This Wood-Fired Shaw Staple Is Now the Perfect Fit for Any Night Out | Eater DC

"Nestled in a Blagden Alley row house, this Michelin-starred, wood-fired staple centers almost everything on a rustic hearth, creating a cozy scene of dark wooden tables around the open kitchen, where chef Jeremiah Langhorne has been crafting creative dishes influenced by mid-Atlantic traditions for a decade. After years of tasting menus with revolving favorites like roasted vegetables, sweet potato rolls stuffed with Chesapeake catfish, and cuts of steak from Maryland’s Roseda Farm, the restaurant rolled out an a la carte menu for the first time in three years in late 2025, letting me choose my own adventure by filling up on unusual snacks or splitting a family-style skirt steak or grilled rainbow trout. From the snacks, the beef cheek croquettes dolloped with bright yellow beet mustard make a sumptuous first bite, and chef de cuisine Timothy Buell’s original butternut squash soup is deeply umami from a housemade rockfish garum (fermented Roman fish sauce) and topped with crispy Carolina Gold rice, Brussels sprouts, and mint. The Autumn Olive Farms pork belly is very juicy, with pickled green tomato and turnips offering acidity and a chilhuacle pepper sauce lending a spicier mole flavor. For dessert, the popcorn pie tastes like the nostalgic flavor of buttered movie theater popcorn—the subtle corn custard is made from soaked popcorn, and a benne crumble on the side adds nuttiness. The new a la carte menu is great for a weekday meal with adventurous friends or going all out for a special occasion without defaulting to the five-course tasting menu ($145), and The Dabnog, the seasonal eggnog, is definitely worth the hype as a lighter dessert after a heavy meal; you can even buy a bottle to take home for the holidays." - Emily Venezky