Insatiable • Celeste McCall

Insatiable

by Article and photos by Celeste McCall

As Washington emerges from pandemic doldrums, Mount Vernon Square welcomes Truluck’s, the first Washington offshoot of a high-end Houston-based national group. You’ll find the classy newcomer at 700 K St. NW, where we enjoyed a sneak preview. On a Thursday evening, the restaurant was humming. As we arrived, we were led up a sweeping, red patterned carpeted staircase. Chandeliers glittered overhead as we sank into our horseshoe-shaped maroon booth. Our attentive server, Rafael Llanos, offered us citrus slices for our water. Nice, if a slightly pretentious, touch. As we sipped Cloudy Bay Marlborough (New Zealand) Sauvignon Blanc and a subline Albarino from the awesome wine and cocktail list, we snacked on freshly baked parmesan rolls. The bread was warm and inviting, but we should have left more space for executive chef Laurence Cohen’s incredible creations. That night’s specialty was a huge South African lobster tail, priced at $95. We were tempted, but would have needed several friends to help us consume the thing. Another option was the equally daunting Alaska king crab legs, offered at market price. Instead, we settled for a pair of appetizers: jumbo lump crab cake with dilled tartar sauce, almost pure crab with no filling. Beautifully presented salt and pepper calamari—escorted by Vietnamese chili sauce and a mustard dip--was deliciously crunchy. The dish could have fed three or more. A nice intermezzo was our shared wedge salad, sprinkled with bacon, cherry tomatoes, and lots of bleu cheese. Then we shared the pan-seared scallops; the quintet of velvety textured mollusks was ringed with golden beet pesto and drizzled with emerald green herbed oil. Another entrée option was roasted whole Mediterranean branzino with lemon, olives and taramasalata (Greek fish roe dip). We also passed over the broiled 16-ounce prime New York strip and had to skip generous sides including lobster mashed potatoes and crab-fried rice. We actually considered filet mignon crowned with that divine lobster; next time. We also had to pass on dessert: a huge wedge of carrot cake, key lime pie, or fresh berries. Truluck’s is definitely a special occasion place, complete with live piano music nightly. Dinner for two with wine can exceed $200. Truluck’s is open daily; call 202-898-0680 or visit www.trulucks.com. Buttery Breakfast Fare Andre McCain, founder and CEO of Shaw’s HalfSmoke and Butter Me Up, is unveiling his next bricks-and-mortar enterprise in Logan Circle. McCain opened his Butter Me Up popup in May 2020 to help meet the demand for neighborhood breakfast

Glittering chandeliers dominate the elegant dining area at Truluck’s, the upscale seafood restaurant in Mount Vernon Square.

options. So far, the Shaw pop-up has sold more than 72,000 breakfast sandwiches. “We launched Butter Me Up at the beginning of the pandemic when morale was down and restaurants were forced to close for dining,” said McCain. “Now, a year later….this new location will also allow us to continue to grow and expand offerings at Butter Me Up and HalfSmoke.” Look for his bricks-and-mortar restaurant at 1409 T St. NW later this month. The menu will feature the Shaw pop-up dishes, along with Greek yogurt and granola; chicken & waffles; shrimp & grits; breakfast tacos; fried Oreo (or red velvet) pancakes; mac-and-cheese. To drink: fresh fruit juices, farm-to-cup coffee from Buna Coffeehouse and teas from Calabash Tea & Tonic. Both purveyors are local. Headier libations include Mimosas, Bloody Marys and other cocktails, beer and wine. Meanwhile, located at 651 Florida Ave, NW, pop-up Butter Me Up is open for carryout and delivery daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. For additional information or to place an order, call 202-9862127 or visit GrubHub: https://www.grubhub. com, Postmates: https://postmates.com, UberEats: https://www.ubereats.com, or DoorDash: https:// www.doordash.com Blagden Alley Blather Shhhh! Don’t tell anybody, but Washington now At Truluck’s, server Rafael Llanos displays an enormous South has a speakeasy. Never Looked Better, a stunning African lobster tail and huge Alaska king crab legs. Shaw’s lively breakfast pop-up, Butter Me Up, offers tasty scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, and more.

basement cocktail bar, debuted recently at 130 Blagden Alley NW. You’ve gotta see this place. Sequestered behind a grey unmarked door plastered with stickers, the bar’s zany moniker is spelled out in neon pink. To reach the modern “speakeasy,” customers descend leaf-lined stairs and pass through a storage room to reach their destination, described as di erent from anything Washington has ever seen. e interior is splashed with more neon, black lights, mirrors and subway tiles. e bar’s cocktail menu features o beat renditions of old favorites: Cosmopolitans, gin-and-tonics, Manhattans, martinis, plus shooters, wine and beer. To soak up all that alcohol: Never Looked Better plans to host pop-ups from eateries including Daru, a future Indian restaurant near H St. NE. Naturally, there’s a happy hour. For more information, visit www.neverlookedbetterdc. com.

And….Practically next door, Columbia Room is set to reopen its indoor “Spirits Library Bar,” joining its al fresco rooftop Spritz Garden and ground level “streetery.” You’ll nd Columbia Room at 124 Blagden Alley NW. Call 202-316-9396 or visit www. columbiaroomdc.com.

Tucked away in Blagden Alley, Columbia Room reopened its indoor “Spirits Library Bar,” joining the al fresco rooftop Spritz Garden. Logan Lowdown Logan Circle welcomes Hush, a rooftop poolside bar perched atop the Viceroy Washington Hotel. e new hostelry replaces the Kimpton-managed Mason and Rook Hotel. e lofty newcomer serves snazzy tropical cocktails with monikers like Le Reina (local rum, no sherry and caramelized banana) and the Green Hat oral gin and tonic spritzed with lime and coconut water). Complementing these potent potables are Mediterranean dips, spiced nuts, boards loaded with Italian and Spanish cured meats, Catalan-style coca (Spanish style pizza) atbreads, roasted chicken with wild nettles and robiola (Italian soft-ripened) cheese, assorted mezze platters (minted hummus, tabbouleh, naan. Located at 1430 Rhode Island Ave. NW, Hush is open ursday to Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. Call 202-742-3100 or visit www. viceroyhotelsandresorts.com Market Watch While we were lunching at Union Market’s Rappahannock Oyster Bar, my companion noticed a new kiosk: Immigrant Foods. anks to a fusion menu created by chef Enrique Limardo, customers can sample dishes from around the globe including Asian chicken wings, “Havana” and “Old Saigon” sandwiches, West African gumbo, Indian samosas, Belgian fries. ( e original Immigrant Foods opened at 1701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW in November 2019.) Union Market is located at 1309 Fifth In Shaw’s Blagden Alley, Columbia Room’s “Spritz Garden” rooftop St. NE.) For more information, visit www. joins recently reopened “Spirits Library Bar.” immigrantfood.com. ◆

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