Bresca’s Chef Ryan Ratino opening new restaurant, Jônt, in same building late Spring

1906 14th St, NW at T Street

From a press release:

“The culinary journey of a lifetime comes together in one surprising place as Chef Ryan Ratino opens Jônt, a little gem tucked away in his flagship, one Michelin star Bresca. A concept that melds together art with seasonality of ingredients and smart technique, Jônt’s essence spans borders and boundaries, and reimagines the different journeys and sometimes unlikely but fascinating crossroads where food and memories can intersect. Following a quick turnaround and detailed research by Ratino and his team, Jônt is slated to open in the late Spring of 2019 right at the heart of 14th St.

“This restaurant is about the journeys and the detours everyone and everything takes each day,” said Ratino. “It is the path that has taken me to where I am today. It is about our preparation as a team, our travels, and our hard work. It is also the journey of the ingredients present in our dishes: their landscape and the people that cultivated them. Jônt is just one of many destinations of all of our journeys combined.”

The 18-seat kitchen experience will offer a progressive menu format of 8-11 courses (priced between $83-$97) focused on simple culinary principles such as “time” – the beauty, leisure and satisfying process of making a great meal. The evolutionary menu will include an eclectic mix of worldwide cuisines representative of DC’s crowds. Each bite is designed to thrill the senses by pushing the limits of what we have come to expect. All these artistically created dishes will be magically orchestrated at the hands of the chefs, who also take the place of traditional servers.

With time-centric elements including dry-aged meats, vinegars, lacto-fermented fruits and vegetables, misos, and more, Ratino and his team will create and curate most ingredients in the pantry that will make dishes more complex, distinctive and delectable.

“There is something very attractive about the rhythm and timeliness of cooking. When our team spends time in the kitchen is not only to achieve a final result, but also about the little and special moments along the way. The sound of an old wooden board cracking, the hot oil in the pan, the smell of onions and garlic – these are simple moments but they are part of something bigger that make ordinary things extraordinary. We value the time we spend in our kitchens, the time products take to become prime, the time we spend with loved ones, and our hope is that our menu reflects this appreciation.”

Weaving together a talented collaboration, Jônt is a design collaboration between Ratino and Washington, D.C. designer Amber Kendrick. Inspired by simple elements and domestic comfort, the space is meant as a junction point where chef, diner, design, and culinary experience meet their final destination. With the restaurant operating as the main room, the approachable space – where kitchen, dining, and living are open and connected to each other – will be designed to evoke a feeling of familiarity and comfort, as if you were at a someone’s home.

Adjacent to the dining room and for a true at-home experience, guests can snag one of 35 seats at “BAR- Jônt” – a cozy lounge space designed to welcome guests and offer a unique and limited bar menu filled with the team’s “guilty pleasure” bites – think affordable caviar service with temptations such as Sturgeon caviar, salt-cured duck yolk, pomme rösti & comté, and black onion XO. The culinary- inspired beverage program will be directed by Liz Howard and Will Patton, who currently serve as General Manager and Bar Manager of Bresca.

​Jônt will also join sister restaurant Bresca and other restaurants around the world to help fight climate change by going carbon neutral. Chef Ratino and the team will work together to interlace sustainability into the daily practices of restaurant operations such as recycling, composting and sourcing products from purveyors who prioritize sustainable practices. The restaurant will be open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday from 5:30 – 11:00PM. Reservations can be made through Tock reservation system one month in advance. Bar Jônt will be open for service from Tuesday to Sundays from 5:00PM to 2:00AM.

A play on the word ‘jaunt’ in French, Jônt, pays homage to the journeys of our daily routines, the journeys of the elements of our surroundings, and the journeys that teach us the valuable lessons and make us who we are today. In each dish, chef Ratino is inspired by the search, the discovery, and what he came to love in all his culinary encounters.”