Dinner is Served
The Capitol Hill “Eatery” is NOW serving sit down, à la carte plated dinners
Chef and TV personality David Guas is doing something NEW in putting one foot back into the familiar foundation of his traditional dining origins by introducing plated service for dinner at the six-month old, Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery on Capitol Hill. Beginning Friday, January 8, 2016, an à la carte, multi-course dinner menu, with pricing ranging from $12-20, will debut with the same focus on southern-Louisiana-influenced fare, but adding a level of sophistication in execution and presentation on the plate.
By day, Bayou Bakery is a casual eatery with an emphasis on tasty sandwiches, beignets, biscuits, and coffee that are ordered right at the counter; guests are buzzed when it’s time to “come ‘n’ get it!”—hot from the kitchen. By night, for dinner Monday through Saturday from 5:00pm until close, there’s a change of pace and presentation, but the tone of simplicity is maintained within the heightened service experience. Offerings are à la carte: 4-5 starters [“Just Gettin’ Started,”] 3-4 mains [”Dig In,”] and 4-5 sides [”A L’il Sumpin’ on the Side. Every night, one dish will remain constant, honoring beloved New Orleans traditions like Red Beans and Rice on Mondays. Guas’ farm-fresh fixin’s are sourced from local merchants and farmers at the nearby Eastern Market, along with his usual breeders and harvesters in the Mid-Atlantic region. As dinner would not be complete without something sweet. Guas’ desserts that garnered national attention at the outset of his career are making a ‘casual’ comeback, but without highly refined the pomp and circumstance. Two-year veteran, Tressa Wiles, Director of All Things Baked & Fried, steps up and leads the charge.
The new dinner menu, which will change daily, dips deep into the South and might offer up starters like Fried Chicken Livers with Pepper Jelly and Apple Slaw or Seared Cajun Pork Bellywith Pickle Relish and a Sunny-Side Up Egg on top. Mains range from Crawfish Monica served with House-Made Pappardelle and local Shrooms, or Smothered Pork Rib Chop, Caramelized Onion and Gold Rush Apples, or Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken accompanied by Mashed Taters,Braised Greens, and a buttery Dinner Roll. The section called “A Li’l Something on the Side” just might include favorite southern nibbles like fresh out the fryer, Crispy Pork Rinds or Blue Crab Fritters with Lemon Aioli.
At dinner, after you order from the counter, someone from Bayou Bakery’s “Krewe” hands over a card with an iconic New Orleans street name, from Decatur to Bourbon, as a table marker to flag service for each dish whisked down from the kitchen and brought directly to the table by the staff—perhaps even Guas himself. Every dish is presented with precision and Southern charm—right down to the china plates and tin-ware utensils wrapped and clipped in a tidy paper napkin.
Bakery may lead the name, but it’s now time to take notice where “eatery” is concerned—and delectably defined in each dish at dinner.
