A Hot Dog Time Machine Debuts in D.C. | Eater DC
"A nostalgia-driven Adams Morgan bar and music venue opened at 2471 18th Street NW that rolls vintage decor—chunky analog televisions, a vintage soda machine, payphones and other retro ephemera—into a lively nightlife outpost, opening daily “out of the gate at 5 p.m.” and making its debut on Thanksgiving Eve, one of the biggest going-out nights when hundreds of D.C. establishments pour until 4 a.m. The project comes from the team behind a multi-concept cultural hub at 14th and U (a rotating art gallery, live music and comedy, dispensary, streetwear and podcast studio) and marks that mashup brand’s first foray into hospitality, led by Tim Slayton, Legacy DC co-creator and graffiti artist Tyler Stoe, and chef Mathew Ramsey. Cocktails are notably affordable—$10 for an espresso martini, Moscow mule, margarita, rum punch, paloma, gin Rickey, or Old Fashioned (plus shot combos)—and the space will pair drinks with a soon-to-arrive food program built around cheffed-up sliders and hot dogs. Ramsey, author of ThePornburgercookbook and a veteran of Tail Up Goat (one Michelin star) and Pineapple & Pearls (two Michelin stars), draws on both fine-dining techniques and childhood burger-shack memories: the menu is intentionally pared-back and split into “shorties” (sliders) and “slims” (hot dogs) served on silver trays. The smash-patty sliders are inspired by Culver’s ButterBurger—dry-aged trio patties on soft potato rolls, slapped with a pat of miso-brown butter for a rich-and-juicy finish and dressed with mustard, pickles, griddled onions, and smoky sauce—while another slider, dubbed “kimento,” layers kimchi and pimento cheese with a hot honey drizzle. The all-beef smoked franks are pickle-brined, deep fried, and topped with diced onions and relish. Ramsey says, “I love how Pineapplebrings fun into the foodand I want to continue to do that with my own cuisine,” and he adds, “This day and age we want to do everything so grandiose — burgers have to have two patties or three toppings. I want to bring back what gave me butterflies,” reflecting the menu’s less-is-more philosophy; he also notes, “There’s a lot of history in this building, which was fun to discover.” Stoe contributes colorful street art and a vast collection of reclaimed items, including coin-operated telephones used in an interactive installation; the reclaimed soda machine functions as a repurposed door that opens to a staircase leading to a planned second level, and a roll-up garage door will lead to an outdoor patio in spring. Music is central—bands and weekly DJs will perform on a newly built stage—and the site sits at the top of the nightlife strip in a building with a storied past (it previously housed a rock-and-roll lounge called Asylum, where Harrison Ford once threw a party)." - Tierney Plumb
