Philos mezze and wine bar will open Wednesday in the former Tel’Veh space at 401 Massachusetts Ave. NW in Mount Vernon Triangle.

Philos will open Wednesday in the former Tel’Veh space with a Mediterranean small plates menu and 20 wines by the glass.
(Photo: Philos)

The restaurant, owned by Richard Jarrouj and Talal Orfaly, will feature small plates from the Mediterranean basin.

“Small plate dining is very trendy in our city, and it works because it allows people to sample more dishes without shelling out a lot of money for multiple entrees,” said Jarrouj and Orfaly in a press release. “It is also the core of Mediterranean cuisine, turning dining into more of an experience rather than a rushed meal.”

Chef Ghassan Jarrouj, previously executive chef at Agora in Dupont Circle, has designed a menu that includes a variety of spreads such as hummus and baba ghannouj, grilled meats such as Merguez sausage and lamb loin chops, and vegetables such as mushrooms with garlic, sherry and parsley and roasted cauliflower with cilantro pesto and tahini sauce. The menu also features cheese boards, charcuterie and warm cheese section that includes baked goat cheese with dried figs, honey and pistachios and grilled halloumi with watermelon and mint. The menu’s core ingredients are garlic, lemon and legumes including chickpeas and lentils, as well a nutrient-dense ingredients such as kale, tahini and Brussels sprouts. Seafood dishes include steamed mussels, grilled octopus, sautéed shrimp, seared sea scallops and pan seared branzino. The dessert menu include baklava, rice pudding, banana cream pudding and ice cream. Dishes range from $6-$14.

Philos’ wine selection includes 20 wines by the glass priced from $8-$13 that will be dispensed by a Vinotemp cooling system and another 25 wines by the bottom priced from $40-$325. Inspired by Mediterranean selections, the wines are predominately from lesser-known regions such as Lebanon, Greece and Bulgaria in addition to local vineyards. The bar also features eight craft cocktails priced from $10-$12, homemade sangria at $8 per glass or $30 per carafe and four draft beers priced from $6-$8.

The restaurant features a curved bar, dark wooden tables and chairs, custom-made banquettes, high ceilings, earthy tones and iron fixtures including Moorish panels on the mezzanine that overlooks the 70-seat dining room. There’s also a semi-open kitchen. Oversized windows provide a glimpse to the 30-seat patio that will be open in warm weather and an abundance of natural light.

Philos will be open from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-3 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Happy hour will be from 4-7 p.m. weekdays.

Karat Cakery visits One Eight Distilling

Karat Cakery’s food truck will be selling both sweet and savory carrot treats including carrot cupcakes, carrot loafs, carrot cakes, carrot ice cream and savory carrot dishes at One Eight Distilling’s weekly open to celebrate International Carrot Day from 1-4 p.m. today, Apr. 4.

Karat Cakery will sell carrot cupcakes and other carrot foods at One Eight Distilling’s weekly open house. (Photo: Karat Cakery)

One Eight Distilling, 1135 Okie St. NE, will host tours and tasting of its latest spirits every half hour on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests must be 21 or older. Admission is free and registration is not required. There is free on-street parking.

Guests can show their love for carrots by participating in Karat Cakery’s challenges like the “place your order using your best bunny imitation” and rounds of imaginary hoola hoop while holding Mr. Carrot.

BLT Steak offers $10 Congressional Recess Menu

While Congress is in recess through Apr. 11, BLT Steak, 1625 I St. NW, is offering a “Congressional Recess Menu” with $10 dishes at the bar from 5-10 p.m.

BLT Stead is offering a $10 Congressional Recess Menu from 5-10 p.m. through Apr. 11 at the bar.
(Photo: Johnnie D./Yelp)

The first “Recess Menu” of the year, this promotion is part of a regular series which launched in March 2014 and is offered every time Congress goes on an extended recess.

For the next week, diners can enjoy upscale bar snacks like lamb neck bao buns with lamb confit, charred tomato salsa and curried chimichurri; and gulf shrimp fritters with smoked romesco sauce. For veggie lovers, there will be dishes that include mushroom fricasse with cauliflower hummus and crispy gnocchi with dinosaur kale and oven roasted tomatoes. Other dishes include Wagyu bolognese with ditalini and grilled squid with puttanesca.

Mango Tree begins weekend brunch service

Mango Tree, 929 H St. NW, will debut weekend brunch service beginning today, Apr. 4.

Mango Tree in CityCenterDC begins serving weekend brunch this weekend. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

Chef de Cuisine Paul Kennedy, a native of the United Kingdom, has crafted a menu that integrates traditional English breakfast fare with a Thai twist. Appetizers include green papaya salad, poached shrimp, cherry tomatoes, long beans, chili-lime and a Sriracha cocktail sauce, as well as street-style pork-in-a-bag, grilled marinated pork skewers with Thai sticky rice and a sweet tamarind sauce served in a BPA-free bag like traditional street food in Thailand. Entrées include Mango Tree Eggs Benedict, a toasted English muffin, poached egg and hash browns, served with a choice of grilled salmon, Kaffir lime hollandaise and sautéed spinach or braised beef cheeks with green curry hollandaise and sautéed spinach or sautéed spinach with Kaffir lime hollandaise and shallots; salmon scrambled eggs with hash browns and crispy fried bread; Thai-English breakfast inspired by the traditional English breakfast made with morthern-style Thai sausage, crispy bacon, two wok fried eggs, hash browns, grilled portobello mushroom, grilled tomato and fried bread; oven-baked blueberry French toast with whipped cream and blueberry compote; bacon, bourbon and apple pancakes with hash browns and maple syrup, as well as Mango Tree waffles served with a choice of maple syrup, crispy bacon and whipped cream or strawberry and Thai basil compote and whipped cream or freshly cut fruit and ginger with mint syrup. Brunch prices range from $8-$16.

Mango Tree’s new brunch menu is complemented by featured cocktails such as the traditional mimosa; Mary in the Mango Tree with Mekhong and house-made Bloody Mary mix; mango mimosa with champagne and fresh mango purée; lychee bellini with champagne and fresh lychees; The Spirited Thai with Mekhong, fresh lime, lychee and pineapple, and the Thai tea-ni with Thai tea infused vodka, star anise and evaporated milk. Cocktails are priced from $8-$12.

Brunch will be served Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Red Light launches weekend brunch

Red Light Cocktails & Dessert Bar, 1401 R St. NW, will serve weekend brunch, which will showcase waffles, frittatas and other traditional brunch items, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday beginning today, Apr. 3..

Red Light Cocktails and Dessert Bar is now serving brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. (Photo: Google Maps)

Executive chef Alina Bothen’s brunch menu include Belgian waffles made to order with a choice of toppings such as maple, bacon and caramel; seasonal fruit and fresh whipped cream; or maple syrup, butter and powdered sugar. Three different frittatas will also be available and include a choice of potato, cheddar, bacon and onion; asparagus, mushroom, tomato and parmigiano reggiano; or chicken, spinach, bell peppers and garlic. Other dishes include the gravlox plate with house-cured Swedish lox, tomato, pickled shallots, cream cheese and capers, served with a plain bagel; morning parfait with Greek yogurt, house-made granola and seasonal fruit; a cheese and rillette plate with port salut, zamorano and morbier cheeses served with house-made pork rillette, apricot mustardo, candied walnuts and a cherry/thyme jam, or a choice of two flatbreads: mushroom, taleggio and white truffle oil; and the bacon, caramelized onions and blue cheese. Brunch items range from $7-$16.

Red Light is offering $4 mimosas and $6 Bloody Mary cocktails during weekend brunch along with $12 cocktails such as the El Viejo made with jalapeno tequila, orange, sugar and chocolate mole bitters; the Pseudonym with rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, ginger liqueur and orange bitters; and Dead Man’s Tale with spiced rum, Benedictine, lime juice and raspberry mint syrup.

Masa 14 launches unlimited chef’s tasting menu

Masa 14, 1825 14th St. NW, 20009, has begun offering and unlimited chef’s tasting menu featuring unlimited small plates and free-flowing cocktails.

Masa 14 is offering a two-hours unlimited tasting menu Sunday-Thursday until 9 p.m. (Photo: Hilton)

Available Sunday through Thursday with the last seating at 9 p.m., the menu offers two package options: unlimited Latin-Asian small plates for $49 per person or unlimited Latin-Asian small plates and a selection of bottomless drinks for $65 per person. The entire table must order the same tasting option and guests have two-hours.

The tasting menu includes an array of dishes from the Latin-Asian inspired menu such as she-crab bisque, Hijiki seaweed-jicama salad, charred octopus, roasted cauliflower and lo main noodles with hanger steak, as well as dim sum such as pork belly steamed buns and crunchy shrimp.

City Tap House host release party for Black is the new Wit beer

City Tap House, 901 9th St. NW, will host a release party for Terrapin Beer Co. and New Belgium Brewing Co. ‘s new collaboration brew, Black is the new Wit, on Apr. 6. The two breweries are joining forces to create the perfect wit beer for summer.

City Tap House will host a release party for Terrapin Beer Co. and New Belgium Brewing Co. ‘s new collaboration brew, Black is the new Wit on Monday. (Photo: Pops! Wines and Spirits)

Attendees will be one of the first to try the traditional Belgian wit, which gets its absence of color from intensely roasted wheat and dehusked barley. As an added bonus, guests will have the opportunity to interact and discuss the beer with representatives from both breweries from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

City Tap House will fill their tap lines with seasonal and year-round brews from both breweries including Oscar Worthy Coffee, the Slow Ride Session IPA, Ranger IPA, Wild2 Dubbel, the Abbey, and The Skinny Dip from New Belgium as well as the Hopsecutioner IPA, HI-5 IPA, Rye Pale Ale, Liquid Bliss Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter, Mosaic Red Rye IPA and the Hop Selection IPA from Terrapin. The beers will be poured from their draft lines until they are sold out.

Today (3/14) is Pi Day. At 9:26:53 a.m. and p.m., it will be a once-in-a-century event because the year and time line up with the digits of pi that follow 3.14 (1592653). To celebrate, many restaurants are offering specials.

Saturday is Pi Day. Celebrate with one of these specials for fruit or pizza pies. (Photo: Pillsbury)

Dog Tag Bakery, the Georgetown bakery run by veterans at 3206 Grace St. NW, will donate proceeds from its mini apple pies all during March to Blue Star Families, an organization that aids veterans’ transitions to civilian life. The 4-inch personal-sized pie is made with Granny Smith apples, lightly sweetened and scented with cinnamon for $6.95 each.

At Dangerously Delicious Pies, 1339 H St. NE location, slices of five sweet pies will be $3.14 from 9-11 a.m. and 7-10 p.m. The Chinatown location, 675 I St. NW which is normally closed weekends, will give a surprise to anyone placing an order at 9:26:53 a.m. or p.m.

Whiskey meets Whisked! at One Eight Distilling, 1135 Okie St. NE. The distillery will be offering tours and tastes of its small batch spirits while Whisked! will be selling their pies and quiches by the slice. Visitors can pre-order 6- and 9-inch pies to go.

Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, 750 15th St. NW, will serve slices of its nine pies — key lime, peanut butter, banana cream, chocolate marquise, Havana dream, coconut cream, Boston cream, chocolate-dipped strawberry ice cream and apple pies all day for $3.14. They are normally $7.95.

If you prefer pizza pie over apple pie, head to the basement birreria at Pizzeria Paradiso, 3282 M St. NW in Georgetown for $3.14 select drafts from 9:26 p.m.until close.

Also, Blaze Pizza at 7101 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda in Westfield Montgomery, 7419 Baltimore Ave., College Park or 14709 Baltimore Ave., Laurel in Laurel Towne Centre will offer any of its custom-made pies for $3.14 all day.

Pi Pizzeria at 910 F St. NW in Penn Quarter will have a pi memorization contest at 6 p.m. with a $150 gift card up for grabs. Also, anyone with a Mar. 14 birthday who shows a government ID or birth certificate on Saturday gets a free large pie. And, everyone who buys a large pizza all month getis a “gift” to use on your next. Get a free large salad or appetizer with the purchase of a large pizza.

Finally, Radius Pizza, 3155 Mount Pleasant St. NW, will sell pizza by the slice for $3.14 with the purchase of a beverage.

Stanton & Greene opens on Capitol Hill

Stanton & Greene, 319 Pennsylvania Ave. SE opened Mar. 9 with limited services for a preview then opened fully on Mar. 12 with a full menu.

The dining room and downstairs bar at Stanton & Greene. (Photo: Rey Lopez)

The American bar and brasserie spans three floors of a restored building just two blocks from the U.S. Capitol and Supreme Court, evoking the elegance of the Capital city’s bars of the early- to mid-20th Century with a marble bar, brass sconces and hand-stitched leather booths. The ground floor is home to a traditional American bar and brasserie with period details from the 1930s and 1940s, and the second floor “loft” features a soaring 16-foot space centered with an Art-Deco bar hand-carved from American ash and three massive windows overlooking historic Pennsylvania Avenue.

Owned by partners August Paro, Eli Hengst and Jared Rager, who also own Sonoma Restaurant & Wine Bar and Beuchert’s Saloon, Stanton & Greene will serve a refined selection of unique and classic craft cocktails, and creative, updated interpretations of foods evocative of early- to mid-20th Century America.

Stanton & Greene’s craft cocktails and curated American spirits are cornerstones of its beverage program. Mixologist Erik Holzherr, owner of Wisdom and Church & State, partnered with Stanton & Greene to create the menu of era-inspired cocktails. Each priced from $11-$12 draws inspiration from the classics.

The L’Enfant Martini is their take on a classic French martini, and a tribute to Pierre Charles L’Enfant, the French-American architect who designed the layout of the city. It uses Armagnac de Montal VS as a base, along with Giffard Crème de Framboise liqueur, Passoa passion fruit liqueur, pineapple juice and cardamom bitters.

The Rochambeau – Bluecoat Aged Gin, Aperol, Maurin Quina – is an early favorite, a slightly bitter cocktail inspired by the classic Negroni, but with added complexity from the aged gin and cherry flavors in its ingredients. Stanton & Greene’s unique White Bourbon Punch combines Four Roses bourbon, Leopold’s Three Pins liqueur, Bols yogurt liqueur, almond milk and nutmeg in a smooth sippable drink.

A celebratory cocktail named after L’Enfant’s original designation for Stanton Park, the No. 5 is an elegant sipper that shines for its simplicity. Bright, effervescent Brut opens up a floral bouquet of Soho lychee liqueur, Lillet rose, pink grapefruit juice and rose water. The Bent Nail is Stanton & Greene’s dressed up version of the classic Rusty Nail, featuring Bulleit bourbon, Drambuie, Giffard Crème de Peche, and Leopold’s maraschino. After The Duel is an ode to the politically-fueled duels of early America, featuring the dominant herbal flavors of green chartreuse, tamed by bitter Bonal Gentiane-Quina and floral Crème de Violette with Corsair triple-smoked whiskey, celebrating the end of the battle when smoke still hung in the air.

The menu, a collaboration between executive chef Josh Hutter and chef de cuisine Damian Brown, will offer American classics updated to reflect a commitment to local and naturally-raised ingredients. The era-themed menu is broken down into several sections including: dips, appetizers, salads, main plates, sandwiches, complements, specials and desserts.

Appetizers include dishes like baked Virginia Oysters Rockefeller with garlic spinach and Virginia peanut breadcrumbs, and bacon and egg with crispy pork belly and Anson mills cheddar grits. Guests can also start with a selection of dips like spiced white bean, spinach artichoke, blue cheese-tomato jam and smoked trout. Salads offer versions of the Caesar with boquerones and brioche croutons, a seasonal vegetable market salad and a dressed-up chopped salad with green goddess dressing, shredded Brussels sprouts, feta, crispy pancetta, and hard-boiled egg.

Entrée-sized main plates include brick roasted half-chicken and grilled strip steak with whiskey shallot butter, plus sandwiches like a lobster roll with house aioli and celery atop an Old Bay buttered bun, French dip with grass-fed beef, horseradish aioli and Grayson cheese, and the bacon-laden double-decker Greene burger with two 6-ounce bacon-infused beef patties, smoked gouda, crispy bacon, onion rings and bacon aioli. Several entrees come with a choice of complements, also available a la carte, which include Kennebeck house cut fries, macaroni with Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, Anson Mills grits, mixed seasonal vegetables and broccoli with parmesan cheese and red chili flakes.

Stanton & Greene offers dinner specials three nights of the week: Sunday offers “Sunday Supper” blue plate specials, Monday is burger night pairing featured burgers and beers, and Tuesday features a prix fixe lobster dinner.

Dessert options reminiscent of days gone by include brownie bread pudding with a flambéed marshmallow top, a seasonal sundae with house-made gelato and toppings, and a seasonal fruit pie.

Happy hour from 3-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday features $4-$5 draft beers, $6-$9 cocktails and $3-$9 bar snacks.

Stanton & Greene is open for dinner from 5-10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 4:30-9 p.m. Sunday. The first floor bar is open until 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 1 a.m. Brunch and lunch will be added in the coming weeks.

The Pig serves innards dinners

The final installment of The Pig‘s four-part Head to Toe Supper series, a five-course anatomical dining experience, features the innards.

The Pig will serve a five-course innards dinner. (Photo: Byron S./Yelp)

Expanded to two nights, the dinner will be served both Monday, Mar. 16 and Tuesday, Mar. 17 at 7 p.m. A cocktail, beer or wine pairing is served with each course, and the cost is $70 per person. Reservations are required (capped at 12 seats each night), and can be made https://eatwelldc.formstack.com/forms/headtotoeinnards online or by calling 202-290-2821.

The menu starts with an amuse of house bacon with a maple glaze followed by a first course of chicaron bituka, a Filipino crispy pig intestine with vinegar peppers and scallion. The second course is flaczki, a Polish beef tripe soup with carrot, leeks and marjoram followed by the third course of battakha makhni, and Indian duck giblet curry with onion bahji, rice, fava beans and yogurt. The fourth course is rognonnade de veau, roseda veal loin stuffed with kidney, roasted sweetbreads, spring onion and garlic scape cream. Finally, dessert is liverscotch sundae made with blood ice cream, chopped walnuts and pork liverscotch.

Area restaurants offer March Madness specials

Three Washington restaurants are getting into the spirit of March Madness.

Area restaurants are offering March Madness specials. (Photo: Steve Cukrov/featurepics.com)

First up, the craft beer centric City Tap House, 901 9th St. NW, will host a special bracket party Thursday, Mar. 19 and Friday, Mar. 20. The two-day event will consist of four rounds of play:

Round One: Thursday, Mar. 19 from noon-5 p.m. Guests will be given a bracket consisting of 16 pre-selected beers. Each of the participating beers will be priced at a $5 during the first round of play. At the end of the first round (5 p.m.), the eight beers that sell the most pints will advance to the second round and will continue to be sold at $5.

Second Round: Thursday, Mar. 19 from 5-8 p.m. The eight beers that advance to the second round will be matched against one another and poured to guests at for $5 each. At the end of the second round (8 p.m.) the four beers that sell the most pints will advance to the third round and will continue to be sold at the discount.

Third Round: Thursday, Mar. 19 from 8-11 p.m. The four beers that advance to the third round will be matched against one another, and at 11 p.m. the two beers that sell the most pints will advance to the final round.

Final Round: Friday, Mar. 20 from noon-8 p.m. The two remaining beers will go head-to-head and the beer with the highest pint sales at 8 p.m. will be poured for $5 from Mar. 20 until the NCAA Championship game on Monday, Apr. 6.

The individual with the winning beer bracket on Mar. 20 will receive a complimentary happy hour for 10 friends. A standard March Madness basketball bracket will also be available, but must be turned in before the first game on Mar. 19 to be eligible to win two tickets to the Firefly Music Festival.

Arcuri, 2400 Wisconsin Ave. NW in Glover Park, is hosting a special bracket challenge of their own. The restaurant is home to over 40 varieties of house-made “cello,” a nod to their limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur, crafted by infusing grain alcohol with lemon peels and sugar. Each week, the team at Arcuri experiments with a variety of fruits, spices and sugars. The result is a variety of seasonal flavors with a different citrus flavors, followed by sweetness and a strong bite.

During March Madness, Arcuri has pre-selected its top four flavors to establish a Final Four Cello Bracket Challenge. From Mar. 19 through Mar. 20, guests can help crown the first cello champion. Diners are encouraged to fill out a bracket consisting of V Cello with anise, mint, jalapenos, lemon and sugar; Blood Orange with sliced blood orange and sugar; Strawberry with sliced strawberry and sugar; or bergamot cello with bergamot slices and sugar. Those who wish to sample the cello before making their selection can order a shot glass for $5 each or a flight of all four for $9. The cello champion will be announced during the NCAA National Championship game on Apr. 6. Shots of the champion will be will be available for $1 from whistle to whistle.

Drafting Table, 1529 14th St. NW, has crafted a special beer bracket in honor of the 2015 NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament. The restaurant’s beer bracket consists of 16 beers, 15 available by draft and one by the can. From Mar. 15 through Mar. 23, diners can make their selections while watching their favorite team on the restaurant’s four flat screen TVs. Drafting Table will total the votes and announce the winners of each round at 6 p.m. on Mar. 24, Mar. 27 and Apr. 1 The beer that is named the winner will be available for $4 during the NCAA Championship game on Apr. 6. Additionally, Drafting Table will be giving away swag throughout the tournament including T-shirts, basketballs, glassware and more.

Yona pop-up extended another month at G

http://yonava.com/ Yona has extended it pop-up at G by Mike Isabella, 2201 14th St. NW through May 2.

Yona, a ramen bar and small plates restaurant coming to Ballston will continue its pop-up at G by Mike Isabella unit May 2.
(Photo: G by Mike Isabella)

The pop-up is a preview of the noodle bar and small plates restaurant that chef Jonah Kim will open early this summer at 4000 Wilson Blvd. in Ballston.

The a la carte preview menu will be available at G Wednesday through Saturday nights 6-10 p.m. The sandwich shop and Sunday Gravy dinner continue to operate on their normal schedule.

Yona features Kim’s take on ramens, steamed buns, dry-fried wings, Hamachi and yook hwe along with a selection of Japanese beer, sake and Japanese whiskies as well as cocktails, with fermented juice and other Asian-inspired ingredients.

Cochon 555 host large format feast at Del Campo

Cochon 555 is taking over Washington with the help of chefs known for reinventing the traditional steakhouse experience by showcasing a defined large format protein culture that supports responsible farmers.

A pig waiting to be prepared for Cochon555 in 2013. (Photo: Cochon 555)

Cochon 555, the country’s most hyper-local culinary competition, will host Private Dining Cochon “PDC,” a dinner series that celebrates source-driven chefs, prominent winemakers and humanely certified proteins. The “Large Format Feast” campaign showcases 10 of the nation’s top chefs cooking a family-style dinner that spotlights the popularity of chefs shifting meat experiences into protein-paparazzi-moments with a center of floor carving meat feast. Culinary experiences like these blaze a path for heritage pork to be showcased on prominent steakhouse menus and ultimately provide new horizons for emerging farmers while setting course for a safer food system.

On Mar. 21, chef Victor Albisu and his team at Del Campo, 777 I St. NW, will host an epic“Big Beef vs Heritage Pig” themed dinner paired with reserve wines. Guests should arrive at 7 p.m. for the offering of reserve prosciutto di parma followed by a three-course feast. The culinary experience is a seated dinner paired with wines featuring family-farm raised, antibiotic-free, Creekstone Duroc pork side-by-side with Creekstone Farm black Angus beef. Following the wine pairings, guests will enjoy a discussion of spirits featuring Hirsch and Old Potrero 18th Century from Anchor Distilling. To close the evening, a gift of artisan cheese and short discussion with Cochon 555 founder Brady Lowe.

Cost of the dinner is $125 per person and includes beverage pairing, tax and gratuity. For reservations, visit www.cochon555.com.

Alina Bothen new executive pastry chef at Red Light

Alina Bothen is the new executive pastry chef at Red Light Cocktails & Dessert Bar.

Alina Bothen is the new executive pastry chef at Red Light Cocktails & Dessert Bar. (Photo: Red Light)

A native of Fairfax, Bothen fell in love with pastry while attending the Scottsdale Culinary Institute. She graduated with a degree in Culinary Arts in 2008. Bothen returned to D.C. in 2009 when her father was deployed to Africa. She served for one year as lead pastry cook at Poste Brasserie before being appointed pastry chef of the now shuttered Potenza and Potenza Bakery from 2010-2012 At Potenza, Bothen was responsible for producing the desserts for the restaurant, as well as pastries and seasonal gelatos and sorbettos for the market.

Bothen’s new spring additions at Red Light include Nutella s’mores, Nutella ice cream with house-made graham cracker and toasted Italian meringue; olive oil cake with fresh grapefruit and grapefruit tarragon sorbet; dark chocolate pot de crème with white chocolate mint; matcha green tea cake with red bean ice cream, coconut tapioca sauce and almond soy gelee; Indian rice fritters with basmati cardamom rice pudding, curry mango and chai anglaise, and quark cheesecake with lemon curd, lavender and vanilla poached rhubarb. Desserts are priced from $10-$14 each.

New savory creations include cured salmon with asparagus, pickled shallots, orange and dill crème fraîche served on rye bread; spring lamb stew with spring vegetables, herbs and white wine; artichokes with chickpeas, tomato, eggplant, cauliflower and za’atar yogurt; a cheese board, an assortment of three cheeses served with jam, mostarda and bread, as well as a pork and duck confit rillette with pickled apples and apricot mostarda, served on a baguette. Savories are priced from $5-$14 each.

For the perfect pairing, guests can sip on specialty cocktails including the El Viejo, jalapeno tequila with orange, sugar and chocolate mole bitters; Pseudonym with rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, ginger liqueur and orange bitters; Dead Man’s Tale, spiced rum, Benedictine, lime juice and raspberry mint syrup; Peep Show, gin, pimms with lemon juice, cucumber, mint and ginger beer; Magdalene with gin, elderflower liqueur and lemon juice; Mata Hari with vindaloo curry infused whiskey, apricot liqueur and lemon juice; Gypsy Eyes with vodka, Crème de Violette, lemon juice and Prosecco; and the Just Peachy, vodka, peach liqueur, lemon juice and Prosecco. Cocktails are $12 each.

Red Light Cocktails & Dessert Bar is located at 1401 R St. NW. It is open for happy hour Monday through Friday from 5-8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 4-8 p.m. Dinner is served from 5 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 p.m.-1:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.