About DC Restaurant Openings
A guide to the newest places to eat and drink.
Rosa’s Diner, 1011 K St NW
Rosa’s Diner, through a combination of Latin American flavors and classic all-American bites, is adding an elevated all-day diner experience to DC’s vibrant Hispanic food scene.
The concept is the brainchild of Tiffany Sawyer, who has worked for years as a culinary consultant and chef for hotels and resorts. She says the space in the historic row houses previously occupied by oyster bar Parlour Victoria immediately spoke to her as a diner. Sawyer noticed a lack of classic all-day diners in the area despite their popularity, so she decided to elevate the traditional diner experience by bringing in Latin American flavors and techniques. The team opened the establishment in late May.
“One of the things that was really important to me, not only to be a neighborhood spot and to have familiarity, but also see something you haven’t seen before, but also to make this a social spot,” Sawyer says.
To execute that vision, she brought in executive chef Francisco Pomalaza to incorporate flavors all around Latin America and put a unique twist on classic American dishes for an all-day menu. One of Pomalaza’s creations: eggs benedict with a monterey jack-stuffed pupusa, birria and aji amarillo chili hollandaise.
“We want people to feel like they can dine and not be afraid to taste these flavors by making it look familiar at first,” Pomalaza said.
The menu also features chicken and waffles with fried chicken marinated in mojo for 24 hours and served with guajillo chili maple syrup, and a smash burger with caramelized onions and bacon on Texas toast. The all-day menu means guests can get a burger at 7 AM, or waffles at 7 PM.
The food is combined with a robust coffee menu featuring hazelnut and orange honey cold brews, as well as house-made cocktails like “Rosa’s Naranjilla Daiquiri,” made with rum, lime juice and orange, and a “Horchata Coffee Martini” with vodka, horchata, vanilla and coffee.
The restaurant itself features a long bar outfitted with stools for patrons, classic diner-style booths and a walk-up counter as well as more traditional tables. A spiral staircase leads guests up to a “Library” area which guests can use as a work space, which the team in the coming weeks plans to turn into a speakeasy on select nights.
Sawyer said she intends for Rosa’s to be a place where people can gather, work, dine or grab a bite on the go.
“It’s really important for me that people understand that this is about gathering, it’s about neighborhood,” Sawyer said. “It’s about friends, it’s about having sociability.”
