Shrimp and grits at Succotash. (Photo by Scott Suchman)
This post has been updated
Almost two years to the day after the first Succotash opened in National Harbor, chef Edward Lee and the team at Knead Hospitality + Design have launched the Asian and Southern-inspired restaurant in D.C.’s Penn Quarter neighborhood.
Most people probably know Lee from his appearance on “Top Chef” season 9 and his acclaimed 610 Magnolia in Louisville, Kentucky. Though he was one of the biggest stars of that city’s dining scene, he recently moved his base of operations to D.C. He’s also a six-time James Beard Award finalist.
Acting as the restaurant’s culinary director, Lee says he’s excited to open this flagship location in Washington and take advantage of a burgeoning food city. “The joy of being in D.C. is that D.C. is kind of part of the South, but it’s also a global city as well,” he says.
That gives Lee and those working in the 2,500 square-foot kitchen the freedom to experiment with expectations of what Southern food can be.
“I don’t think the clientele here is necessarily stuck on the traditions of 100 years ago,” Lee says. “I think we’re allowed to be a little more playful with the menu.”
With that in mind, expect to see favorites like chicken and waffles and barbecue pork ribs sharing the menu with inventive newcomers like blackened octopus and smashed red potatoes or the Asian-influenced roasted salmon with Southern XO sauce made with catfish and country ham instead of scallops and Chinese sausage.
“Those are really fun things for me to work on, because they really do allow me to bridge that Asian food that I like so much with the Southern tradition,” Lee says.
Succotash “2.0” is located at 915 F St. NW in the historic Equitable Bank building, which dates back to 1911. More recently, it was home to Platinum nightclub, but the new vibe is far from the pulsing dance floor that went silent nearly a decade ago.
Diners at Succotash can expect to bask in natural light that floods the dining room from the vaulted glass atrium, lounge in over-sized leather banquettes, and walk the original marble floors. Additions like the second floor balcony look like part of the original, and the upstairs back bar is outfitted as a replica of the National Harbor restaurant ,with its brick walls and iron accents.
The reinvigorated space is the work of Knead Hospitality + Design founders Jason Berry and Michael Reginbogin, architecture firm //3877, and the DC Preservation League.
Dinner service began last night, and brunch and lunch are expected to follow later this month. Entrees on the opening menu range between $17 and $32, with appetizers and sharing plates from $9 to $24. Add to that a selection of wines, beers, bourbon cocktails, and indulgent desserts made in-house.
Diners familiar with the Maryland location will notice some differences, including some more refined options as well as lighter fare for lunch guests. Lee estimates about half the menu will be new for D.C., and part of that is a due to the larger kitchen (in Maryland, for example, there’s not enough room to fry beignets). It’ll also switch out based on seasonality and the whims of the chef.
“Our starting point is a Southern food menu,” Lee says. “But from there we can kind of go wherever we want.”
Succotash is located at 915 F St. NW. Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Fridays, 3 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Saturdays and 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sundays. Brunch to launch soon.
