Teddy Roosevelt, our 26th (and arguably most badass) president serves as the inspiration for Teddy & the Bully Bar. Helmed by executive chef Michael Hartzer, the experience is exactly how Teddy would have wanted a meal – traditional, strong cocktails; outdoorsmen-ready meats like wild game on the menu; a classic interior design.
The drink menu kicks it old school, with a spin on the famous D.C. cocktail “The Rickey,” traditionally a mix of bourbon, gin and club soda. This time, they add lime in the form of line foam from a CO2-charged whipper. Both the Rickey and the Americano are tapped in house, with tap heads set to run at the time of opening. They’re also serving a strawberry julip in a traditional copper cup.
Teddy & the Bully Bar carries a tavern menu along with their normal dinner offerings. Beer battered and fried shallots, mentioned to me in passing as “kinda like a vegetarian calamari,” are the perfect bar bite after one (or three) Rickeys. Also, Rappahannock brings their famed oysters to the raw bar. Plus, when the dinner menu comes out in full swing, expect to see some of Teddy’s favorites like fried chicken smothered in white gravy.
The interior was designed by Maggie O’ Neill of O’ Neill studios. O’Neill offsets the presidential-worthy leather seats with western wares like guns, Edison bulbs, and exposed piping. And if you were unsure of the restaurants name, you’ll see wall-length portraits and paintings of Teddy at every turn beaming back at you.
Teddy & the Bully Bar, at 1200 19th St. NW, officially opens on June 24.
