First Look: CommonWealth
CommonWealth, the new British gastropub from Chef Jamie Leeds, officially opened last night. DCist got a sneak peek on Friends and Family Night on Monday.
The menu covers a lot of ground, from traditional bar snacks like Scotch eggs to workmen's pastries and pies to fish 'n' chips, Welsh rarebit and mushy peas. Feel free to apply gratuitous amounts of the piccalilli - a relish of pickled cauliflower and carrots - to cut through the richness of the cuisine; a bottle is available on every table.
Charcuterie goes head to tail with house-made headcheese and black pudding, pigs' trotters and sweetbreads. The desserts are the British treats of dentists' nightmares - sticky toffee pudding and treacle tarts. Also worth noting is the beer list that includes two cask-conditioned ales - one Victory and a rotating international brew, drafts available in half-pints, and flights. The bar manager, John, mentioned there are still a number of different beers trickling in from abroad, as well as both casks.
According to Leeds, CommonWealth will be starting brunch service in a few weeks. There is already an English breakfast on the menu, so you can expect to see more of the same at brunch.
CommonWealth is open for limited hours on weekdays for about one month. It will be closed on Mondays, and open Tuesday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to midnight. When the restaurant is up and running at full speed later in September, the hours should switch to 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. every weekday.
CommonWealth
1400 Irving St. NW
202-265-1400