Raw Bar Happy Hour
We cruise the bar for a few minutes, watching for a two-seat opening. When we settle in, we order a half-dozen oysters, onion rings and a Caesar salad. The nice thing about eating at the bar is that you can stay informed by headline and crawl. The huge flat screen TVs are muted but you get the story through the endless looping of whatever’s hot on CNN and ESPN (on this evening, it’s Whitney Houston and Jeremy Lin). My husband sips at a “Hair of the Dog” oyster shooter—house-infused horseradish vodka with Bloody Mary mix topped with an oyster. The bartender is kindly lenient, letting me have a sip of my chosen wine before I commit. I find the chardonnay/pinot gris blend a little sweet for my taste, so next I taste a much dryer chardonnay and have him pour me a glass. Checking out the signature cocktails menu, I wish I were able to drink more. Somewhere in the ether, I hear Boz Scaggs singing “The Dirty Lowdown.” Maybe I should just move in here. The oysters, a combination of both Atlantic and Pacific varieties, are shucked right at the bar, so they’re incredibly fresh and served with two sauces—a traditional cocktail sauce and a red wine and cucumber mignonette that’s lighter and Asian-inspired. Maybe they can rename it after Jeremy Lin. I wish I had room for the poached lobster. Twenty-seven-year-old chef Brendan Tharp came over to Senart’s in November from another Cervera establishment, Molly Malone’s. The Maryland native did his culinary training at Baltimore International College, worked in California and came back east to help open The Blue Hill Tavern in the Brewers Hill section of Baltimore. When asked about his food interests, Tharp says he leans toward New American cuisine. “The US is a great culinary melting pot, with influences from everywhere,” he said. Tharp is looking forward to putting together Senart’s spring menu. “There’s lots of comfort food on the menu right now,” he said. “For the spring menu, I want to go a little outside the comfort zone without intimidating.”
Senart’s Oyster & Chop House 520 8th Street SE 202-544-1168 Dinner served daily from 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday brunch from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Raw bar Happy Hour daily 4-6:30 pm H
The shrimp at Senart’s practically melts in the mouth, the result of being quick poached in citrus and spices. Here it is framed by raw oysters. Photo: Andrew Lightman
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