Every week, Washingtonian food editor Jessica Sidman rehashes the latest news from Washington’s food and drink scene in a newsletter, which you can subscribe to here.
Hi there,
Get excited: The waterfront rosé garden at Whaley’s in Navy Yard is finally opening this Saturday. The outdoor bar, encased in tropical plants, will serve a dozen rosé wines plus pina coladas, oysters, and more. I’m going to go ahead and predict now that this will be one of the hottest hangouts of the summer. Keep in mind there are no reservations; it’s first come, first served.
There are plenty of other places to enjoy the coming warm weather. Decades nightclub has a new rooftop bar channeling a retro Miami vibe with palm trees, a tropical drink menu, and Jell-O shots. Plus, here are six more suggestions for where to eat and drink outside.
There are also a couple fancy new additions to the District this week. Marcel’s chef and owner Robert Wiedmaier has introduced a fine dining seafood restaurant called Siren to The Darcy hotel in Scott Circle. Expect gorgeous shellfish towers, unusual catches (like Chesapeake Bay eels), and caviar service. At the very least, you’re going to want to look at the pictures.
Still craving luxury? French bakery Ladurée just celebrated the opening of its first D.C. location in Georgetown. The bakery has a tea room and a boutique with all the colorful macarons your heart desires.
Meanwhile, chef Spike Mendelsohn is closing his French restaurant Bearnaise on May 1, although he’s looking to relocate it somewhere downtown. In its place, he plans to open a yet-unnamed taqueria.
To cap things off, I’ve got a little rant for you about the ubiquitous build-your-own-bowl trend across Washington’s fast-casual restaurants. You think you’re getting exactly what you want, but are you? I propose an alternate model that doesn’t really exist in DC. Read on.
That’s all for now! Comments? Questions? Gossip? Email me at jsidman@washingtonian.com
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
