The restaurant family that has brought D.C. some of its biggest hits — including Lauriol Plaza and Cactus Cantina — has just opened Alfresco Tap and Grill, a casual neighborhood spot in Adams Morgan.
True to its name, the restaurant incorporates generous amounts of outdoor dining with 212 patio seats. The building features floor to ceiling glass windows in a modern structure, along with a retractable roof over the patio and drum chandeliers that can be used for heating, making it suitable for dining all year around.
The project has been more than six years in the making. Managing Partner Cindy Sanchez, her husband, Jaime, father, Raul, and another partner, Luis Reyes, began working on the plans in 2017. Unlike their other restaurants, with Alfresco, they were starting from scratch in a lot that previously housed a gas station.
Early ideas included a two-story space with a focus on indoor dining, but Cindy says that did not appeal to the family because “ we could find that type of spot anywhere.” They went back to the drawing board, and switched to a focus outdoor dining, with some indoor. With the pandemic, the outdoor dining became even more crucial — and they cemented the idea for Alfresco, including its name.
“Given that this is a new build, we made sure to incorporate some important design aspects — a green roof that we will use for planting herbs, inbuilt stormwater management; and most importantly wheelchair accessibility in the neighborhood filled with old buildings that don’t support it,” says Cindy Sanchez. The design team also incorporated sound absorption into the ceilings, so the expansive space does not become too loud for conversation even when at capacity.
Inside, the 123-seat dining room is accented with brick, steel, patterned tile, and warm wood tones. A large copper bar with steel bottle shelves and planters anchors the space and opens to the adjacent courtyard. Large windows blend the outdoor dining areas with the interior. Grupo7, the D.C. architecture and design firm that designed the space, aimed to have a modern vineyard feel, according to Grupo7 Founding Partner José Tohá. “Taking cues from wineries found in Napa Valley, we designed a modern building that blends a timeless mid-century design aesthetic with a more traditional east coast palette,” he said in a statement.
All the dining areas feature different furnishing styles, from metal woven pieces in one outdoor area to plush upholstered armchairs in others, and banquette seating as well as tables with saddle leather chairs indoors.
The menu, which includes some American, Italian, and other influences, is a departure from the team’s usual Mexican and Tex-Mex fare, including at Lauriol, which is just a couple of blocks away on 18th Street NW and opened in 1983. (Cindy grew up working there and at Cactus Cantina in Cathedral Heights.)
Alfresco features an “American tap and grill” menu, says Cindy, offering sandwiches, pizza, pasta dishes, salads, and steaks. Helmed by Chef Israel Bartoli and supported by Chefs José Manuel Téllez and Gonzalo Valdes, the menu spans dishes that are casual and comforting with a contemporary twist. While Bartoli was born and raised in Spain, his time in D.C. over the past decade has been spent in kitchens of former tapas stalwart La Tasca, Ben’s Next Door, and Wagshal’s in Spring Valley.
His cooking style is greatly influenced by his Spanish, French and Italian heritage. “Growing up in kitchens of restaurants with my family, we spent hours together over food and recipes,” says Bartoli. “You will see heavy Italian and Spanish influences across my dishes.”
Drop in for lunch and dinner, and you’ll see appetizers such as tuna crudo with avocado puree and togarashi (a Japanese spice mixture), prosciutto involtino with arugula, duck rolls made with duck confit, leeks, and carrots; and crabcake croquettes with Old Bay remoulade. Other starters include a fritura mixta — fried calamari, shrimp and peppers; mini grilled cheese sandwiches, and short rib sliders.
Main plates include shrimp and grits — grilled jumbo shrimp with cheesy grits and bacon lardons — steak frites, herb crusted salmon, and eggplant parmesan. Pastas ranging from a primavera with vegetables to spaghetti and meatballs are also on offer, along with a handful of pizzas made with Italian flour and finished in a wood fired oven. Sandwich offerings round out the mains — burgers spiced with Sriracha, salmon po-boys, cheesesteaks and a crab cake sandwich are part of the selection.
Prices average $12 for appetizers, $20-30 for mains, and $18 for sandwiches. Steak frites and a surf and turf plate top it off at $45.
For drinks, expect draft and bottled beers, priced from $7-$12, wines by the glass, priced at $9 to $15, and bottles starting at $25. To add to the breezy outdoor vibe, Alfresco also offers a variety of frozen drinks, including a slushy margarita and a frozen negroni, for $9-$15.
Signature cocktails include the martini limoncello, made with citron vodka, lemon, and turmeric syrup; the “power mojito” with kale and kiwi, and the Italian mojito with basil leaves and mint syrup
“We wanted to create an unfussy contemporary restaurant with an upscale spin on traditional menu items. A main goal is to have this be a neighborhood restaurant just like our other spots,” Sanchez says. “This is a neighborhood I’ve been coming to practically my entire life.”
Alfresco Grill and Tap is located at 2009 18th St. NW and open Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m., and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. on Sunday. Brunch will be coming soon. Happy hour is offered Monday through Friday, from 3 – 6 p.m. with drinks and food specials.
