Long Awaited Alfresco Tap and Grill (from folks behind Cactus Cantina and Lauriol Plaza) Opens in Adams Morgan next Month!

2009 18th Street, NW at California Street, NW

From a press release:

“Managing Partner Cindy Sanchez is pleased to announce the upcoming March 2023, opening of the highly anticipated Alfresco Tap and Grill, at 2009 18th Street, NW in Adams Morgan. Befitting its name, this rustic, modern, new build restaurant, will offer 123 seats inside and 212 seats in three distinctive outdoor dining areas for a total of 335 guests at full capacity. Alfresco will feature an “American Tap and Grill” approachable menu for this vibrant neighborhood, offering sandwiches, pizza, pasta dishes, salads, and steaks. The kitchen was designed with menu versatility in mind, including a designated pizza oven.

photos courtesy Alfresco Tap and Grill 

Alfresco Tap and Grill has an international culinary team comprised of Spanish born chef, Israel Bartoli, Mexican-born chef, José Manuel Téllez, and Chilean born chef, Gonzalo Valdes. Chef Bartoli is responsible for creating and developing the menu for Alfresco. He studied hospitality and restaurant management in 2002 and 2003 at the renowned Escuela de Hosteleria de Savilla in Sevilla, Spain, considered one of the best European hospitality schools. Bartoli has held various food and beverage director, corporate and executive chef positions in Burbank, California at Porto’s Bakery and Café; at Carluccio’s Market Café and Shop, and at La Tasca from 2004 to 2012, in Washington, D.C, as well as working for IPic Theater Experience in North Bethesda for three years before joining Ben’s Next Door in the nation’s capital in September 2021. He most recently worked for Wagshal’s before accepting his new position. His father is from Cuenca Castilla La Mancha, Spain and his mother was born in Torino, Italy then raised in southern France’s Montpellier. While Bartoli was born and raised in Spain, his cooking style is greatly influenced by his large European family. He enjoyed many summers in Rome hanging out in the kitchens of his families’ restaurants.

Chef Bartoli is assisted by Chef José Manuel Téllez who was born and raised in Michoacan, Mexico. Chef Téllez grew up in a large family on an expansive farm, growing seasonal fruits and vegetables. He arrived in Washington, D.C. in 2003, and quickly found his place working for sister restaurant Cactus Cantina, where his abilities have served him well working for a busy, large volume establishment. The third chef of note is Gonzalo Valdes from Santiago, Chile, who studied at the French school, Ecole Culinaire, in his hometown. He brings to his new position 23 plus years of cooking experience, working for large chains with fine dining operations, such as Senso by Hyatt, to small independent restaurants, including his own restaurant, Petirrojo, in Patagonia. A highlight in his career was working in New Zealand in the city of Taura, where he expanded his passion and creativity with seafood.

The designer of record for Alfresco is Grupo7 Architecture +Interiors of Washington, http://grupo-7.com/, which was founded by José Tohá and James Cronenberg in 2002. This award-winning, full-service firm is responsible for the architectural plan for the one-story restaurant, as well as its interior design. The abundance of glass, as well as the natural materials chosen, including distinct types of wood used throughout the spaces, copper countertops, trellises, ceramic tile, brick, and painted steel beams provide a modern vineyard appeal for diners to gather and linger. The materials chosen for Alfresco will age gracefully and gain a patina over time. Each dining area offers a different spatial experience through design elements such the center courtyard enclosed on three sides, and the retractable pergola roof over the central courtyard can provide full coverage when needed, or with a touch of a button open to sky views. All three outdoor settings have different furnishing styles, from metal woven pieces in one area to plusher upholstered armchairs in the others. Inside a handsome bar is surrounded by banquette seating that sports a saddle leather look with material that is both durable and pleasing to the eye. On chilly days, dining outside is still a comfortable option as the design scheme of Alfresco incorporates “Drum Chandeliers” centered over the dining tables on the 18th Street patio, which were sourced from Belgium. These lights also function as larger scale heat lamps and are an innovation the design team brought into Washington for this project.

Grupo7’s design work commenced in May 2018 and the groundbreaking took place on November 5, 2021. Alfresco represents a commitment and a contribution to the city, as the ownership built an architecturally pleasing, single story restaurant that integrates well in this established, historic neighborhood. The project also restored a 2,100 square foot green open public space, along California Street. Alfresco’s ownership also invested in professional landscaping, adding plants and trees to return the property back to public space, while also elevating the curb appeal for the community.

Alfresco’s design directive to Grupo7 was simple; the clients wanted an approachable “American Bistro” that incorporated generous amounts of outdoor dining. The owners wanted an open dining room and expansive exterior dining areas that could be enjoyed almost year-round. Grupo7 looked for inspiration in the architectural language of California’s coastal valleys. The site for Alfresco is also an unusual one, a corner lot with 100 feet of frontage on 18th Street, NW and 105 feet of frontage facing California Street, NW to the north. It was vital that the building maintain the street edge on 18th Street, while still offering outdoor terrace seating along the sidewalk. The view to the north opens uphill across California Street, with the new public space garden and trees connecting to the recreational areas to the north. The building serves as an important north/south connector along 18th Street, animating what was previously a ‘dead block.’

“We wanted to have a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor dining while still retaining a feeling of intimacy at each table,” states Grupo7 Founding Partner José Tohá. “Taking cues from wineries found in Napa Valley, we designed a modern building that blends a timeless mid-century design aesthetic with a more traditional east coast palette that incorporates dark brick, raw steel, patterned tile, and warm wood tones. Anchoring the dining room, a large copper bar with steel bottle shelves and planters floating above opens to both the dining room and the adjacent courtyard. Large windows blend three distinct outdoor dining terraces with the interior of the restaurant.

“There are interesting environmental design aspects of this new build, explains Grupo7 Founder Partner James Cronenberg. Alfresco Tap and Grill features a 2,800 square foot extensive green roof with interior stair access, allowing for plantings that can be used in the kitchen. Herbs grown on the roof will support the restaurant’s culinary efforts. Stormwater management and remediation is handled through vaults installed underneath the terrace and planting areas. Pervious asphalt is used in the parking space. Existing structural walls of the previous gas station on the site were incorporated and fortified in the new construction.”

Alfresco Tap and Grill will serve, Monday-Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday, and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and weekend Saturday brunch will be offered11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The restaurant will also have delivery and takeout options available. The lunch and dinner menu items range in price from $8.50 to $27.95. Weekend brunch dishes are priced from $11.30 to $22.60.

Alfresco will serve a generous selection of draft beers, priced from $7 to $12, and bottle beers, priced from $7 to $10, as well as offering wines by the glass, priced at $9 to $15, and by the bottle, which range from $25 to $65. The restaurant will have featured cocktails and frozen drinks including Margaritas and a frozen Negroni, priced from $9 to $15. Signature cocktails, priced at $12 at opening, include the Martini Limoncello, a white martini of Lemon Citron Vodka, turmeric syrup, the Power Mojito with kale and kiwi and the Italian Mojito, with basil leaves and mint syrup Happy Hour will be offered Monday through Friday, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. with select beers priced at $5 each, featured wines by the glass, and special cocktails priced at $6 each, along with Happy Hour Small Plates for $5 and up per dish.

Like its sister Washington, D.C. restaurants, Cactus Cantina and Lauriol Plaza, Alfresco is designed to be a part of its neighborhood and appeal to everyone as a place to gather, relax and dine among friends. Cindy Sanchez, the managing partner of the upcoming Alfresco, grew up working in these restaurants with her family. Her husband, Jaime Sanchez, is also a partner in Alfresco, and he is the general manager of Cactus Cantina. He has been part of the operations team since joining Cactus Cantina. Established restaurateurs Raul Sanchez and Luis Reyes are also partners in this important new build in Adams Morgan.

Cindy Sanchez’s restaurateur father, Raul Sanchez, fled communistic-controlled Cuba in 1962. While waiting tables at the Prime Rib, Sanchez met his future business partner and chef, a young Salvadoran, Luis Reyes. Reyes had crossed the Mexican dessert as a young man to reach America looking to find a better life. In 1979, Sanchez hired Reyes as his chef for La Plaza in Adams-Morgan. Four years later in 1983, Sanchez purchased another restaurant, the original Lauriol Plaza at 18th and S Streets and he offered Reyes a partnership opportunity. The success of this restaurant, with customers waiting for hours to secure a table, was the catalyst for the opening of their next venture together, Cactus Cantina in 1990, which is an engaging, casual, family-friendly restaurant serving the best Text-Mex specialties in the area, along with Cuban, Spanish, and South American dishes. A few years later, the partners built a much larger Lauriol Plaza, from the ground up, creating the vibe of an old Havana café. Lauriol Plaza remains a landmark in the Dupont Circle neighborhood for Mexican, International and Latin American food. Alfresco is the long-awaited next dining destination for Adams Morgan. This important project was first announced in January 2017, and the restaurant is two blocks down 18th Street from Lauriol Plaza.”