Rotisserie-Obsessed Rosedale Reenergizes Van Ness Neighborhood | Eater DC
"Opened a little over a week ago by restaurateur Ashok Bajaj as his fifth restaurant on Connecticut Avenue — to which he quipped, "They should name this street Knightsbridge Restaurant Group." Bajaj added, "Had you asked me pre-pandemic if I would open a restaurant in Van Ness, I probably would have said no." The neighborhood choice was strategic: Van Ness is highly residential with a scarce number of restaurants, and this is the only spot in the area offering seasonal American cuisine and the only place planning to offer dine-in brunch later this month. With James Beard Foundation Award winner chef Frank Ruta at the helm, the kitchen emphasizes shareable plates and communal dining. "It’s so cliche to say farm to table," Ruta said. "But when Ashok and I first started talking we wanted to rely a lot on the farms around us." Most products are locally sourced, with proteins and produce coming mainly from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia; Ruta also said he wants to be known as one of the "better restaurants in D.C." The menu includes daily rotating rotisserie options — chicken, lamb, and porchetta — along with pastas and pizzas made from a sourdough starter dating to 1988 when Ruta was working at the White House; rotating the menu by season is intended to keep regulars coming back. General manager George Manolatos calls it "an upscale neighborhood restaurant, where you can feel comfortable every day and for a special occasion as well," and noted, "It’s been nice to have the neighborhood really wanting us." The 100-seat dining room and U-shaped bar have been consistently buzzing since opening, and the daily rotisserie option was the most popular dish during the first week. Designed by Martin Vehda (who also designed the Knightbridge Group’s Little Blackbird wine bar), the interior executes a sophisticated farmhouse-chic aesthetic with gray wood tables, exposed wood finishings, and hanging greenery, nodding to a nearby 1793 farmhouse in Cleveland Park. The team plans to open a patio facing Connecticut Avenue NW by spring and hopes to lock in community enthusiasm with impressive food and service." - Nicole Schaller
