The February Hit List: Lulu’s Winegarden, Bammy’s, Little Serow, and More

Wood burning chimineas, palm plants and rattan lanterns, with hot cocktails by the thermos-full at Lulu’s make for a desert-chic winter sanctuary. Start with chicken tortilla soup for instant warmth, then consider their caramelized “French onion dip” tartine on grilled sourdough, with salt & vinegar chips and onion ash; and their smoked whitefish dip, dressed with pickled shallots, Calabrian chili, dill and salmon roe to share. Or try the pork-belly pastrami sandwich on Texas toast.

And don’t miss out on their bottle list, all priced at $49, with some favorites including Louis Seabra’s Xisto Ilimitado white from the Douro in Portugal, or Bedrock Wine Co.’s Old Vine Zinfandel from northern California.

Dining status: Both their gravel-filled backyard patio (with heaters, umbrellas, and chimineas) and their streetery (fully covered, heated, and with ventilated wood screening), along with limited indoor seating are open for reservations. Carryout (featuring their to-go cocktails, dips and pantry staples) is also available.

Among the best ways to warm up this winter has to be over sizzling Korean barbecue, grilled on your tabletop. Japchae stir-fried glass noodles, spicy baby octopus, and Pajeon crispy seafood & vegetable pancakes make for great starters. And then all-you-can-eat offerings include spicy chicken, pork belly, beef brisket & bulgogi. Or choose from à la carte sections like galbi, lamb chops, duck breast, and tiger shrimp. Alternating soju shots, Korean lager and hot Green tea is a solid approach for beverages. And since you’ve got the fire going, enjoy a round of s’mores for dessert.

Dining status: Heated patio seating (with food prepared by the kitchen inside), and limited indoor seating with tabletop grills are open for reservations. Carryout and delivery are also available.

Pizza fresh out of the oven (not frozen from the box!) served at an atual table, with actual cold draught beer. For D.C., it’s probably been a minute, and All Purpose will fix that. Here, they told the Neapolitans va fangool … and engineered their own poofy, crisp, and chewy style of pizza, from dough fermented over 3 days and baked in a deck oven. We’re here for it.

Their gem lettuce Caesar salad is some of the best in town, and the steak n’ cheese arancini are non-negotiable. For brunch, go for the the Sicilian disco fries, and the Sedgewick pie — topped with whipped ricotta, mozzarella, taleggio, parmesan and truffle honey. Add a poached egg for the maximum cheese-stretch & #yolkporn experience.

Dining status: Heated and canopied outdoor dining is open for reservations. Carryout and delivery are also available.

Haute-glamping with chef Fabio Trabocci’s lauded Italian cuisine could be the peak D.C. winter pandemic dining experience in our book. At the Yurt Village, a four course tasting menu, sourcing from fields and pastures of Rappahannock County’s Chancellors Rock Farm, through Trabocci’s Italian lens. Consider spaghetti with wild fennel, Old Salt oysters, east shore clams and spirulina for your pasta course, or Beaver Creek pheasant saltimbocca with poached quince, bay leaves and guanciale for your main course. In lieu of a basket of dinner rolls, your table comes with a Forager’s Purse, stocked with locally foraged mushrooms, savory potato croissant scarpetta, and Perigord truffle. Not bad.

Dining status: Outdoor dining in the yurts is open for reservations. For limited indoor dining reservations call 202-525-1402.

For Carribean-style self care from former Maydan chefs Chris Morgan and Gerald Addison, head to Bammy’s on the waterfront. Trust on their mouthwatering jerk chicken (or pork shoulder!), conch fritters and Painkillers. Shrimp curry with okra and coconut, and whole fried fish escovitch, dressed with pickled peppers, carrots and thyme are always tempting as well.

And don’t miss out on their Trini saltfish buljol — a salt cod, tomato and pepper spread, with extra bammys, their cassava flour and coconut milk fried flat bread. You’ll want some Bajan pepper sauce for a potent charge of heat to your dishes, then keep the rum punch and Red Stripes flowing to maintain good vibes.

Dining status: Heated patio dining is open for reservations. Carryout and delivery is also available.

If tandoori lamb and vindaloo is your love language, look no further than Pappe, where Northern and Southern Indian cuisine are executed with finesse, enjoyed best in a splendid dining room that channels the textile markets of Old Delhi.

The Indo-Chinese Gobi Manchurian and Goan crab cakes on fluffy pav rolls with chutneys are a must for starters. Other specialties include Allepey curry of Chilean sea bass, made with coconut, curry leaves, mustard seeds and green chilies, and their taar gosht, braised lamb in a mace, cardamom, star anise, and cinnamon scented demi-glace. Even their malai kofta is a sleeper hit, made with velvety housemade paneer and aromatic korma gravy, enriched with cashews, mace, nutmeg, and saffron.

Dining status: Limited indoor dining and heated outdoor dining (weather permitting) are open for reservations. Carryout and delivery are also available.

We advise having a case of ice-cold beer and a bottle of antacids on deck before ordering from Little Serow. No pain, no gain; and we’re always coming back for more of their scintillating northern Thai food. Their classic set dinner of seven dishes (serving two) including favorites as their mushroom grapao & fried egg, and the Mekhong Whiskey-marinated pork ribs. Or go à la carte, with kua kling gai – their stir-fry of minced chicken, shrimp paste, lime leaf, fresh turmeric, galangal and chilies; the crispy pig ear waterfall salad; or their finger-licking good Thai fried chicken wings.

Really, you can do no wrong on this menu, and an order of riesling from Alsace’s Catherine Riss; offdry scheurebe from Germany’s Theo Minges; or cider from producers like Sweden’s Fruktstereo from their well-curated list, is the tastiest means of cooling refreshment.

Dining status: Available for carryout only. More info here.

For stellar cocktails, rare single-barrel bourbons, and chicken & waffles, Jack Rose is the play. Start off with their Cozy by the Fire, made with bourbon, mulled wine, baked apple bitters, and green Chartreuse. You’ll be happy to find fried Green Tomato BLT sliders resurrected on the current menu, and their shrimp & grits, with sherry creole cream, is Southern comfort at its best.

There are TVs as well to catch up on seasonal sports-ball, with wings by the dozen, in 10 flavors; bourbon, honey & habanero and Carolina BBQ being among our favorites. Downstairs in the saloon, choose from the largest whisk(e)y collection in the Western hemisphere, currently over 2,600 bottles available by the ounce.

Dining status: Outdoor dining on their heated rooftop terrace (with a retractable glass enclosure in case of inclement weather), along with limited indoor dining in their first-floor saloon are open for reservations. Carryout and delivery are also available.

This low key French bistro and wine bar has an uncommon Old World elegance among the city’s bistros. No retro Tour de France bicycles and liquor posters hung on the walls here; instead they’re adorned with vintage mirrors and oil paintings in gilded frames, coffered ceilings above and chevron wood flooring below. Across the courtyard is their wine bar, with a darker, more lived-in country-home vibe: dark woods, brick, antique wallpaper, and a wood burning fireplace. Start with their pâté maison and Armagnac old fashioneds, and after that it’s hard to top their magret aux cerises paired with a bottle of Morgon from Jean Foillard.

Dining status: Indoor dining is open for reservations in either the dining room or the wine bar. Call 202-965-2606. Carryout and delivery are also available.

Few things have comforted us through pandemic so much as pupusas from Ercilia’s, one of Mt. Pleasant’s most beloved and enduring El Salvadorean diners. Always made to order, Ercilia’s turns out fluffy examples, griddled to perfection every time, that require and reward your patience. Choose from four varieties: shrimp (camarones), beans and cheese (frijoles y queso), pork and cheese (revueltas), or Loroco blossom and cheese (Loroco y queso). Better yet, order them all, and enjoy with salubrious portions of their lightly pickled cabbage slaw (curtido) and salsa rojo.

Dining status: Open for carryout, and delivery through various delivery apps. Call 202-387-0909 to place a carryout order.

For Lunar New Year, Eric Bruner-Yang has devised a special menu at his H Street restaurant, in partnership with Luckyrice, American Express, and Resy.  The $88 menu for two includes a whole roast duck with steamed buns, ginger scallion rice, and more. Order here.