What to Eat on the Wharf’s Hotly Anticipated Fish Store

Fish Store, Scotland’s seafood showpiece that counts the King Charles III as a buyer, makes an enormous stateside splash alongside D.C.’s Southwest Waterfront on Tuesday, April 29 (610 Water Avenue SW).

Fish Store comes courtesy of Artfarm, the high-powered artwork world hospitality group based mostly in London. For Fish Store’s second-ever act, Artfarm tapped two D.C. business vets to steer the cost: chef de delicacies Ria Montes (Estuary, No Goodbyes) and director of operations Angie Duran (Duke’s Grocery, Centrolina).

The beautiful new area with a front-row view of bobbing boats proper out entrance takes its seafood sourcing extraordinarily critically. Rural Virginia’s in-demand hatchery Smoke in Chimneys provides the smoked trout that exhibits up atop its well-known crumpets. Crabby variations will enter the fold as soon as the mid-Atlantic season begins in Might.

“That’s actually who we’re — all the time evolving. At the moment we would love one factor, tomorrow we would discover one thing even higher,” says Montes.

Dave Watts/Fish Store

A roasted rockfish entree that includes April asparagus, English peas, and nettle velouté additionally screams spring. Montes walks the native speak past seafood, too. See: a crudite of radishes and greens picked up from the Dupont Circle farmers market and served with whipped bean dip. Candied Virginia peanuts assist construct a tiramisu. Small-scale purveyors like Moon Valley, Keswick Creamery, and Breadfurst present different menu necessities like honey, cheddar, and sourdough bread. D.C.’s Black-run CSA farm Dreaming Out Loud provides the newborn lettuce for a salad made with home French dressing and crispy shallots. A slick bar upon entry manufactured from upcycled wine glass showcases lesser-known rolling vineyards across the space.

A devoted seafood prep room housed behind classic portholes is the place cooks remedy, dry, and age complete fish coming in from the Chesapeake Bay.

The primary Fish Store within the states is a Yankee model of the unique positioned throughout the pond. Following the king’s famed 2023 go to with Queen Camilla, Conde Nast Traveler topped Fish Store one of many finest new eating places on the earth. The embellished restaurant and fishmonger additionally picked up a Bib Gourmand from the Nice Britain and Eire Michelin Information.

The opening coincidentally falls on April 29 — which is identical date its Scottish counterpart debuted within the idyllic, sheep-surrounded village of Ballater. “[The timing] felt significant. There’s pleasure concerning the future, and an actual sense of neighborhood and a narrative behind all of it,” Duran.

Artfarm founders Iwan and Manuela Wirth — of mega trendy Hauser & Wirth Gallery fame — are additionally behind the group that opened Manuela in NYC’s Soho neighborhood final fall. The unique Manuela debuted in downtown Los Angeles in 2017, marking Artfarm’s first U.S. eating enterprise. It sits in an city farm area with stay chickens, with the critically acclaimed restaurant hooked up to the gallery.

Dave Watts/Fish Store

Right here’s a primary take a look at the opening menu: