Circa Opens Fourth Location in Navy Yard
Metropolitan Hospitality Group will open its fourth Circa at 99 M St. SE in the Navy Yard neighborhood today, Feb. 11. It will open Él Bebe, a taco and tequila restaurant, in the adjoining space in the coming weeks.
The dining room at the new Circa Navy Yard. (Photo: Circa)
The new location features custom artwork by Miami-based pop and multimedia artist Miguel Paredes. Paredes is known for his colorful graffiti-inspired creations that include murals and statues, and his work has previously been commissioned by Disney Underground and the Latin Grammy Awards.
Circa currently has location in Chinatown, Foggy Bottom and Clarendon. The new restaurant will initially open at 4 p.m. daily for happy hour and dinner, with lunch and brunch to follow. Menu items include signature dishes Brussels + Blue with sautéed Brussels sprouts, Applewood smoked bacon, balsamic glaze and blue cheese crumbles; bulgogi lettuce wraps with marinated short rib, bibb lettuce, sticky rice, kimchi aioli and chopped peanuts; and tuna poke nachos with sesame ginger marinade, wasabi avocado cream, tobiko, pickled ginger aioli, wonton chips, roasted nori and sesame seeds. A dark chocolate torte made with Gran Marnier crème anglaise, Luxardo cherry syrup, chocolate pearls and whipped cream is a new signature dessert exclusive to the Navy Yard location.
Cocktails include Treat Yo’ Self, a non-alcoholic drink featuring turmeric, carrot, orange, pineapple, mango, lime and ginger beer; a maple Old Fashioned with Redemption rye whiskey, maple syrup, Fee Brothers aromatic bitters and Angostura orange bitters aged in white oak barrels for three weeks; and Docked in the Tropics with Don Q Cristal rum, grapefruit, orgeat and Angostura bitters, also exclusive to the Navy Yard restaurant.
“We’re excited to open up our doors and officially join the Navy Yard community,” said Matthew Carlin, President of Metropolitan Hospitality Group in a press release. “The proximity to the baseball stadium and the Metro make this location a great place for neighborhood dining and happy hour, business meetings, pre-game drinks and brunch with family and friends.”
Brunch and lunch service will follow soon after opening, along with a 50-seat patio in the spring. Once fully open, Circa Navy Yard will be open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Thursday and 11 a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday.
💕 Area restaurants offer Valentine’s Day specials 💘
Thursday, Feb. 14, is Valentine’s Day. Several area restaurants are offering Valentine specials:
Bourbon Steak at the Four Seasons Hotel, 2800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Bourbon on Ice Unlimited all month long. Couples can hide away in one of three glistening ice domes on the patio and toast the romantic occasion with bottomless Krug Champagne and unlimited fresh, raw oysters. The cost is $500 per person for 2 1/2 hours.
Buttercream Bakeshop is selling dipped macaron pops, gluten-free almond macarons filled with strawberry buttercream and dipped in white chocolate for Valentine’s Day. (Photo: Buttercream Bakeshop)
Buttercream Bakeshop, 1250 Ninth St. NW, is serving Cardi B-Rownies ($22) featuring six of the singer’s most iconic quotes on top of gluten-free brownies topped with whipped white coconut pudding buttercream. $2 from each box will be donated to the World Central Kitchen, addressing solutions for hunger and poverty. The bakery is also selling dipped macaron pops, featuring gluten-free almond macarons filled with strawberry buttercream and dipped in white chocolate. It also has ombre Italian cake with layers of pink almond cookie cake sandwiched with apricot jam and topped with bittersweet chocolate ganache, as well as a decorate your own cookie kit, which includes love letter sugar cookies, a piping bag with vanilla buttercream and two types of sprinkles.
Fogo de Chão, 1101 Pennsylvania Ave. NW and 1775 Tysons Blvd., McLean, is offering any couple who purchases a full churrasco lunch, dinner or Sunday brunch between Thursday, Feb. 14 and Sunday, Feb. 17 a complimentary dining card redeemable for a churrasco lunch, dinner or Sunday Brunch of equal or greater value from Feb. 18-May 2.
The Light Horse, 715 King St., Alexandria, is partnering with The Dog Park pet store, 705 King St., Alexandria, and offering two $9 specialty cocktails from 6-8 p.m. on Feb. 14. The Zeus, named for the manager of The Dog Park’s pit bull terrier, includes bourbon, amaretto, lemon sorbet and egg whites, shaken and strained over ice with a canine-inspired garnish, while the Wednesday, after the Light Horse owner’s American pit, features strawberry vodka, lemon juice, raspberry sorbet and egg whites shaken and strained over ice then topped with a berry, mint and lemon zest compote. Also, guests can create a nametag to wear sporting the name of their prized canine and breed. Beer selections will include Flying Dog Raging Bitch and Old Brown Dog Ale priced at $5. All proceeds from the beer and cocktail sales will benefit the nonprofit Stand Up for Pits Foundation. Wine lovers can partake in Pinot for Paws from One Hope. The wine is priced at $5 a glass and proceeds help fund pet adoptions through the ASPCA. The evening will also offer a prize for one lucky dog left at home. There will be a raffle drawing for a luxurious dog bed from The Dog Park.
More than 15 restaurant and bars in Georgetown are participatng in the Love, Georgetown promotion all week with two special cocktails for $14. (Photo: James Jackson)
More than 15 Georgetown restaurants, bars and late-night venues are participating in Love, Georgetown, a new event this year. Participants are offering two signature cocktails for $14 from Feb. 11-17. See the website for participants and each locations special cocktail.
Mirabelle, 900 16th St. NW, is offering a four-course menu from 5:30-9:30 p.m. on Feb. 14 for $105 per person. The meal begins with a choice of a half-dozen composed Wellfleet oysters with cucumber, fresno and fennel crowns; a smoked salad with red and green oak lettuces, boquerones and parmesan; or scallop crudo with macadamia, finger limes and winter citrus. For the second course, guests will be offered a choice of caramelized onion and mushroom ravioli with smoked pork broth, parmesan and herbs; crab bisque with pinenuts, celery and smoked roe; or studded and glazed foie gras ganache with Manjari dark chocolate, candied and pickled fruits, and pistachios. For the last savory course, options include a confit cod filet with almonds, potatoes and red peppers; 21-day aged duck with harissa, dukkah and yogurt; a rosemary and thyme roasted beef tenderloin with pommes purée, trumpet royal mushrooms and bordelaise sauce; or vegetable assiette with mushrooms, black garlic, parmesan and wheat berry.
Occidental Grill & Seafood, 1475 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, is inviting couples to simultaneously sip and share a Siamese If You Please cocktail ($18) featuring Don Q Cristal, passion fruit, pomegranate, cherry bitters and egg white topped with a Twizzler candy straw.
Ottoman Taverna, 425 I St. NW, is serving a four-course choice menu from 5-9:30 p.m. on Valentine’s Day for $99 per couple. The menu features a fusion of traditional classics and modern takes on Turkish cuisine. The first course includes the choice of red lentil soup with red lentils, potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, foie gras, mint and paprika oil; arugula salad with baby carrots, beets, candied walnuts, orange, dry fig, feta cheese and pomegranate olive oil dressing; or a mezze platter with a yogurt and dill spread, roasted red pepper spread and beets labneh yogurt spread. The second course includes potato cake stuffed with feta cheese, onions, garlic, eggs, and fresh herbs served with red pepper cream sauce; or grilled shrimp with celery root, green apple puree and lime chili sauce. Entrée choices that include lamb chops with smoked eggplant puree, baby vegetables and red pepper cream sauce; beef tenderloin with whipped potatoes and oyster mushroom gravy sauce; branzino with whipped potatoes, baby vegetables and lemon butter sauce; or mushroom casserole with mushrooms, onions, garlic, peppers, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Dessert is orange semolina helva stuffed with vanilla ice cream, seasonal fruits and a caramel sauce.
The Salt Line, 79 Potomac Ave. SE, is offering half-priced oysters on Feb. 14. Guests who buy a bottle of bubbly, or their favorite wine, can order continuous oysters until the bottles run dry. There will also be a special tasting menu for two ($45) on Thursday through the weekend, featuring two spiked oyster shooters and a half dozen raw oysters with garnishes and a plate of varied fried, baked, and grilled beauties oysters.
Pizzeria Paradiso honors female politicians with special pies
Each week this year, Pizzeria Paradiso 2003 P St. NW, 3282 M St. NW, 124 King St., Alexandria and 4800 Rhode Island Ave., Hyattsville, is highlighting one state and the female elected officials who lead it at the national level with its “United States of Pizza: Women’s Slice of the Pie” promotion.
Pizzeria Paradiso is featuring a different state-themed pizza each week beginning Wednesday horning female politicians. The Apple Orchard Pizza (pictured), honoring Washington state officials, is available through Tuesday. (Photo: Reema Desai)
Each week beginning on Wednesdays, a rotating menu of state-themed pizzas which honor and highlight female elected officials. Women make up 50.8 percent of the U.S. population and 25 percent of national elected officials.
The featured pizza through Tuesday, Feb. 12, is the Apple Orchard Pizza from Washington state with apples, Brussels sprouts, portabella mushrooms, red onion, thyme and cheddar. Beginning Wednesday, Feb. 13 the special will be a Pozole Pizza from Arizona with hominy, pork, chilies, cabbage, queso fresco and queso seco. The pizzas are $15 for a 9-inch pie and $20 for a 12-inch one.
Weekly specials are being announced on the restaurant’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Bastille now open on Mondays serving $29 prix fixe bisto menu
Beginning today, Feb. 11, Bastille, 606 N. Fayette St., Alexandria, is open Mondays offering a bar menu from 4-9 p.m., happy hour from 4-7 p.m. and a special $29 prix fixe bistro menu in the dining room from 4-8 p.m. A la carte options are also available.
Bastille in Alexandria is open Monays for dinner beginning Feb. 11. (Photo: Bastille/Facebook)
A sampling of the Monday bistro Monday menu includes appetizers such as beignets de crevettes, a savory rock shrimp beignet with guacamole and lime; classic escargots Forrestier with sautéed snails, mushrooms, lardons, garlic and parsley; and a chef’s selection of cheeses; soups and salads. Entrées include moules frittes du jour to chicken paillard, a buttermilk-marinated fried chicken breast over duck fat smashed potatoes with chicken jus, salad of arugula, radicchio and pickled shallots with honey-mustard; and cassoulet au confit de canard, twice baked white bean casserole with lamb shoulder meat and confit duck.
Desserts include chocolate profiteroles filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with Valrhona chocolate sauce; crêpes aux agrumes, orange filled crepes with Chantilly crème, passion fruit caramel, almonds and white chocolate; pot de crème au chocolat, Valrhona dark chocolate pudding with Chantilly crème and chocolate shavings; and house-made ice creams and sorbets served with a pizzella cookie.
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.
