Compass Rose’s Middle Eastern shakshuka. (Photo by Compass Rose)
What: Shakshuka
Where to find it: Compass Rose, DGS, Equinox, Ghibellina
Much like its geopolitical situation, Middle Eastern cuisine is not without controversy. The region’s intertwined flavors and cultures makes determining who “owns” what dish a discussion without an end, and shakshuka is no exception. Is it Israeli? Lebanese? North African? Don’t get started. We can all just agree it’s delicious.
The dish is elegant in its simplicity, yet knows endless variations. At its core, shakshuka is made by poaching eggs in a skillet filled with a bubbling tomato stew of peppers, onions, herbs, and spices (it’s popular for breakfast and brunch). From there, it takes a life of its own.
Rose Previte, owner of Compass Rose (1346 T St. NW), was not immune to the controversy. She got some heat from diners when her restaurant debuted shakshuka ($14) on its globetrotting menu.
“I remembered having it in Israel and loving it,” Previte says. “We attributed the country of origin to Israel, with a few of our own touches of course, but got a lot of feedback from customers that it was not fair to call it just Israeli.”
After doing some research, the restaurant now simply credits the dish to the Middle East.
“Not surprisingly, our guests often have strong opinions about where a dish came from and how authentic it is,” Previte says.
In its liveliest version, shakshuka is presented at the table right in its hot, tomato skillet bath. At DGS (1317 Connecticut Ave. NW), as with many other restaurants, that’s exactly what happens. DGS serves a traditional take for brunch ($15) that sports chili flakes for some extra heat, and another ($19) that features spiced lamb, paprika, and enough garlic to ward off a horde of vampires. Both options arrive with grilled rye bread and are topped with labneh, cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds.
“We wanted to take advantage of the beauty of this food while serving it in the skillet,” owner Nick Wiseman says. “We also like to play with other Mediterranean influence, which is where the spiced lamb version comes from.”
Downtown, Equinox (818 Connecticut Ave. NW) also takes advantage of heady Middle Eastern spices, served only when ingredients are available ($19). Chef Todd Gray creates a proprietary blend into a sautée of onion, poblano and red peppers, and garlic. He then adds the house-made rustic tomato sauce. It’s served with flatbread to soak it all up. The shakshuka might also star in a brunch role at the soon-to-open Museum of the Bible, where Chef Gray will be running the restaurant.
Since it’s such an international dish, it makes sense to find shakshuka outside Middle Eastern menus, too. Ghibellina (1610 14th St. NW) also has the dish on its brunch menu, but here it’s made with Italian herbs and spices, and marinated portobellos ($13). The previous chef, Jonathan Copeland, initially put it on the menu, and it’s recently been brought back due to customer demand, now with even more Italian influence.
