Eateries Offer Memorial Day Brunch
Several area restaurants are offering their usual Sunday brunches on Monday in honor of Memorial Day.
All EatWell DC restaurants will be serving Memorial Day brunch on Monday. Grillfish, 1200 New Hampshire Ave. NW, will serve from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. with $1 local oysters until 7 p.m and its brunch package for two featuring one dozen oysters, two brunch entrees, a bottle of champagne with two juice mixtures and dessert to share for $49. Commissary, 1443 P St. NW, will serve from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. including its benedicts, which are normally only available on weekends. The Pig, 1320 14th St. NW, will serve from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. with its bourbon happy hour beginning at 3 p.m. and running until 7 p.m. Finally, Logan Tavern, 1423 P St. NW, will serve from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. followed by happy hour from 4-7 p.m.
Richard Sandoval’s D.C. restaurants will also serve Memorial Day brunch.
Ambar, 523 8th St. SE, will offer a fixed price brunch of unlimited small plates and free-flowing cocktails from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. for $35. El Centro D.F., 1819 14th St. NW and 1218 Wisconsin Ave. NW, will serve an all-you-can-eat Mexican brunch from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. for $35. Masa 14, 1825 14th St. NW, will serve a prix fixe brunch in the main dining room from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. for $39 with unlimited brunch drinks. Brunch can also be ordered a la carte with prices ranging from $4-$13. Toro Toro, 1300 I St. NW, will serve from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. for $39 per person.www.richardsandoval.com/zengodc Finally, Zengo, 781 7th St. NW, will serve bottomless brunch from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. for $39 for adults and $10 for children under 10.
Memorial Day “shuckfest” at City Tap House
City Tap House, 901 9th St. NW, is celebrating Memorial Day with its inaugural oyster “shuckfest” from 2-6 p.m. on Monday. Guests can enjoy oysters served several way along with live blue grass music and cornhole on the outdoor patio.
City Tap House’s popular holiday brunch will be served along with oyster specials such as fried oyster po’ boy sandwiches made with buttermilk and cornmeal battered fried oysters served on a New England-style roll with house-made tartar sauce, lettuce, tomato, and duck fat fries; fried oyster benedict with grilled tomato, fried oysters, creamed spinach and poached egg served on brioche with bearnaise sauce and potato hash; tarragon lemon butter grilled oysters served with parsley; grilled oysters Rockefeller with creamed spinach, Benton’s bacon and Pernod absinthe; and a selection of East Coast oysters priced at $1 each. Orders of a dozen or more come with a choice of red wine mignonette or City Tap House mignonette made with lemongrass basil mead from Charm City Meadworks. Dishes are priced from $1-$12 each.
To pair with the oysters, the bar will pour Flying Dog Brewery’s Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout, lemongrass basil mead shooters from Charm City and Effen cucumber vodka oyster shooters. Beverages are priced from $6-$12 each.
Cava Grill opening Tuesday in Fairfax
Cava Grill will celebrate the opening of its newest location in the Kamp Washington Shopping Center, 11046 Lee Highway, Fairfax, with free rice bowls, salads and pitas from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26. In exchange, the restaurant will be accept donations to the non-profit City Blossoms, which encourages healthy eating through creative urban gardens.
The new location will be open for regular hours from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. beginning Wednesday.
The Fairfax location features an expanded open kitchen layout, local beer and wine on tap; rotating seasonal soups, juices and teas made in-house daily; and products from Whisked!, Gordy’s Pickle Jar, and RunningByrd Tea.
Ulah Bistro, Station 4 celebrate National Burger Day
Ulah Bistro, 1214 U St. NW, and Station 4, 1101 4th St. SW, are celebrating National Burger Day on May 28.
At Ulah Bistro, dinners can celebrate with 25 percent off its classic Bistro Burger, a half pound ground Angus beef patty served with leaf lettuce and tomato on a brioche bun priced at $12.
Station 4 is offering 25 percent off its smoked Kobe-style burger, New York style Snake River Farm Wagyu corned beef, half a chicken and dijon mustard all smoked together, served with Stilton blue cheese, grilled onions, Boston lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise on a brioche bun with duck fat fries for $20. It is only available during dinner service.
Blue Duck Tavern introduces new spring cocktails
Blue Duck Tavern, located in the Park Hyatt Washington at 24th and M Streets NW, has unveiled a collection of spring cocktails, each showcasing seasonal fruits, house-made infusions and tonics, and fresh juices. The new springtime libations and three seasonal “mocktails” include the Cherry Quina made with Plymouth gin, house-made cherry tonic, Bittercube cherry bark bitters and club soda; the Lose The Tie with El Dorado Gold, Gosling’s black rum, house-infused banana rum, Pierre Ferrand dry curacao, lime and orange; The Best of Everything with Laphroaig 10-year scotch, Hennessy VS, NV Blandy’s 5-year Bual Madeira and lemon bitters; the Paulista with strawberry infused Leblon cachaça, lime, brown sugar and rhubarb syrup; the Kiss from a Rose with Hornitos tequila, Los Nauhales mezcal, peppercorns and lemongrass wild rose syrup; and the Pepperoiska with Belvedere unUlfiltered vodka, cilantro, cucumber, black pepper and lemon. The spring cocktails are priced at $15 each.
Guests can also enjoy non-alcoholic refreshments during the warmer months. New seasonal mocktails include the District Ricky with snap pea juice, lime, brown sugar and soda; Lavender Lemonade with lavender tea, lemon and sugar; and the Soda and Spice, house-made carrot vanilla soda and orange. The new spring drinks mocktails are priced at $9 each.
DC Harvest unveils spring menu
DC Harvest, 517 H St. NE, is presenting a brand new seasonal menu from happy hour snacks to main courses in the dining room.
Happy hour takes place daily from 5:30-7 p.m. New cocktails include Springthyme made with Green Hat Navy Strength Gin, grapefruit, thyme, dry vermouth and Riesling; Rising Sun with Pritchards Silver Rum, Leopold Bros. maraschino liquer, grapefruit and lime; the Pink Headed Stepchild with basil infused vodka, lime, ginger beer and Peychaud’s bitters; and the Virginia Kolsch and Creek happy hour special, a Virginia duo of a can of Champion Killer Kolsch beer and a shot of Catoctin Creek Rye. Also, bottles of wine are half off every Sunday night. Happy hour snacks include pepperoni parmesan “doughnuts” with creole mustard and micro herb salad.
In the dining room, locally sourced dishes include wild Chesapeake Bay catfish with grilled asparagus, carrot basil puree and pistou sauce; cornmeal crusted Langenfelder Farms bone-in pork chop with herb farroto, carrots and pickled green tomato and cucumber relish; Roseda Farms house-made, house-hickory smoked boneless short ribs with cheddar grits and grilled asparagus (served Wednesday and Thursday); house-made semolina garganelli with baby Swiss chard roasted carrots, basil and creamed leek sauce finished with toasted breadcrumbs; spelt linguine carbonara with house-cured cherry wood smoked bacon, duck egg and pea shoots; and pan roasted scallops with a trio of English peas, snow peas and pea shoots finished with chermoula sauce, a North African-based sauce consisting of toasted cumin, cilantro, coriander, citrus and chipotle chili.
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.