FOOD

Home Plates These eight neighborhood bars and restaurants have been reliable bright spots for diners during the pandemic.

By City Paper staff and contributors

Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the world was our oyster. It was possible to move from place to place and cross oceans to soak in the sights, smells, and sounds of other cultures. But stopping the spread of the virus necessitates shrinking our circle. During the past five months, we’ve stayed closer to home and turned to our immediate neighborhoods with fresh eyes and renewed appreciation. We’ve explored the bars and restaurants down the block, eager to see them survive.

City Paper staff and contributors shared the restaurants and bars that have been there for them throughout the pandemic, the places we support weekly. And thanks to the D.C. region’s multicultural population and immigrant owners, there’s still a way to taste the world from home. —Laura Hayes

The Shell Shack Seafood

3809 Rhode Island Ave., Brentwood; (240) 772-1185; theshellshackseafood.com

The Shell Shack Seafood opened in April, in the midst of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Located inside the Black and womanowned Savor Food Hall in Brentwood, the Shell Shack quickly became my favorite takeout spot. As Nicole Watson, the restaurant’s director of operations, says, “pandemic or not, Spread from The Shell Shack Seafood

people want good food.”

Good food is exactly what they serve. Chef and owner Winthorpe “Skee” Spence creates Caribbean-infused seafood dishes that stand out for their creativity and execution. The portions are generous, the food is packed to travel, and the staff is friendly. Chef Spence was born in Jamaica and grew up in Queens, New York. His professional experience ranges from fine dining to food trucks, and he’s also served as the private chef for BET’s Sheila Johnson and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

First-timers must try the plantain fried rice. It’s hearty and rich, with perfectly caramelized plantains and the slightest hint of heat. In addition to being my favorite side, it makes a great meal on its own and reheats well the next day. Try adding a fried egg to make your leftovers more decadent. The lobster sliders and crab and corn fritters both make great appetizers to round out a seafood-centric meal.

Pickup and delivery are available through DoorDash and Grubhub. —Anela Malik

Huacatay

2314 4th St. NE; (202) 795-9940; facebook.com/HuacatayPolloALaBrasa

We started ordering from Huacatay when the stay-at-home order began. Pollo a la brasa (Peruvian-style roasted chicken) is my perfect mid-week treat. This virtual trip to Peru is not only delicious, but the family special feeds our family of three for a few days. It includes two charbroiled chickens, four large sides, two large sauces, and four Inca Kolas, and costs $41.50.

The sides are as much of a draw as the chicken. We usually choose arroz chaufa (Peruvian-style Chinese fried rice), fried yucca, sweet fried yellow plantains, and french fries for the little one. If you’re not interested in fried food, lighter options like green beans, quinoa salad, and stewed black beans are available. The sides come in generous portions that you can save for lunch the next day.

The rotisserie chicken is versatile. We’ve made sandwiches, salads, and even more fried rice with the leftovers. The restaurant would only share that garlic and onion are key ingredients in the seasoning—the rest is a proprietary secret. Save the extra Huacatay sauce and serve it with roasted potatoes and vegetables. It’s the takeout order that keeps on giving!

Huacatay, owned by Byron Maldonado and Edgar Diaz, is open for pickup (calling directly to place orders helps them avoid fees) and delivery. —Jessica van Dop DeJesus

Comedor y Pupuseria San Alejo

1819 East-West Highway, Hyattsville; (240) 714-3342; sanalejomd.com

I can’t go a week without gorging at this stripmall Salvadoran restaurant that’s managed to stay open throughout the pandemic, save for a two-week closure. Siblings Carlos Alvarado and Mirna Alvarado-Montero run the business, which is named after the small town in El Salvador where they grew up.

Alvarado, who spent a decade with José Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup, tells me my regular order—carne deshilada—is a very traditional dish in San Alejo. He says it’s only eaten for dinner, despite the fact that it contains eggs mixed in with shredded beef, onions, and peppers. The savory mixture is served with sides and thick corn tortillas.

The restaurant also makes first-rate pupusas. Just enough salty cheese squirts out of the masa pocket and gets crispy. My favorite is the one filled with loroco flowers. “There is only one secret—passion,” Alvarado says. “You have to get a good product first, and then you have to like and love what you are doing.” Making the filling for the bean-filled pupusa is a five-hour process.

San Alejo also explores other cuisines. “When we decided to open, we decided to be a little open-minded,” Alvarado says. One of their most popular dishes is a Honduran baleada featuring a housemade flour tortilla stuffed with refried beans, egg, avocado, and an aged cheese that lends some funk. Adding steak turns the starter into a filling $7.50 meal.

San Alejo is currently open for dine-in, pickup, and delivery on Grubhub. —Laura Hayes

Manna Dosirak

409 15th St. NE; (202) 921-9456; mannadosirak.com

In pre-pandemic days, if I wanted to chow down on traditional Korean fare, it typically meant a drive to Annandale, where the eateries stay open into the early hours of the morning. While I certainly miss mainstays like Tosokchon and To Sok Jip in these socially distanced days, I was pleasantly surprised to find a new Korean takeout spot tucked next to a liquor shop on Capitol Hill.

Manna Dosirak is a mom-and-pop restaurant owned by Pil Cho. He previously ran a burger joint called K Burger at the same address before revamping the menu in February. Now, the business reflects his Korean roots. “It’s traditional Korean—the food we love,” Cho says.

I’ve quickly fallen in love with Manna, too. It’s reliable, quick, and affordable. Most bibimbap bowls cost $10. Sides, which range from $3.50 to $5, include dumplings, crispy prawns, and japchae—cold stir-fried glass noodles with peppers, onions, and mushrooms. And don’t skip dessert. Hotteok, a golden fried rice pancake stuffed with brown sugar syrup, is a satisfying finish.

Another way to order is by selecting the restaurant’s namesake, a dosirak. It’s a packaged meal often with different compartments for rice, sides, and a main dish. At Manna, those main dishes span from a pork cutlet with cabbage to spicy tofu.

Order Manna for pickup by calling or going online. They’re on most delivery apps. —Tim Ebner

Silver Spring Wings

2341 Distribution Circle, Silver Spring; (202) 876-8000; silverspringwings.com

Much of my dining out activity prior to the COVID-19 pandemic involved trendy restaurants. Being homebound during the pandemic due to a respiratory condition, and a special delivery of wings, forced me to stop and remember the joys of comfort food. The wings come from a caterer who pivoted during the pandemic.

Evan Walton, who owns and operates Recess Catering and Events, had a steady stream of business cooking for corporate parties and social events. He even opened a second kitchen in Silver Spring to handle the demand. But when the pandemic hit in March, business came to a halt.

Harnessing his entrepreneurial spirit, Walton found a way to safely transform his business into a temporary restaurant that keeps things simple and gives people what we love: wings, chicken tenders, seasoned potato wedges, and coleslaw. You can taste the love that goes into Walton’s food.

Classic coatings for his boneless wings, like honey barbecue and Buffalo, are my go-to flavors, but some of his saucier creations—like parmesan peppercorn and sweet chili Thai— are addictive, too. I’m not normally a fan of seasoned, sauceless wings, but Walton’s Cajun spice wings have me reconsidering my prior stance.

Last time we got Silver Spring Wings, my husband and I feasted on leftovers for two days with unwavering enthusiasm. We’ve since recommended these wings to everyone we know.