It feels like summer took a ride with Mario Andretti. We need comfortable, solid and slow, as soon as possible. This column was written while sliding into soft openings and visiting some tried and true restaurant go-tos.
What we’ve heard
Openings
The new spot in the old Brenner Pass from Brittanny Anderson is officially open (make a resy online)—we stopped in to get a little preview. The fried fish sandwich is a commanding bite with schredduce for days and a fat, fried fish piece. You can learn more about the inspo behind her new concept here.
The uber-anticipated Gather for Grace also just hosted their soft opening. Expect natural wines and seasonal fare in the previous Odyssey (and before this, Billy Pie) location.
District Prime Chophouse
The great people behind Marylou’s are settling into the old Cabo Fish Taco. Expect more from us on that soon.
Morty’s officially opened Friday, Sept. 19 and we are already fan-girling over Jay Bayer and Adam Stull’s combo focacceria, market, sandwich shop and love letter to Eastern Europe and Italy on Brookland Park Boulevard. The bread is currently made by Bayer and features a 24-hour ferment, leading to a heartier texture and flavor (that we devoured).
Cutlet queens, go now for the Chicky Gabagool featuring a tender, crispy cutlet topped with a zesty combo of capicola, paprikash, stracciatella and basil. Mamaliga is a Romanian dish similar to polenta that’s topped with a standout, hearty Sunday sauce, Cevapi Balkan sausage and Snezhanka yogurt dip — it fulfills all our fall food fantasies. And don’t skip the homey, rich tiramisu that is boozy with a pleasing hint of citrus, too.
The space has a fresh bar with a creative cocktail list and interesting wine and beer selections — you’ll find bottles to go as well. Coming soon will be more takeout goods like Ajvar, a smoky Balkan dip that Bayer has been making at home for years. Morty’s will also be staying open until 1 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, adding another late-night spot to the Northside.
Remedy Burger at The Veil Scott’s Addition
“We were in lease negotiations with a different location when I saw the story The Veil shared,” Ben Reed, owner of Remedy Burger, says. “I remembered when they announced the plans for the space, went to experience the location and Nokoribi’s food, and then saw that they were leaving.”
Reed reached out to their distributor, Reverie Distribution and said, “Hey—I’d love to throw my hat in the ring.” Ten days later, the deal was set and Remedy Burger opened in The Veil Brewing in Scott’s Addition.
This marks a third location for Benjamin and Lauren Reed, who also own the original Remedy Burger in Staunton, Va. as well as Staunton’s The Green Room, a wine and beer bar focused on natural wines and great beer. The inspiration for that space came from an anniversary trip, paired with admiration for the way breweries like Triple Crossing and The Veil approach beer with thoughtfulness.
The approach to food at Remedy is just as intentional. “Simple isn’t easy,” Reed says. “Let’s get the buns toasted perfectly. Let’s get the Maillard reaction right.”
He’s partnered with local bakeries for the buns — Seasons Yield Farm in Staunton and RVA Bakehouse in Richmond; adding that Kim Buehler of RVA Bakehouse “developed the prototype for the burgers in 24 hours,” he says.
The rhythm of the business is still taking shape. “We’re busy, but we’re still building the lunch business, which is tough to do inside a brewery — it’s hard to separate the two,” says Reed. “But weekends are very busy.” The constraint is deliberate, he adds. “I refuse to do shortcuts. You can’t hot-hold a burger. We’re limited by the space, so food only goes out so fast. I’d rather people wait on a great burger than get a not-so-great burger faster.”
It’s a principle he likens to his time in theater. “If you can do it slow, you can do it fast,” says Reed. “And we’re slowly getting the faster right.”
Where we’ve been
Brunching
Have you stopped by Laura Lee’s lately? We popped in for a recent Saturday brunch (LL offers Sunday brunch, too).
There’s something about the airy, plant-filled spot that just feels right in the daylight with a menu that spans breakfast and lunch-y dishes. Whichever way you go, start with the Zing-Zang Mussels, which left our table literally fighting over who got to drink the zesty, spicy broth. Other standouts include the sausage gravy, the crab cakes and the double cheeseburger. To drink: The off-menu espresso martini packs the right amount of coffee and booze to get your day going. Saturday brunch is rare! Go!
Also speaking of Saturday daytime brunch and booze, Juan More Taco recently launched a Saturday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with tres leches pancakes, a brunch concha burger or crunch wrap and corn cake rancheros. Every menu item is also available vegan. To drink, choose from seasonal agua frescas, French press coffee and mimosa pitchers.
Oh, you want Sunday brunch? We’ve got a spot for that, too. Trouvaille just launched Sunday brunching with crab toast and duck dumpling starters, plus entrees like shrimp and grits, salmon benedict and chicken biscuits. This feels like your pre-theater or pull-out-all-the-stops celebration vibe.
Tried and true
Sure, it may seem like we only hit the new, new spots, but fret not: We eat everywhere, all the time. And lately, it’s been classic Greek restaurants.
We slipped into Demi’s in Bellevue recently and it delivered across the board. Service was sharp and the martini (gin, naturally) was, too — cold, clean and “bang on.”
Our plate of hummus arrived silky and bright with just the right amount of garlic kick. The sausage orecchiette with arugula brought the spice with the pasta cooked just right and the greens folded in for a peppery freshness. Two takes on salmon showed off this tiny kitchen’s range: one dressed with a briny, punchy caper relish, the other softened by garlic and olive oil. Order the gigantes — we always forget how good they are until they’re done this well.
Tucked on Robinson Street, Athens Tavern has been churning out Greek cuisine since the 1980s, with Josephine Giavos Flemotomos and her husband Spiros at the helm since 2017. We recently popped in and were thoroughly pleased with cozy family vibes, an affordable Greek wine selection and homey vibes. Most entrees come with a salad — of course, you want to make it Greek with feta and anchovies. Arnaki, featuring red-wine-braised-lamb in tomato sauce, is ideal comfort food for these edging-toward-fall evenings, while Scallop Reganata with oregano lemon butter and feta holds onto the flavors of summer. Whatever you order, don’t skip baklava for dessert.
Where we’re headed (again soon)
Megan: I recently took a one-last-gasp-of-summer road trip to Virginia Beach and finally made it to Love Song, where it seems like everyone has a tie to Richmond, including co-owner Mike Hill, chef de cuisine Jake Keller and sommelier Brittany Herlig, all who formerly worked together at Heritage. The menu features seasonal, rotating small plates and right now you need the crunchy, chilled shaved beets; the hearty mushroom tartine; the duck breast with decadent sauce au poivre; and the gnudi with herby ricotta and trout roe. Bring a crew and order one of everything.
Robey: I’m so thrilled Megan finally made it to Love Song. I can’t even think about anything else. Here’s my review from when it first opened. Pro-tip: the Back Bar is not to be missed. When walking down a tiny hallway, the restaurant somehow morphs from finer dining and becomes a see-and-be-seen spot for DJs and pop-ups like Acid Fish. Do not miss the espresso martini—it’s incredible.
—XOXO Megan and Robey
