Carbs Are the Comeback Kid at This New Cleveland Park Restaurant | Eater DC
"The chain's third and biggest location debuted in Cleveland Park at 3501 Connecticut Avenue NW. Known for New York-style bagels made with dough sourced and shipped daily from Queens, breakfast fare, and big bloody marys, the operation is a go-to spot for morning fuel among local art and hospitality crews and maintains other outposts in Union Market and Capitol Hill. Long Island-born restaurateur Gina Chersevani recalls a personal connection to the neighborhood: “I learned how to rollerblade on Ordway, which was a very bad idea,” she says. “I still have the scar on my leg that’s now 25 years old.” The new outpost introduces a cute little bodega section selling seasonal flowers and rotating local products, and the bathroom’s surprise scratch-and-sniff wallpaper reveals a blood-orange scent. Chersevani encourages customers to bring their own ivy and other greenery to hang from an empty metal bar suspended from the ceiling; the minimalist interior, executed by D.C.-based designer Warren Weixler, nods to New York diner palettes of sage green and pink, and Kelly Towles’s paintings of anthropomorphic breakfast food add a whimsical touch. Menu staples include the bagel egg sandwich and knish, while Cleveland Park–specific options include a “Barbie pink cold smoked lox bagel sandwich smeared with beet and horseradish cream cheese and topped with pickled pink onions,” a California-style steak burrito, and an appropriately named Silvie’s Big Bun, which is “a braised brisket sandwich stacked high with jalapeño slaw, lime crema, and a whole cheese pupusa for a messy, but must-try meal.” There’s even a sink in the dining room for cleaning up after eating the dish. Drinks, overseen by longtime collaborator Frank Jones and influenced by Italian cafes, range from all-day teas and coffees to vibrant cocktails, beer, and wine; there are also classic fountain drinks and creative lattes in taro lavender and matcha lychee. All syrups for sodas and cocktails are made on-site with simple ingredients and no artificial flavors, and brunch libations include the bloody mary with lox bagel while evening offerings feature a refreshing grapefruit tequila soda paloma with a salted rim and the beloved espresso martini. Hours currently feature breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to close (ending at 3 p.m. for now), with daily service extending until 11 p.m. starting February 17. The evening program will expand in spring with the Carb Bar—inspired by co-owner Neil Dundee’s pandemic-era obsession with perfecting the perfect pie—which will serve Long Island–style thin, rectangular slices, plus an outdoor patio and a souped-up vintage Piaggio Ape truck that will operate as an outdoor bar. Chersevani, who earned the first-ever RAMMY for Best Beverage/Mixology Program and competed on Guy’s Grocery Games’ summer tournament in 2021, frames the project as a return to community and in-person interaction: “I grew up watching my father make pizza,” she says, noting her father was a chef, and “It’s full circle to see my children watch their dad making pizza.” She urges people to reconnect: “Get out of your COVID-19 world,” she says. “Come meet somebody that’s your neighbor.”" - Nicole Schaller
