photo by Hawkeye Johnson Photography
From a press release:
“The Grace (1539 Seventh St. NW), the latest restaurant from Chef Sanjay Mandhaiya (Karravaan, Pappe), is set to open July 1 in Shaw. A modern American saloon with well-priced pub favorites and classic, approachable cocktails, the Grace aims to be a neighborhood destination that encourages repeat visits.
The Grace was first announced last year when Mandhaiya, a regular at the longtime DC bar industry hangout the Passenger, purchased the bar with the intention of welcoming neighborhood crowds back. loved the space,” Mandhaiya says. “I always thought that if I get the Passenger, I want to turn this space around to its former glory. It needed a chef’s hand.”
For The Grace, Mandhaiya channels his early years as a chef cooking in large hotels, steakhouses, and American cafés, cooking American food and ending long shifts in the kitchen with an ice-cold craft beer, burger, a classic Reuben, or wings.
The design and vibes skew softer at the Grace,
however, and Mandhaiya deliberately has transformed the pub grub he loves with delicious, cheffy touches, while the beverage program emphasizes approachability with classics such as a menu of daiquiris, and beer and wine list with all the standard-bearers. With gentle ambient lighting, chic textiles and art, the Grace will be the perfect place to settle in for dinner before games at Capital One Arena, or after a show at the 9:30 Club or Lincoln Theatre, or simply to order a perfect burger on a lazy weeknight. Recognizing a need in DC for more late-night dining, The Grace’s kitchen will also turn out a special concise menu of late-night bar fare so guests can linger just a little bit longer.
Courtney Evans, late of Charlotte’s acclaimed Leah & Louise and known for her turn on Netflix’s “Next Gen Chef,” will be The Grace’s executive chef, lending her expertise to an eclectic menu laden with refined touches. Dishes span American and bistro influences; if there’s a singular throughline, it’s deeply satisfying, crowd-pleasing comfort food.
The “French-ish” Onion Soup is rich with the flavors of a three-hour onion confit and sherry; the Caesar Americano is a vintage-style Caesar inspired by Mandhaiya’s favorite as a young chef, with crisp baby romaine and buttery, grilled-garlic ciabatta croutons; a Slow-Roasted Half Chicken is brushed with ghee here and served with a French-style Choron sauce and garlic-roasted potatoes and vegetables and sides; and the English Club is a filling sando of a warm ciabatta with grilled chicken breast, avocado and bacon with tarragon mayo, all topped with a fried egg. Smoked shallots and a slow-cooked, cumin-crusted pork infuses flavor into the Pressed Cuban; the Reuben, on the other hand, is firmly traditional, featuring corned beef piled high on griddled rye toast with garlic aioli and Swiss cheese brightened by the tang of caramelized sauerkraut and dill pickle.
photo by Hawkeye Johnson Photography
For Mandhaiya, it was crucial that the Grace would also be the antidote to the stuffy, $300 dinners that have become the norm around Washington and other cities. Truly a neighborhood hangout, the Grace is priced reasonably, with several starters under $15, most larger plates ringing up under $30 – and a burger, Mandhaiya notes, that’s just barely over $20.
Director of Beverage and Mixology Stefan Sokic, a Washington, D.C., hospitality veteran, has curated Grave’s beverage program to elevate the guest experience, with American bar classics made modern with seasonal ingredients, including a menu of classic daiquiris (including banana and lychee versions) crafted with house-made sugarcane juice, honoring the cocktail’s traditional roots. Throughout his menu are more experimental offerings, too, such as the Spicy Corn, with rye popcorn, Nixta corn liqueur, paprika, cumin and lime peel, as well a strong spirits list laden with top-knotch bourbons, ryes, rums, brandies, and legal moonshine. In keeping its American saloon feel, the beer offerings at the Grace are, quite simply, everyone’s favorites, from Duchesse de Bourgogne to Port City’s Monumental IPA to Yuengling.
photo by Hawkeye Johnson Photography
CORE architecture + design – which also worked with Mandhaiya to evoke the rail stations of India at Karravaan – turned to inspiration closer to home for The Grace, channeling Americana and historic saloons but adopting a softer, more delicate appeal through rich woods, smoked glass lighting, layered textiles and art pieces (by popular DC artist Maggie O’Neill) that feel inviting from brunch to late night.
The Grace’s two levels each bear their own atmospheric differences: The ground floor emphasizes bar culture and social interaction, while the second floor is draped and lighted for a more intimate, elegant feel, perfect for long, romantic dinners and hushed conversations. And finally, there are the blink-and-you’ll-miss-them nods to the Passenger, namely in the quiet reference to “Gary,” the pronghorn antelope that once graced the walls. The Grace will have a replica, while an antelope is also incorporated into the restaurant’s logo.
The Grace will be open Sunday-Thursday 4 pm-2 am; open till 3 am on Friday-Saturday with brunch service on weekends. Happy hour is planned daily from 4-6 pm.”