NVM Review

By Warren Rojas

Food: 8.4 Ambiance: 7 Service: 6.2

Ex-District toque Antonio Burrell has helped elevate Eleventh Street Lounge from hipster watering hole to foodie haven with his always adventurous and often challenging collection of sized-for-sharing creations.

The alterna-pub was already popular with locals and gourmet beer hounds (frosty pints of Stella Artois or Maredsous, anyone?), but turned a major corner last spring when Burrell—who completed tours at both Viridian and Vidalia before leaping over to Virginia—unveiled his ambitious new menu. Nowadays, you might see the same club kids and wannabe lounge lizards splayed out on the assorted couches and love seats you did before. But the maybe half dozen tables and high-tops that constitute the main dining area are becoming increasingly occupied by curious boomers who are probably more interested in sampling Burrell’s imaginative cuisine than they are in closing down the bass-thumping nightclub below.

Truffled eggs emerge as a crunchy quartet of fried oeufs dressed with a zesty horseradish aioli. Gourmet sandwiches like an updated Monte Cristo (sweet ham, smoked turkey and Swiss pressed between buttery brioche) are typically escorted by a salty-sweet stack of sweet potato and traditional french fries (great combo). Seared scallops sail into culinary history astride watermelon cubes stacked atop mint-avocado cream (amazing).

Signature martinis and specialty drinks are all the rage here. By-the-glass wines are all under $8, while bottles max out at $80 for a vintage Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon.

By Warren Rojas

Imagine taking a trip around the world while keeping the Clarendon Metro in plain sight. Cash-strapped globetrotters can do just that by simply ducking into the up-and-coming Eleventh Street Lounge, a mod lounge that channels Brussels via Greenwich Village.

Mere steps from the dance clubs and sports bars that have long defined the Clarendon nightlife, the Eleventh Street Lounge stands miles apart in terms of philosophy. T-shirt and jeans-clad bartenders do their best to feed and water a clientele sporting everything from loosened power ties and designer labels to ripped denim and faded sweaters. The jazzy tunes from the house stereo are largely drowned out by conversations between the staff, their regulars, and local bar hoppers who wander in and plop down on the comfy sofas at the front of the restaurant for a much-needed rest. And a flat panel television looks oddly out of place against antique touches like the cork-bound menu, flaming gas lamps and charcoal sketches that adorn the otherwise sanguine interior (save for the lone patch of dull, gold print wallpaper that divides one wall).

The subtle décor, however, betrays a bold board of fare.

Eastern European vintages—including a Hungarian Cabernet Sauvignon and a French Gamay—dominate what appears to be a well-thought out wine list. The place also features a host of Belgian specialty brews—local barflies seem to favor Maredsous 8 (fruity, smooth) and Chimay (produced exclusively by Cistercian Trappist monks) above the somewhat more commercial Stella Artois—on tap. Polite drinkers can also select from a list of roughly two dozen signature martinis (the Sake-O is crisp yet understated) or go for broke with zippier concoctions like the Ultimate ICED TEA (a truly potent potable).

Mini filet frites get the nod for delivering serious steak flavor (very earthy, with hints of cumin) 2-ounces at a time, but the Oscar for best supporting cast must clearly go to the sweet potato fries (crisp, spicy). Similarly, buttery soft seared sea scallops get a helping hand from fresh cherry tomatoes and sautéed spinach.