Brightest Young Things has been around since before this decade began. We’ll be around after this decade ends. The same can not be said of the following restaurants. We miss them, from farm to table fancy to fast casual sad desk lunch spots.
Boundary Road
I really miss Boundary Road. Chef Brad Walker’s farm to table American bistro opened on H Street in 2012, offering everything from reasonably-priced craft cocktails to $5 beer / shot combos, from cheese and pepper pierogis to a perfectly crisp brick chicken. An early visit from the Obamas (please come back) gave the place a pop that certainly helped push its eventual five-year run, but what I miss the most is the Cheers-esque, post-11:00 p.m. camaraderie. Boundary Road was one of the post-shift spots for service industry professionals on H Street; a dynamite late-night menu helped (cheese and charcuterie plates, crab soup, wings, and, especially, one of the best sandwich deals in the city: $12 for an enormous sammy featuring fire-grilled bread stuffed with mortadella, prosciutto, and taleggio with either a dressed side salad or ridiculously thin and crispy fries), but the real draw was the mix of characters that you saw in three to four nights a week. Commiserating over local politics, lamenting all the new buildings going up in NE, and dissecting the numerous restaurant and bar openings and closings of note, every conversation was made better by the crew and the free-flowing Natty Boh and Old Overholt. I started going to Boundary Road the week after I arrived in D.C.; some of the folks I met there remain some of my best friends in the city. -Logan Hollers
CF Folks
Up until CF Folks closed in November 2018 after 37 years in business, this small deli next to the Brooks Brothers of restaurants, The Palm, was my favorite restaurant in the city. Beyond the fact that there aren’t many “real” delis in the city anymore, CF Folks was an unpretentious embodiment of its owner, Art Carlson, who, at times, would be boisterous, mildly offensive, and of a different era. The food was simply stunning and that’s before you consider that a place the size of a studio was serving deli fare along with dinner dishes that matched anything you’d get at a proper full-time restaurant. D.C. needs more of this type of place. -Ruben Gzirian
Food Corner Kabob House
Himitsu
It was pretty marvelous to watch the explosion of Himitsu, which opened in 2016. Chef Kevin Tien came out of the woodwork and brought forth the best restaurant in the city – and one of the best of the country. Featured in Bon Appétit and food and wine magazines, Himistu was D.C.’s claim to fame. Alas, after only three years Himitsu served its final meal but fans can now eat Chef Kevin’s delicious fare at his new spot, Emilie’s. Part of me will always miss Himitsu though – it was small and scrappy but oh so memorable. -Priya Konings
Kyirisan
Native Foods
Native Foods is a vegan chain that started in California in 1994. It was an exciting day when three locations opened in D.C. in 2014 – Dupont, Penn Quarter and Falls Church. And then, unexpectedly all three locations closed a year later. Plant based fare has seen a massive uptick in the D.C. area in recent years, and all three venues were always crowded, so it is unclear what led to the closure. I loved the veggie burgers and fries and nachos and bowls that the venue offered. Fingers crossed it comes back some day! -Priya Konings
Sally’s Middle Name
When Sally’s Middle Name closed on March 31, 2019, it marked the end for one of the rare restaurants in the area that paired aesthetic, ethos, and quality without compromising either. Sally’s Middle Name was that rare place where you could take your parents, your girlfriend, your friends, or just yourself and always know the food would match expectations. The brunch was always underrated and the dinner program was always fresh. It was simple, never packed, and comforting. -Ruben Gzirian
701
It was a shock to us all when longtime restaurant 701 closed in 2019. 701 Restaurant was actually Ashok Bajaj’s first restaurant. His Knightsbridge Restaurant Group now includes nine other restaurants but there was always something special about 701. Elegant and sophisticated, it offered contemporary American fare near Judiciary Square. The venue’s carrot funnel cake was featured in our Best Vegetarian Dishes of 2016. Luckily for us the uber talented Bryan Moscatello who helmed 701 Restaurant is now at Oval Room, so you can still sample his delicious fare. -Priya Konings
ShopHouse
Woodward Table
What I miss most about this upscale downtown Southern dining spot, which closed in 2019, is Chef Eddie Moran’s creativity. For example, he made the most delicious vegan beet bourguignon where he soaked beets in a savory housemade vegetarian demi glace and then served them over a butternut squash studded farro. At brunch he served scotch eggs, where instead of wrapping the egg in meat they came wrapped in falafel. And I will never forget their pastries – croissants and mini cheesecakes and fluffy muffins and scones. A Cheesecake Factory is opening in the same spot so there’s that. -Priya Konings
