About DC Restaurant Openings
A guide to the newest places to eat and drink.
Brisa. 2121 First St., SW.
Chef Carlos Delgado is behind Michelin-starred Peruvian restaurant Causa in Shaw and the hot new Peruvian-Japanese handroll counter Maru San in Capitol Hill. Next up: he’s culinary director and partner in Brisa, a coastal Latin American restaurant coming to Buzzard Point this summer from the group behind scene-y Wharf spots La Vie and Nara-Ya.
“It’s almost like when you go to a Mediterranean restaurant and they’re showcasing multiple things from various places in many styles,” Delgado says. Brisa will be like that but for Latin cuisines, which “I feel like DC hasn’t had.”
Brisa, meaning “breeze” in Spanish, will highlight dishes from a range of coastal destinations, from Mexico to Venezuela to Delgado’s native Peru and beyond. In some cases, he will highlight one dish and its variations across cultures. For example, the restaurant will serve fresh corn Venezuelan arepas filled with cheese alongside a fried-egg-stuffed Colombian arepa. Delgado will also offer a variety of ceviches in Peruvian, Mexican, and Ecuadoran styles. (The latter is less acidic with shrimp, tomatoes, and red onion.) Meanwhile, guacamole will come with salsas from different countries.
Puerto Rico will be represented with arroz mamposteao, a hearty rice dish with beans, and bacalaitos, which are thin salt cod fritters. El Salvador gets a nod with seafood-stuffed pupusas. And a rotisserie oven will turn out Peruvian-style jerk chickens seasoned with habanero and Scotch bonnet peppers, plus thyme, rosemary and garlic. “When you eat it, it definitely tastes Peruvian, but then you get these jerk chicken spices,” Delgado says.
While Delagado is overseeing the menu, day to day operations will be handled by fellow Peruvian-born chef Favio Gonzales, formerly of Sardi’s and Barca in Old Town.
Desserts will include tres leches; a Basque-style corn cheesecake; and a faux mango filled with mango mousse. A chocolate confection molded into a golden coin will bring together chocolates with different flavors and textures from various cacao-producing countries.
Cocktails will be equally cross-continental, from mojitos to margaritas to pisco sours to caipirinhas.
The restaurant will also have a menu specifically geared toward takeout. Expect quesadillas, tacos, arepas, and carryout-friendly versions of other dishes on the menu—but no ceviches, because Delgado says they don’t travel well.
Brisa joins a burgeoning development at Buzzard Point, which is anchored by Audi Field and also home to The Point restaurant. “As it overlooks the water, there’s hints of a little breeze that you may get of it—and that’s where the name comes from,” Delgado says.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind DC’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.
