Tasting Table: D.C.’s Best New Restaurants for Spring 2018

From Tasting Table by Lani Furbank:

“The start of spring signals new life, and that includes a jolt of fresh energy in D.C.’s restaurant scene. Prominent chefs and restaurateurs are expanding their empires with new additions, The Wharf is preparing for a second round of openings and we’ll even see the arrival of a Philly transplant. Here are the most exciting restaurant openings of the 2018 spring season.

Fancy Radish

Philadelphia’s plant-based phenomenon, Vedge Restaurant Group, is putting down roots on H Street with a restaurant dedicated to vegetables. Fancy Radish, named after a Vedge signature dish, will incorporate aspects of both the street food bar, V Street, and the more upscale cuisine at the flagship. The menu will give produce the star treatment, with dishes like rutabaga fondue and dan dan noodles with slivered zucchini and oyster mushrooms.

Gravitas

After many months of anticipation, chef Matt Baker is now poised to debut in Ivy City in the former Pappas Tomato Factory. The tasting menu concept will take an elevated approach to classically inspired fare, with a commitment to hyper-local sourcing from the rooftop garden and the Chesapeake region. As such, there will be a robust selection of vegetarian offerings.

Kaliwa

The husband-and-wife duo behind Restaurant Eve, Hummingbird and Society Fair is opening a riverfront spot that features Asian cuisines: namely Korean, Thai and Filipino. Chef Cathal Armstrong has a personal affinity for both Korean and Thai food, and the Filipino influence is from his wife, Meshelle. The menu is divided by country, with family favorites in each section; think stuffed whole fish from the Philippines and spicy jjampong from Korea. The wood hearth will fire Southeast Asian staples, and an outdoor grill will sear skewered meat and other street food in the summer.”

Read about the rest of the openings HERE!

Featured photo by Timothy Yantz.