RSS FeedChef Victor Albisu Opens Del Campo (777 I St NW) On April 22
We promised an update on Chef Victor Albisu’s Del Campo (777 I St NW; 202-289-7377) opening in the space formerly occupied by PS7; the restaurant opens Monday, April 22. We reviewed the menu and wine list, and are salivating for reservations already. The highlights from the press release (somewhat abridged) follow:
On April 22, Chef Victor Albisu will open Del Campo, his first full-service restaurant, in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. (777 I St. NW). Simultaneously rustic and refined, the open, airy dining room calls to mind the rural vineyards and ranches of South America. Those influences loom large on the menu as well, informing the extensive selection of grilled meats as well as traditional Latin American street foods and a robust list of South American wine varietals. In addition to the 129-seat dining room and 36-seat bar, there is a nine-seat Asado Bar located at the heart of the restaurant. Overlooking the open kitchen, this unique dining area gives guests a gallery-style view of the active grill.
The Menu
Del Campo’s meat-centric menu is a perfect showcase of grilling, charring and smoking – steaks and slow roasted meats are served with vibrant and flavorful herbed sauces like chimichurri and salsa verdes.
Raw bar of ceviches, tiraditos and crudos, as well as anticuchos and chicharones, grilled, skewered and fried meats. The bar menu includes empanadas, anticuchos, albondigas, chicharones, and a chivito sandwich.
The Asado Bar is a showcase for the true art of the South American grill. Reservations are required for the nine-seat space overlooking the restaurant’s grills, where Albisu and his expert asadors work the open flames while interacting with their guests. There are three different fixed-price menus available at the ba
The bar serves classic South American spirits, such as Pisco, Cachaca and Aguardiente, as well as celebrated regional favorites, like Argentinean mate tea. The real star of the beverage program is the wine list, which leans heavily South American. This focus extends to the serving vessels themselves: some selections will be decanted in traditional Argentine ceramic carafes.
The Space
Working with Georgetown-based architecture and design firm, CORE, along with Atreus Works and Shelter Studios, Albisu has created a feeling of relaxed luxury by blending inspiration from the Argentine countryside with modern South American cities. The size of the dining space comes in at 5,000 square feet.
Capacity: 174 seats – 129 in the dining room, 36 at the bar, 9 at the Asado bar. Patio seating for 40. Private dining parties of up to 18, and semi-private gatherings of 28 and 46. Full restaurant receptions can accommodate 300 standing.
About Chef Victor Albisu
Chef Victor Albisu owns, Taco Bamba, a Mexican street food-inspired carryout taqueria that will open in 2013 next to Plaza Latina in Falls Church, Virginia, a Latin market owned by Albisu’s mother.
Before pursing independent ventures, Albisu served as executive chef of BLT Steak in downtown Washington, D.C. for more than four years and is a graduate of the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu School in Paris. Here in D.C., he had stints at Ceiba, Marcel’s, and Ardeo and Bardeo.
Hours
Monday-Wednesday, 5:30-10:30 pm – bar open and bar menu available until 11:30pm
Thursday-Saturday, 5:30-11 pm – bar open and bar menu available until 11:30pm
Sunday, 5-10 pm
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
RT @pqliving: Chef Victor Albisu Opens Del Campo (777 I St NW) April 22: More details about @DelCampoDC http://t.co/eVRRnv6oSC