A new “Eurofusion” restaurant and bar with specialty dry-aged meats is preparing to open in Pentagon City later this year.
Ember Kitchen and Spirits is targeting a winter opening at 1301 S. Joyce Street, where Irish gastropub Mattie and Eddie’s closed last year. It plans to offer quality cuts of meat and European-inspired dishes, while hosting events involving dancing and live music, founder Nicholas Mounts told ARLnow.
“I thought that it’s way past time to incorporate everything into one project and really create a catered experience that brings together everything that I love,” Mounts said.
The menu is ‘Eurofusion’
- Mounts said the kitchen will lean primarily into French cuisine, with influence from other European countries and “maybe a few Asian twists.”
- While a seasonal menu is still in development, dry-aged meats will be a highlight, in addition to teas available by the kettle and rotating daily soups.
- “My style draws from European, Mediterranean, Asian and North American traditions, but I don’t follow borders — I follow flavor,” chef Nikita Greene told ARLnow. “I’m especially drawn to fire, fermentation, and the kind of techniques that let ingredients speak for themselves.”
Ember will serve hearty dishes
- A sample menu includes robust meals like slow-braised lamb shoulder and sous-vide ribeye with brassica puree.
- Other potential dishes include an “evening campfire” chicken breast with prune barbecue and a seared octopus with garlic, ginger and lemongrass.
- The restaurant plans to display its dry-aged meats and wines in dining room display cases, Mount said.
It hopes to host a slate of events
- Mounts, who is also the founder of the event planning group DC Eventus, plans to host programming like trivia, dancing, live music and board games.
- Renderings depict a dance floor and multi-purpose dining rooms across roughly 7,000 square feet, with spaces for large groups and private events.
- “The interior layout is designed specifically to accommodate various groups and to be very flexible,” Mounts said.
