Please welcome DCist’s latest food contributor, Melissa McCart
Finding W Domku among liquor stores and takeout joints is only half the adventure in a visit to Kera Carpenter’s Scandinavian & Eastern European restaurant. The rest is exploring the range of food and drink options from those regions in this Petworth gem.

Despite the name — W Domku means “in the little house” in Polish — opening this restaurant has been a quite a journey for Carpenter. “It took seven months for me to get a liquor license,” she said. Luckily, she didn’t go it alone. A friend designed the back fresco in the style of the Swedish Gustavian period. Her father helped build tables from scrap lumber. Strangers from the neighborhood showed up on her doorstep to help her paint. “I did put together the chandeliers myself,” she said. Having ordered them online, Carpenter received them with hundreds of glass pieces individually wrapped.

The drinks alone are worth the trip. Most beer selections are from the former Eastern Bloc since, as Carpenter noted, “Eastern Europeans know how to make beer.” The house-infused aquavits, perfected by Chef Eric Evans, are for the more daring. On our last visit, we sampled a very chilled — and very hot — pimento and chili infused version. Those looking to stay cool may venture toward the popular lemon and vanilla or the lemongrass and ginger. “Rose petal is my favorite today,” said Evans, a former chef at Café Atlantico, who changes aquavit flavors throughout the season.