The corner of 9th and I streets NW wasn’t too friendly to 901 Restaurant & Bar. The lounge concept, opened by David von Storch—the man behind Capitol City Brewery—lasted less than two years and included one major menu overhaul. It closed its doors last January, surrounded by a flurry of in-development construction sites.
But maybe all that was needed was another beer place. That’s what the investors behind City Tap House are hoping. They’ve replicated their gastropub concept from Philadelphia to that corner, which no longer fronts a parking lot, but rather the City Center compound beginning to spring to life across the street. Additionally, there’s a nearby Marriott Marquis that’s slated to open in a few months. A City Tap House manager chatted up my table during a January dinner before heading next door to deliver thank you coupons to the concierges at the Renaissance Hotel. They had already sent four tables worth of customers over that night.
Fancy lounges have their niches, but almost anyone can feel comfortable at an ale house. Beer fans will find a lot to like at City Tap House. The space — which mixes industrial chic, overlaid wood panels, candle shades, and wreathes — reminds one of a high-ceilinged ski lodge is snowy Vermont. Beer flows to the bar from a glass windowed keg room in the back. A date-stamped 40-option strong beer list is broken into sections like “Bitters, Browns, Scottish, and Barleywines.” And a list of what’s on deck to be tapped next. There’s also a respectable, but not overwhelming page for bottle-conditioned, vintage, and seasonal suds. A staff member with connection to Terrapin Beer Company introduced me to several of their beers as the Athens, Ga. brewery works to enter the D.C. market. Their Mosaic, one of two cask ales featured, is described as especially tweaked for City Tap House with orange peel, cinnamon, clove, and ginger.
The food menu is largely the same in D.C. as it is in Philadelphia, but with some variations, especially on the daily supper section. Their term is “gourmet, American pub fare.” A generous plate of ten-spice wings sport a bold dry rub that could have gained them entry to our best wings list a few weeks ago. If only they had been sampled sooner. For an inventive ham-and-cheese plate with shaved ham, they serve pieces of pickled green tomatoes, and a small mason jar of spicy pimento cheese. My one complaint is that I don’t have more bread to slather the spicy pimento cheese with. There’s a hearty lamb-neck gravy that stands out on the appetizer menu; a cast iron skillet of generously meaty lamb stew that’s a great way to fill up for $10. As for the mussels, there’s three preparations available. but the Mexican version—served with chorizo and poblano peppers that packs enough flavor in the broth—is the best (though it’s the slices of house made focaccia bread the bowls are served with that really drive them home).
Beyond the apps, the focus of the restaurant is firmly on selling the beer-drinking crowd on their entrées. The only thing between a bun on the dinner menu is a hamburger, which isn’t anything to write home about. Plates with much higher aspirations than nachos or French dip dominate the menu. Monkfish osso buco, rib eye or steak frites, rabbit bolognese, jumbo scallops with curried cauliflower, and piquillo pepper coulis are exceptional options. This isn’t a traditional pub menu.
Although I’ve been a few times on my own, the restaurant invited us in for a preview and was eager for some instant feedback to measure the early success of their menu. A kale salad has a lot of appealing components and would be more successful if slightly less dressed. Thursday night’s special is a Flintstones-esque crispy pork shank with applesauce, borrowed from Maloney & Porcelli where David Burke made a name for himself in New York. But the dish needs a sharp contrast to balance out the sweetness of the applesauce and the mildness of the meat that the sweet potatoes it’s served with doesn’t offer. And maybe a bit more crackling action.
But let’s not deviate from the obvious: it’s the beer that’s the restaurant’s strongest suit. Drink prices are very reasonable for the neighborhood. Full pours (pints or smaller depending on the brew) are mostly $6 or $7 and tasting portions are also available. Some are discounted to $5 during happy hour (5 to 7 p.m.).
When I last visited, a couple of women more dolled up than I’d expect for a late weekday night at an ale house entered as I’m heading out the door post-dinner. Did they think 901 Restaurant still occupied the corner? Maybe this ale house is the new chic.
City Tap House
901 9th Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 644-9433
