon laughing gas soda, which is made combining helium to their house-made soda. Cocktails are priced at $10 each.
SwatchRoom is designing the bar’s interior. The two story, 83-seat dining room will be enveloped by the nostalgia of a flickering black and white cinematic experience. The space will feature layers of antiquated textures and artifacts from film and entertainment. Bold accents of rich gold and reds will be found throughout the space leading to the private Opium Den located on the second floor. An 80-seat outdoor patio “Piano Bar” will be available during the spring and summer months.
Lupo Verde begins serving weekend brunch
Lupo Verde, 1401 T St. NW, launched Saturday and Sunday brunch service from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on June 14.
Chef de cuisine Domenico Apollaro’s a la carte menu showcases authentic, rustic, Italian fare featuring a variety of antipasti, breakfast pizzas, house-made pastas, egg dishes and crepes.
Lupo Verde’s brunch menu includes an assortment of antipasti including insalata di pomodoro with frisella bread, fresh tomatoes, red onions and red peppers; pene n’ zuppato, French toast made with Italian brioche, pear jam and mixed nuts; carpaccio di agrumi with grapefruit and orange carpaccio, cinnamon and sugar. A variety of pastas are also on the menu such as house-made tagliatelle with Neapolitan meat ragu and parmigiano-reggiano; house-made spaghetti alla carbonara with guanciale, eggs and pecorino; and house-made maltagliati alla Norma with ricotta, eggplant, cherry tomatoes and parmigiano-reggiano.
The egg section of the menu features poached eggs in San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh basil, shallots and grilled bread; a grilled sirloin steak and two eggs any style; and eggs with potatoes and shallots. Two crepe dishes will also be available including the classica with speck and fontina, and warm crepes with Nutella. A selection of house-made pizzas will also be served including the panfocaccia pizza with cream cheese, rucola and salmon; pizza bismarc with spinach, prosciutto and egg or the pizza vesuviana with mozzarella, tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella. Brunch offerings are priced from $6 to $22 each.
Breakfast cocktails created by beverage director Francesco Amodeo include The Principessa with blood peach puree, grapefruit bitters and Prosecco; the Sofia with Don Ciccio and Figli hibiscus liqueur, Prosecco and hibiscus flower; Spritz with aperol, soda and Prosecco; Il Professore with DCF Concerto (coffee liqueur), Catoctin Creek Distilling Co. Mosby’s Spirit and coconut milk; and the Black Pearl made from a combination of squid ink infused tequila, mandarin liqueur, pomegranate and lemon juice. Brunch cocktails are $12 each.
Vinoteca celebrates the “Summer of Riesling”
Vinoteca, 1940 11th St. NW, is honoring Riesling wine, sometimes call the “grape of summer” for its crisp, acidic taste, with a 94-day celebration from June 21-Sept. 24 with wine flights, a variety of Rieslings by the glass and tasting classes.
Vinoteca will features Rieslings from Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. The restaurant will allow guests to taste several different bottles with a special “Summer of Riesling” Flight ($19) during the promotion featuring Sybille Kuntz from Germany, Zind Humbrecht from Alsace, France and Pewsey Vale Riesling from Eden Valley, Australia. They will also be sold by the glass along with a few others including a sparkling Riesling, Henkell from Germany.
From 7-8:30 p.m. on June 17, the restaurant will offer a wine class in its upstairs lounge. Guests will explore and tour six different Rieslings, which will include Henkell Riesling Sekt and Kreuznacher Riesling Spatlese “Kronenberg” from Germany, Domaine Catherine-Auther Riesling from France, Pewsey Vale Dry Riesling from Australia, Coopers’ Creek Riesling from New Zealand and Castle Rock Riesling from California. Wines will be paired with small plates from executive chef Lonnie Zoeller and attendees will leave with a $5 gift card to go back and enjoy more wine. The wine class is $40 and can be reserved by calling 202-332-9463 or emailing wine@vinotecadc.com.
Cuba Libre celebrates National Ceviche Day
Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar, 801 9th St. NW, is celebrating National Ceviche Day on June 28 with specials.
From June 23-29, the restaurant will offer a new ceviche flight featuring their shrimp ceviche, mixto ceviche and a new mushroom ceviche priced for $12. The new trio was created by Cuba Libre’s chef-partner Guillermo Pernot who won his second James Beard Award for his book ¡Ceviche!, Seafood, Salads and Cocktails with a Latino Twist.
To complement the new flight, guests can try one of Cuba Libre’s more than 90 premium and flavored rum varieties from Guyana, Haiti, Nicaragua and Tortola. Rums are priced between $8 and $34 a glass.
Bibiana Osteria Enoteca hosts Campania wine dinner
Bibiana Osteria Enoteca, 1100 New York Ave. NW, will host a wine dinner at 7 p.m. on June 24 featuring wines from Terredora di Paolo Winery, located in southern Italy’s Avellino province.
The four-course menu will be a tour around southern Italy prepared by executive chef Nicholas Stefanelli with wine pairings from Campania’s native varietals. Terradora di Paolo’s owner Daniela Mastrobernadina will discuss the winery’s winemaking style that integrates forward-thinking technology with the region’s established traditions.
The menu includes insalata caprese with Buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes and basil paired with Falanghina Irpinia 2013; scialatielli with Amalfi coast pasta, zucchini and shrimp paired with Greco di Tufo 2013 and Fiano di Avellino 2012; bistecca alla pizzaiola with grilled beef strip loin, bone marrow, tomato, oregano and olive oil crushed potatoes paired with Aglianico 2011 and Taurasi Fatica Contadina 2008; and baba al rum with neapolitan sponge cake soaked in rum topped with peaches and fresh cream.
Cost of the dinner is $100.
Soi 38 launches summer happy hour
Soi 38, Washington, D.C.’s new destination for underground Thai night market eats, is bringing a bit of the beach to the West End with the launch of the its summer “sling’ back” happy hour, which features 50 percent off the restaurant’s signature draught Singapore Sling cocktails, draught beer and select small plates, hot pots and rolls.
Available for $5 during happy hour, Soi 38’s signature draught Singapore Sling cocktail features Beefeater gin, Luxardo cherry, benedictine, clarified lime, chili aromatic bitters, sloe gin and pineapple juice. Also during happy hour, all draught beer and wines by the glass are available for 50 percent off.
The half-price menu includes the umami-laden Moo Yang Kati Sod, coconut marinated pork belly with spicy lime sauce; the Prik Tod, fresh greenchilis stuffed with minced shrimp and chicken; and the Ped Roti, slow-roasted duck wrapped with cucumber wrapped in a soft roti shell.
Happy Hour runs from 4:30-7 p.m. Monday-Friday through Aug. 31 at the restaurant’s bar, 2101 L St. NW.
Dine al fresco with your pooch
Dog owners can take their pooches to dinner at Copperwood Tavern, 4021 Campbell Ave. in the Shirlington Village.
The patio features copper dog bowls of fresh water right outside the patio. Dogs can visit the restaurant while their person dines, by sitting just outside the patio fence. Owner Reese Gardner is currently working to obtain a permit that would allow dogs to join their family on Copperwood Tavern’s patio, hopefully this summer.
The restaurant also chooses a Dog of the Month to feature on their “Wall of Fame.” Winners receive a customized basked rom Dogma Bakery, a $50 Copperwood Tavern gift card for their owner, a Copperwood Tavern bandana along with their photo on the wall. To enter your dog, email a photo to info@copperwoodtavern.com stating the dog’s name, birthday, breed and a few sentences about why it should be Dog of the Month.
Editor-in-Chief Mark Heckathorn is a journalist, movie buff and foodie. He oversees DC on Heels editorial operations as well as strategic planning and staff development. Reach him with story ideas or suggestions at dcoheditor (at) gmail (dot) com.