Columbia Firehouse Bar
Washington area foodies have been talking about the recent opening of Old Town's Columbia Firehouse. It has been open just over a month and the overall perception is that the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, those who also brought us Rammy-winning Vermilion and other neighborhood gems such as Evening Star Café, Tallula, and Rustico have scored again. I have had lunch at the Firehouse three times since its opening; once in the dining room, once at the bar, and most recently during Restaurant Week.
The new Columbia Firehouse occupies the historic building that once served as a local fire station for the Columbia Steam Engine Fire Company. The original interior of what used to be Bookbinder’s Restaurant, which closed at the end of May, and before that Portner’s, has been left intact with a few modern updates. The dining room is small and narrow, yet bright. The décor includes dark table tops and chairs with floors covered in green leafy carpet – the way one would imagine a carpeted Garden of Eden to look. There is also a small outdoor courtyard with dark metal dining tables. It's cute, intimate, and could be quite refreshing on a nice day. The new Executive Chef, Orlando Hitzig formerly of Mark and Orlando’s in Dupont Circle offers a modern American menu with a Southern flair. Hitzig has cooked in some of DC’s best kitchens, such as 701, Vidalia, and Georgetown's Historic 1789.
Blue Crab hushpuppies,
The “snacks” and small plates offered are dishes inspired from up and along the East Coast, and nothing says summertime like Maryland Blue Crabs and fresh Oysters. Extinguish your desire by starting with the Maryland Blue Crap Dip, Cornmeal Crusted Oysters, or the Blue Crab hushpuppies, which are served as five deliciously golden fried bites with a creamy red pepper remoulade (see photo on right). On their lunch Restaurant Week menu, they offered the Cornmeal Crusted Oysters with Yukon potato salad, spiced remoulade, and crisp leeks. They were delicious and I liked texture that the crisp leeks provided; however, my friend and I waited over 30 minutes for the oysters to arrive and before we were done eating the next course arrived. The timing of the courses were completely off. The first course took too long and the second course was rushed. For the main course, my friend ordered the Flat Iron steak which is served medium to medium rare and is deliciously juicy and very tender. The red wine jus is simple and compliments the steak without overpowering its natural flavor. I ordered the Jumbo shrimp with cheddar grits, wilted spinach, and shellfish cream which I thought was not as appetizing as the steak. Not to mention that it was a much smaller portion with just three shrimp. The grits are course with a firm texture. I prefer smoother less course grits. Again timing ... the dessert course arrived before we were done eating our main entrees. The ice cream along side was melting and we felt rushed. Perhaps the restaurant was just too busy to handle the crowd. Service and timing of the dishes coming out of the kitchen really suffered.
Prior to restaurant week, I have tried the Maryland Crab Cake sandwich with jicama slaw and Dijon aioli and the delicious corn crusted Shrimp and Oyster Po’Boy. A word to the wise – the crab cake is served fried on a toasted onion roll. If you prefer broiled, just ask your server. The Po’Boy has a mayonnaise-based red pepper slaw which softens the toasted baguette, thus falls apart easily. It’s messy but tasty. The Po’Boy’ shrimp and oysters are also fried, as are their accompaniments, the handmade crispy fries or hand cut chips.
Firehouse Burger
Meat lovers will devour Columbia Firehouse’s burger, made with only the best pasture-raised Angus beef from Chef Nathan Anda’s Red Apron Butchery. All of the Firehouse's meats and charcuterie will be prepared by Red Apron, which are sourced from pure breeds at carefully selected local Virginia and Maryland farms that practice responsible farming methods like pasture-raised, without the use of preservatives or hormones. Red Apron’s popular charcuterie and sausages will also be staples on a menu that will boast updated classics such as Steak Tartare with pickled mushrooms, caramelized onion aioli, and spicy cheddar “chz-its” and Steamed Mussels with Dijon mustard, smoked bacon, and cornbread croutons. Fresh local oysters from Dragon Creek Aqua Farm will be a mainstay, as will steakhouse side dishes featuring seasonal ingredients, such as white corn succotash with Virginia ham and summer squash ratatouille.
For those who know how to pace themselves, save room, or not, have a sweet tooth or are trying to develop one; there is something for everyone on the dessert menu. I loved the Bourbon Bread Pudding
with Caramel Sauce which is offered as a third course on the Restaurant Week menu. It's spongy and delicious. It tastes like someone's Southern grandmaw made it. I have also tried the Turtle Cheesecake with Sugared Pecans.
The new Columbia Firehouse will offer two distinct dining experiences under one roof: the lower level main dining room and an upper level chophouse. The 120-seat dining room downstairs offers a casual menu with a focus on modern American comfort food, and includes a broad range of raw bar items, a number of small plates, salads, meats, and seafood. The classic chophouse will take shape in the 80-seat upstairs dining room and is slated to open mid-September. The Columbia Firehouse will also house two bars. The main bar, located on the ground floor of the restaurant (see photo above), will specialize in classic cocktails, including arguably DC’s “signature” drink, the Rickey, and others such as Fizzes, Sazeracs, and more. The bar will also feature a great selection of microbrews, assembled by beer master Greg Engert, as well as a wine list designed to highlight extraordinary vintages at affordable prices. The second floor bar and adjoining lounge in the chophouse will be open for special events and will allow cocktail enthusiasts to sample a rotating menu of creative concoctions, as well as aperitifs and after-dinner drinks. Considering the success of the other Neighborhood Restaurant Group establishments and the enormous buzz on the street, Columbia Firehouse is already on fire!
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