Got a hankering for a turkey leg or, as the temps dip colder, a DIY indoor grilling experience? Consider yourself in luck—both of those are on the menu at two new concepts as restaurants across D.C. continue to branch out in creative new ventures. Here’s a look at five new pop ups to check out.
Keep in mind: D.C. has new regulations going into effect Dec. 14 that affect restaurant hours in the wake of rising COVID-19 case numbers.
The Peruvian pop up at Service Bar isn’t exactly a pandemic fling, according to co-owner Chad Spangler. It’s heralding a shift to a focus on food at the U Street bar. And it comes after a major overhaul of the kitchen, says co-owner Glendon Hartley. “We basically changed everything,” he says.
Though Spangler, Hartley, and chef Carlos Delgado have been working on a Peruvian restaurant project in Blagden Alley for the past two years (it’s aiming to launch in the spring), Criollo gave them an opportunity to showcase a different menu: Peruvian comfort food. “Our mission here is to really be ambassadors of Peruvian cuisine,” Spangler says. He adds that there are a lot of terms and ingredients that Americans might be unfamiliar with, like tacu tacu, a rice-and-beans based dish Spangler likens to hangover food. Criollo tops it with shrimp in a cream-kissed aji picante sauce ($25). Haven’t heard of huacatay? It’s a Peruvian herb that Delgado blends with botija olives in a sauce for pulpo antecuchero, a grilled octopus dish ($19). On the drinks list, classic Peruvian liquor pisco appears in cocktails as well as punch ($11-$15).
For now, Criollo is only available for patio dining or takeout, and reservations are required. (Walk-up reservations are possible.) It runs through December. “Beyond that we’re not sure exactly what the next step is going to be,” Spangler says.
Where: 928 U St. NW
When: Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations available beginning at 5 p.m.
About a month ago, Georgetown Gourmet owner Seyhan Duru had been kicking around ideas for a pop up with a friend, restaurateur-turned-chef Aykan Demiroglu, when Demiroglu suggested porchetta, an Italian street food. “Let’s give it a try,” Duru recalls saying. And like that, Porchetta District was born.
Demiroglu, who grew up in Switzerland but spent a lot of time in Italy, says he’s been working on perfecting porchetta for years. Crafting porchetta is no small feat: It involves rolling pork belly around pork loin, with a 24-hour rest prior to roasting. Along the way, it’s seasoned with a blend of garlic, fennel pollen, crushed chili peppers, and fresh herbs. The porchetta forms the base for six sandwiches, like the Kunz Melt ($15), which adds fontina, broccoli rabe, pickled onions and truffle aioli, or the Bahn Mi’sh ($12), with pickled veggies, sriracha mayo, and cilantro.
Demiroglu says he’s very meticulous about the products he uses, such as imported Sicilian salt (“It’s expensive. Not everybody uses that, everybody uses regular salt.”) to the ciabatta he tapped artisan baker Loic Feillet to make for the sandwiches (“It’s very airy inside but very crusty on top.”). “When I do something, it’s got to be real and authentic,” Demiroglu says. “That’s what I went for.” Sandwiches are available for pickup or delivery. “We thought about it like a pop up for the moment, but we shall see,” the chef says. “We’re testing the waters.”
Where: 3421 M St. NW
When: Monday-Saturday. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Growing up in a Korean family, Eric Shin, owner of Korean fast-casual chain Seoulspice, says there was one rule: “No one is allowed to be hungry.” It’s a fitting ethos for his new Korean barbecue pop up, which he launched at two of his restaurants earlier this month. Shin says he’d been exploring the concept even before the pandemic hit, spurred on by the District’s few Korean barbecue options. “Selfishly, I’ve been wanting to do it for some time,” Shin says.
The all-you-can-eat menu centers around grilling slices of brisket tableside ($14.99 per person). “I found that there’s a huge need for quality brisket,” Shin says. “Really, the brisket gets the best boost of flavor and authenticity by cooking it on the grill.” All of the banchan, aka side dishes, are made in-house. “My grandma would be very upset if we didn’t do it that way,” Shin says. The kimchi is a Shin family recipe that ferments for about four days. “Tasting the brininess of that fresh cabbage and being able to pick out the flavors really makes a big difference,” he says. Marinated meats, such as bulgogi and spicy pork, are prepared in the kitchen to avoid creating a smoky atmosphere caused by the marinades as they char, and come at an extra cost. Other add-ons include locally made tofu, which gets a kalbi marinade, and japchae, a dish of sweet potato starch noodles and veggies.
The pop ups are “super super exclusive,” Shin says: Four indoor tables are available, but only two tables are seated at a time, to allow for proper social distancing and unrushed cleaning and sanitizing of the other tables. (Outdoor seating is for Seoulspice customers, so reservations are recommended.) They’ve also installed HEPA filtration systems at every table, and ordering and communications with staff are done through mobile. “Our No. 1 thing is to keep everyone safe, our employees and our guests,” Shin says.
Where: 145 N St. NW Suite 400 and 4600 Wisconsin Ave. NW
When: 5 p.m.-9 p.m. daily (final seating at 8 p.m.)
Last winter, Park View’s Hook Hall channeled Swiss chalets. But for 2020? “Bougie apres ski is not what I’m feeling,” says owner Anna Valero. Valhalla seemed more apropos.
To set the scene, Hook Hall rolled out plenty of fire pits, furs, and Viking decor earlier this month. (Cabana-style huts are available for 2.5-hour rentals for $125 a pop.) “It’s been fun to see people get into it,” Valero says, describing a line of patrons in Viking helmets waiting outside Hook Hall.
The menu combines familiar bar fare (think pizzas and wings) with playful additions, like the smoked turkey leg with roasted potatoes ($18.99), the two-pound Bavarian pretzel ($13.99), and the floki fries ($14.99), a take on poutine. Mead was also essential, Valero says, so the drinks list sports Scandinavian imports as well as draft mead from Charm City Meadworks. The bar also offers themed drinkware for sale, including a drinking horn ($42). “When we finally got one in, I was like, ‘Holy shit, this is legit,’” Valero says. You’re not supposed to put your horn down until you finish your drink, but Hook Hall’s horn comes with a drink stand for “a responsible take” on the tradition, she jokes. And though the pop up usually shifts quarterly, expect the primal warrior vibe to linger. “We’re going to stay Viking until the weather breaks again,” she says.
Where: 3400 Georgia Ave. NW
When: Wednesday to Friday 3 p.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Creating the secluded alley hideaway behind Corduroy and its sister restaurant, Baby Wale, wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. The space was a bit of a mystery when it came to securing a permit, says Tom Power, the chef behind the two restaurants. “No one knew whose property it was,” he says. “And the alley didn’t have a name.” It didn’t help that the permit is only from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and there’s ongoing construction nearby, so they couldn’t set up a permanent tent or heaters.
Still, everything got sorted out, and Clos Du Roy opened last month decked out with fire pits and a sweeping mountain mural designed by Power’s wife, Natsu Onoda Power. “It’s fun and it’s cozy back there,” the chef says.
The menu is “kind of a blend of the two places,” Power says. Recent offerings include steak, charred tomato soup, duck confit, and hamachi sashimi. The weather is also a factor: “If it’s looking a little chilly or rainy, then we don’t want to bring in a lot of fresh fish,” he says. It’s open seven days a week, weather permitting, Power says. (Reservations are strongly recommended, he adds.) He expects to pause the pop up once the temperatures dip colder, but envisions a return next year. “The buildings are tall so we don’t need umbrellas for sun,” he says. “I think it’s going to be fun next spring or summer.”
Where: 1122 9th St. NW
When: 5 p.m.-10 p.m. daily, weather permitting
This post has been updated with information about D.C.’s new coronavirus regulations and to update Porchetta District’s hours.
