The Eleanor, “a new restaurant and bowling lounge”, now open in NoMa!

Prince Of Petworth June 28, 2018 at 11:15am

Inside 100 Florida Ave, NE. Photo by Arin

From a press release (and thanks to all who messaged me):

“The Eleanor, a new restaurant and bowling lounge from chef Adam Stein opens to the public today at 4 p.m. at 100 Florida Ave. NE. The establishment adds more than 5,000 square feet of dining, drinking, and entertainment space to the NoMa neighborhood of northeast Washington, D.C.

The Eleanor was envisioned as a casual neighborhood eatery and multi-use entertainment space. It includes a full restaurant and bar, two duckpin bowling lanes, two Skee-Ball lanes, an arcade with gaming and pinball machines, a space for sports and movie screenings and live music, and a large dog-friendly patio.

Stein describes the menu as wholesome and playful, and says that he focused on featuring local, seasonable produce and sustainable meat and seafood from responsibly managed farms and fisheries.

“Food is often an afterthought at bowling lounges and arcades,” Stein said. “There is no reason people should have to choose between fun and great food. We wanted our menu to offer something more interesting and unique than your traditional bar fare.”

Menu highlights include hushpuppies elote loco style with chilies, lime, cilantro, queso fresco and spicy mayo, and buttermilk fried chicken thighs with masala spiced carrot purée, braised greens with bacon & fish sauce and an heirloom tomato ragù. There is also a section dedicated to vegetable sides and salads, and Stein says many of the menu options can be made vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free.

The focus on local sourcing also extends to the beverage menu. Stein worked with couple Katie Rockwell and Jessica Rockwell, the Eleanor’s co-general managers, to craft the beer, wine, and cocktail menus.

The Eleanor has 20 taps that highlight beers from local or regional breweries, and the cocktail menu features mixed drinks, swizzles, and slushies made with Green Hat Gin, Capitoline vermouth, Cotton & Reed rum, and Zeke’s cold brew. The Shower G & T is made with Green Hat gin, Fever Tree mediterranean tonic, star anise, blood orange slice, and a rosemary sprig.

The Eleanor’s bowling lanes can be reserved and there is a $10 ball rental fee per lane. The price is $5 per person for 30 minutes of bowling. Guests can play the arcade games using re-loadable cards. Current arcade offerings include two Skee-Ball machines, Sonic Basketball, Big Buck Hunter HD, Golden Tee Live, Mortal Kombat, Pac Man Battle Royale, Elvis Pinball, South Park Pinball, and a Multicade.

Stein says the name Eleanor is a nod to strong women, including Eleanor Roosevelt and Eleanor Holmes Norton. Norton is the U.S. House Representative for the District of Columbia, and hails from Antioch College, Stein’s alma mater. She attended a private election night screening during The Eleanor’s soft opening last week.

The Eleanor is currently open from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Lunch service will begin next week, followed by weekend brunch hours. The Eleanor offers twice daily happy hours from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. to close.

The Eleanor is located across the street from the NoMa-Gallaudet metro station. It is located on the ground floor of the Elevation apartment building and offers free on-site validated parking.

The Eleanor is the sister restaurant to Bar Elena, which is located just a few blocks away at 414 H Street NE.”

100 Florida Ave, NE. Formerly Union Social