a.kitchen+bar Coming to Foggy Bottom
Ellen Yin, the Philadelphia-based, James Beard Award winner and restaurateur, will soon open a.kitchen+bar at 1 Washington Circle in Foggy Bottom in the former Circle Bistro location.
a.kitchen+bar specializes in seasonal American ingredients and natural wines. (Photo: a.kitchen+bar)
Last year, the James Beard Foundation named Yin the nation’s top restaurateur.
Yin and her High Street Hospitality are hoping to open a.kitchen+bar dc off the main lobby of the new 151-room Hotel AKA Washington Circle, which opened in May, by mid-September. Reservations are available on Open Table beginning Sept. 12.
It will be the second collaboration between Yin and AKA Hotels & Hotel Residences as the original a.kitchen debuted at the AKA Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia in 2014.
a.kitchen+bar will open later this month in the AKA Hotel Washington Circle. (Photo: WBJ)[/caption]The restaurant will have seating for about 165 people, including a 17-seat bar and outside pergola and patio space. The interior will feature Lutron lighting, light wooden tables and a darker-colored bar top. The outdoor patio space will be bordered by fencing made in Italy. There will an entrance along New Hampshire Avenue, as well as one off the hotel’s main lobby facing Washington Circle.
A wine-centric restaurant, a.kitchen will feature seasonal, American small plates, including ricotta rosette, roasted cod and smoked duck breast, and more. The bar will feature a wine and cocktail program designed by the Philadelphia team, which has garnered acclaim from Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast and most recently, a 2024 James Beard nomination for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program.
“We are so excited to be joining D.C.’s vibrant restaurant community and grateful to be partnering again with AKA,” Yin said in a statement. “We hope that a.kitchen+bar dc, like its Philadelphia predecessor, becomes an integral part of the community serving residents, businesses and visitors from the region and supporting the local hospitality industry.”
George Madosky from High Street’s Fork will serve as the D.C. restaurant’s chef de cuisine, while the menu will be curated by executive chef Eli Collins, who has led the Philadelphia kitchen for the last seven years. Diana Kendrick, formerly of Oxheart and Theodore Rex in Houston, is the general manager.
The restaurant will add a 20% service charge to all checks and only accept credit or debit cards, according to its website.
