Frederik De Pue, chef/owner of
Table and
42° Catering, says that all three parts of his new culinary venture, Menu, will open by late January 2014. The market will open first, followed a week later by the bistro/bar, and then a week later, by the restaurant.
Located at 405 8th Street NW, Menu is taking over the 6,000-square-foot site that briefly housed Azur, De Pue's 130-seat seafood restaurant. Prior to that, it was the long-time home of Café Atlántico. Now each level of the 6,000-square-foot building will offer customers in the Penn Quarter neighborhood a different option.
The ground-floor will contain a market selling local farm fresh produce and artisanal products including sauces, gelato, charcuterie, and cured and smoked fish. It will also offer sandwiches and an extensive choice of bottled beers. A barista will oversee a coffee service featuring beans from local roasters.
The middle level will house a daytime café with free WiFi, where customers can enjoy a coffee, snack or sandwich from the market while relaxing on couches. It will transition into a wine and cocktail bar in the evening.
The third level will house a 42-seat restaurant serving lunch and dinner seven days a week. According to De Pue, "the style will be seasonal, thoughtful, and simple takes on American classics that let the locally sourced ingredients speak for themselves." In addition, dishes from Menu's kitchen will be available in the market.
"The market is filling a real void in the Penn Quarter area," which lacks a neighborhood grocery, De Pue says. He adds that there will be many opportunities for employment at Menu, from morning service in the grocery to evening service in the restaurant.
Although Menu will focus on local sourcing for its market and restaurant, it will include a few European-style highlights. For example, both coffee and cocktails will come with small complimentary bites from the kitchen.
De Pue’s new venture is aiming for the warmth and intimate scale that have made Table, his 45-seat neighborhood restaurant in Shaw, a success. The double doors at the building’s center will become the new main entrance and be flanked by patio seating and the market’s fruit stands.
Photo courtesy of Penn Quarter Living, originally published here.