Thursday, August 18, 2016

Labor Day Eats in DC

Keep the weekend going and do brunch on Labor Day.  If you're offering brunch and aren't on the list, please send me the details to be included.  Thanks!

On Capitol Hill, Ambar, the nation’s capital’s first Balkan restaurant, located at 523 8th Street, SE, 20003, offers a fixed price brunch of unlimited small plates and free-flowing cocktails this Labor Day, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Priced at $39 per person, excluding tax and gratuity, guests can enjoy an all-you-can-eat selection of mezze, soups, salads, sandwiches, egg dishes, pastry & crepes and sweets along with five distinctive brunch cocktails.  Bottomless Brunch must be ordered by the entire table. One might wish to start with some of Ambar’s most popular dishes including Balkan Salad, tomato, peppers, cucumber, onions and aged cheese; Egg BLT, and the Almond & Walnut Crusted Fried Chicken Sandwich with spring mix and apple-wasabi mayo.  Those looking for breakfast fare options will want to consider the Eggs Benedictthe Salmon Omelet with smoked salmon, spinach, capers, red onions and cream cheese, or Prosciutto Omelet with leeks, ajvar, arugula and prosciutto; Poached Pear Waffle with house-made caramel sauce; Steak & Eggs, sirloin served with homemade fried potatoes and chimichurri sauce, or the Balkan Scrambled Eggs with red & yellow peppers, onion, aged cow cheese, served with homemade potatoes.  Ambar also serves Ham & Cheese or Roasted Mushroom Crepesplus two types of savory pie, Cheese, with cucumber yogurt and ajvar emulsion, and Meat made with ground pork & beef and marinated pepper. Ambar’s brunch menu is complemented by a bottomless supply of featured cocktails such as the Bloody Mary; Traditional Mimosa; Pear Mimosa; Mango Mimosaand the Ambar Mimosa with Champagne and peach and lavender purée.  Ambar is also home to Washington’s first Rakia Bar with over 40 varieties of Rakia, a popular Balkan alcoholic beverage produced by the distillation of fermented fruit.  For additional information please call (202) 813-3039 and visit www.ambarrestaurant.com. 

Lupo Verde, located in the bustling 14th Street corridor at 1401 T Street, NW, 20009, will offer brunch service from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  The a la carte menu showcases authentic, rustic, Italian fare featuring a variety of antipasti, breakfast pizzas, house-made pastas, egg dishes, and crepes.  Guests can also take advantage of Lupo Verde's “Social Brunch” menu, which allows guests to select one antipasti, one side dish, two pastas or egg dishes and one distinctive brunch cocktail off the featured menu.  The new family-style menu is priced at $35 per person (tax and gratuity not included) and must be ordered for the entire table.   Standout dishes include Insalata Lupo Verde with Boston lettuce, mushrooms, parmigiano, red onion, hazelnuts and quail eggs; Homemade Pancakes with fig jam, walnuts, sweet ricotta, vinvotto and fresh berries; Spaghetti alla Carbonara, homemade spaghetti with guanciale, eggs and pecorino; Strozzapreti with eggplant, zucchini, olives, tomato pesto, rucola, and barilotto; Uova In Camicia, poached eggs in San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh basil and shallots, served with grilled bread, as well as Omelette Di Funghi e Speck with eggs, onions, mushrooms, pecorino, speck, mozzarella and green onions, served with a mixed green salad.  For an additional $10, diners can order additional libations made by Don Ciccio & Figli such as Hibiscus Liqueur, Cinque Aperitivo, and Mandarin Orange Liqueur, as well as a carafe of Bloody Mary or Mimosa.  Brunch cocktails are priced at $12 each.  Dishes are also available a la carte brunch with prices ranging from $10 to $24 each.  For more information or reservations, please call the restaurant directly at (202) 827-4726 or visit http://www.lupoverdedc.com/.

El Centro D.F., with two locations in the district, serves up all-you-can-eat authentic Mexican brunch this Labor Day.  Brunch is offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Georgetown and 14th Street locations.  Priced at $35 per person (tax and gratuity not included), guests can enjoy an endless selection from the entire brunch menu, with options such as Jalapeño Beef & Chorizo Slider with Chihuahua cheese, avocado, pickled jalapeno and aji Amarillo aioli; Buttermilk Pancakes with fresh berries, queso requeson and orange tequila marmalade; Bacon, Egg and Cheese Tacos with Chihuahua cheese and scallions; Fried Egg Divorciados smothered in red and green salsa with chorizo and black beans, as well as the Breakfast Enchilada with scrambled eggs, morita bean sauce and chorizo.  Bottomless brunch drinks such as the Mimosa, MicheladaBloody Maria, El Centro Margarita and a choice of seasonal Aqua Fresca cocktails, complement the unlimited brunch offering.  The all-you-can-eat brunch menu must be ordered for the entire table.  El Centro D.F. is located at 1819 14th Street, NW, 20009.  For reservations please call (202) 328-3131. El Centro Georgetown is located at 1218 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, 20007.  For reservations at the Georgetown location, please call (202) 333-4100.  For further information, please visit the websites at http://www.richardsandoval.com/elcentrodf and http://www.richardsandoval.com/elcentrogtown.

Located in the lively 14th Street neighborhood at 1825 14th Street, NW, 20009, Masa 14 serves colorful cuisine to brunch-goers this Labor Day.  A prix fixe brunch is available in the main dining room from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for $39 (tax and gratuity excluded, with the last seating at 2 p.m.).  It includes an unlimited selection of brunch drinks such as the Traditional Mimosa, Masa Mimosa, Lychee Bellini, Bloody Mary, Bacon Bloody Mary and Lemon Lager.  The menu features a selection of Salads, Eggs and Such, Sandwiches, Sweets and Sides, including Pork Belly Benedict with spicy curry potato cake and chipotle hollandaise; Chilaquiles, corn tortillas, chorizo, queso cotija and soft scrambled eggs; Smoked Chicken Hash with caramelized onions, chilies, chipotle hollandaise, yucca and poached eggFruit & House-Made Granola with citrus yogurt and blood orange syrup, as well as the Crispy Smoked Brisket Bun with hoisin BBQ, pickled onion, toasted sesame and cilantro.  This special brunch offer must be ordered for the entire table.  Brunch can also be ordered a la carte for a light bite and prices range from $4 to $13 per dish.  For more information or reservations, please call (202) 328-1414 or visit www.richardsandoval.com/masa14.

Situated next to the Gallery Place/Chinatown metro, Zengo, located at 781 7th Street, NW, 20001, offers Bottomless Brunch this Labor Day, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Priced at $39 per person and $10 per child under 10 (tax and gratuity excluded), guests can enjoy an all-you-can-eat selection of ceviche, sushi, and salads, dim sum and antojitos, and brunch plates along with seven distinctive brunch cocktails.  Bottomless Brunch must be ordered by the entire table and the menu is offered exclusively for the prix fixe service.  The unlimited brunch menu includes tempting small plates such as Shrimp Ceviche with coconut, charred pineapple, red onion, basil and bonito flake; Thai Chicken Empanadas with chile poblano, Oaxaca cheese and mango salsa; Achiote-Hoisin Pork Arepas, corn masa, avocado and crema fresca.  Additional brunch plates include Short Rib Hash with poached egg, potato and rajas caramelized onion; Bacon & Scrambled Egg Steamed Buns with salsa verde, Oaxaca cheese and house-cured bacon, as well as Hanoi Pandan Pancakes with strawberry-guava sauce and whipped cream.  Zengo’s brunch menu is complemented by bottomless featured cocktails such as the Bloody Mary, Bloody MariaandSake Sangria, as well as four types of mimosas: Mimosa Traditional, Passion Fruit Mimosa, Guava Mimosa and the Pomegranate Mimosa.  For reservations or additional information please call (202) 393-2929 or visit www.richardsandoval.com/zengodc.

Toro Toro, located at 1300 I Street, NW, 20005, will offer their popular brunch service from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Labor Day.  Brunch is priced at $39 per person (tax and gratuity it not included), and begins with a choice of Pan-Latin small plates that showcase South and Central American cuisine, including seasonal salads, meats, a raw bar, and assorted breads and cheeses, presented on the lavish buffet.  Next up, diners can enjoy Toro Toro’s “Rodizio Experience,” with choices that include Picanha Steak, Chorizo Sausage, Achiote Chicken or Chef’s Daily Selection.  Diners can also order from chef’s daily creation of hot sides.  Standouts include Papas Bravas; Tortilla Espanola; Chorizo & Potato Hash; Chipotle-Agave Bacon; Mexican-Chocolate Waffles with Nutella and bananas, as well as Chilaquiles Verdes.  Toro Toro’s brunch menu is complemented by a Bloody Mary Bar, where guests can create their own cocktail by selecting from a list of premium vodka or tequila, house-made mixers, and large collection of hot sauces and garnishes.  Also available are a bottomless supply of featured cocktails such as the Seasonal Spiked LemonadeTraditional MimosaToro Mimosa with Champagne and fresh passion fruit purée; Mango Mimosa with Champagne and fresh mango purée, or the Blood Orange Mimosa with Champagne and fresh blood orange purée For more information and reservations visit http://www.richardsandoval.com/torotorodcor call (202) 682-9500

Over in McLean, Virginia, La Sandia, located at 7852L Tysons Corner Center, 22102, will serve their a la carte brunch, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Labor Day. The menu at La Sandia is inspired by acclaimed Chef Richard Sandoval’s culinary mantra of 'old ways, new hands.'  At the restaurant he reinterprets traditional dishes with innovative techniques and skillful presentation.  Standout brunch items include Huevos Rancheros, skillet fried eggs, refried beans, salsa al arbol, panela and chilaquiles; Enfrijoladas, scrambled egg enchiladas, bean puree, chorizo, potatoes, churros, crema and queso; Steak & Eggs, chile poblano rajas, onion, potatoes, churros, corn tamal and morita salsa; Carnitas Sopes Eggs Benedict, corn cakes, mole poblano, potatoes and plantains; Breakfast Relleno de Tamal, poblano stuffed with chicken tinga tamale, fried egg, Jalisco sauce, churros and crema, as well as Mexican Chocolate Waffles with cajeta, fried plantains, whipped cream and strawberry sauce.  Prices range from $8.95 to $15.95.  For reservations or additional information please call (703) 893-2222 or visit http://www.richardsandoval.com/lasandiavirginia/

At Washington’s Southwest Waterfront, Station 4, located at 1101 4th Street, SW, 20024, is the perfect spot for a leisurely brunch this Labor Day. Brunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Guests have the option of ordering a la carte or can enjoy endless Bloody Marys and Mimosas along with the choice of one brunch entrée for $30 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. Show-stopper dishes include Mardi Gras Omelette, smoked Andouille sausage, red peppers, crawfish, and scallions topped with hollandaise sauce, served with toast; Corned Beef Hash with two eggs any style and toast; Brioche French Toast with seasonal fruit, raspberry butter, maple syrup and powdered sugar; The Nationals, a fresh croissant with scrambled eggs, diced ham, onions, green peppers, tomatoes and melted cheese, served with a mixed green salad, as well as the Station 4 Pizza with tomato salsa, pork belly, blue cheese, caramelized onions, baby arugula, and a fig balsamic reduction. A la carte brunch items are priced from $7 to $17 each. In addition to bottomless the Mimosas and Bloody Marys, guests can enjoy specialty brunch cocktails including the Bimosa, sparkling wine, basil, St. Germain and lemon; Spritzer, sparkling wine, Aperol and maraschino cherry; The S-4, sit back, sit sparkling, and sloe and The Sunrise with orange juice, rum, lime, grenadine and sparkling wine. Cocktails are priced at $5 each. For additional information and reservations please visit www.station4dc.com, or call (202) 488-0987.

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