Café Deluxe Opens 5th Bistro in West End
The Clover Group opened its fifth Cafe Deluxe American bistro last month at 2201 M St. NW in the city’s West End.
While the local chain already has four other locations in Cleveland Park, Tysons Corner, Bethesda and Gaithersburg, the West End location is unique because it is in the new Hilton Garden Inn. As part of their contract with Hilton, the restaurant must be open for breakfast and also provide food for room service, banquets and receptions at the hotel – things none of the other restaurants do although some do offer weekend only brunch, according to Clover Group’s president Brian Sullivan.
Executive chef Juan Valdez has come up with a menu of fresh classics all from scratch using fresh ingredients every day with a focus on healthy dishes. Diners will still find the favorites they know at the other locations like gourmet flatbreads, artisan sandwiches, burgers, musses and classic entrees like grilled salmon, braised boneless sort ribs and chicken pot pie.
New dishes include the seared ahi tuna steak served with mango relish, a balsamic reduction and sautéed asparagus ($24.95) and a 14-ounce New York strip steak with Brussels sprouts, bacon onion marmalade and horseradish mashed potatoes ($32.95). There’s also a gluten-free menu available.
The expanded brunch menu, which is served until 11 a.m. during the week and 3 p.m. on weekends, offers guests lighter choices such as the Healthy Deluxe with egg whites folded over freshly roasted yellow squash, zucchini, red pepper and asparagus served with salsa and avocado pico de gallo and topped with crème fraiche ($12.95). In addition, Cafe Deluxe offers a selection of egg Benedicts including the new crab cake and fried green tomato Benedict made with lump crab cakes atop fried green tomatoes, roasted corn, tomato relish and asparagus topped with poached eggs and Old Bay hollandaise sauce served with breakfast potatoes and fresh fruit ($16.95), specialty and build-your-own omelets, corn flake-crusted French toast ($9.95). The bistro also is serving signature confections like beignets rolled in cinnamon sugar and nutmeg and served with honey butter ($6.95) and Sully’s coffee cake, named for Sullivan, made with blueberries and almond streusel drizzled with vanilla icing ($9.95).
The full bar features over 60 wines, an expansive beer menu with 13 on tap including four rotating seasonal options and a variety of new cocktails including the berry mango mojito made with Cruzan mango rum, muddled blueberries, white cranberry juice and club soda ($9.95). The bar also has a happy hour from 3:30-7 p.m. Monday-Friday that includes $4 Stella Artois draft or house wine, $5 rocks margarita or cosmopolitan and $1 off all draft beers. The happy hour menu includes $4 bar bites including crispy chicken rolls, prosciutto mac and cheese, mini gruyere grilled cheese with prosciutto and creamy Mediterranean hummus; $5 burger sliders with house seasoning, sharp cheddar cheese and deluxe mayonnaise on a potato roll served with onion straws, apple and brie flatbread and chef’s inspiration flatbread; and $6 calamari seasoned, battered and served with a sweet chili sauce or 1/2 order of PEI mussels in classic Belgian, Thai curry or fra diavolo broth.
The 5,000 square-foot restaurant’s interior was designed by GTM Architects and features rich-colored leather booths, mahogany furniture and oversized mirrors. Floor-to-ceiling windows at the front of the restaurant open up onto the hustle and bustle of 22nd and M Streets. The dining room seats up to 124 people with seating for 38 at the bar. A patio that seats up to 40 people will open later in the summer. The bar is also dark mahogany with a marble top. A private dining room with capacity to seat up to 40 people offers personalized menus, natural lighting, audio visual capabilities and complimentary Wi-Fi. An additional 2,500 square feet of banquet space, which can be divided into thirds, is available for corporate and social events with catering by Cafe Deluxe.
Café Deluxe West End is open 6:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6:30 a.m.-12:30 a.m. Friday, 7 a.m.-12:30 a.m. Saturday and 7 a.m.-11 p.m. on Sunday. Room service is offered from 5-9 p.m. daily.
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.