Brightest Young Things

words by Alex Nicholson and Bill Couch
photos by Dakota Fine

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Alex on food:
Last week two great things happened. 1.) BYT got a new Beer Writer named Bill, who'll be writing about all things foamy in a new column called The Bottle Opener 2.) BYT got invited to a 3.5 hour tasting at ChurchKey/Birch & Barley. These two facts are the reason this post exists.

There’s been a lot of chatter about ChurchKey and Birch & Barley. Some people like it, some people don’t. Like many new places that open in DC, they are a victim of their initial success and will need to settle into their own skin over the next few months.

For those who aren’t aware there are two distinct restaurants sharing one location, one kitchen, one chef and one beer expert. The kitchen is manned by the husband and wife team of Kyle Bailey and Tiffany MacIsaac, both most recently with Allen & Delancey. Prior to that Chef Bailey was at Blue Hill and Cru, both also in New York. ChurchKey is located upstairs and serves upscale bar food. It takes no reservations and often has a crowd waiting for a seat or a spot at the bar. Birch & Barley is downstairs and serves a contemporary twist on rustic American food. Reservations are recommended for this more elegant dining room.

For our very special BYT tasting we were given dishes off the menus of both locations. I’ll cover the food - Bill follows up with the beer. Everything was paired with recommendations by Beer Director Greg Engert. Greg is perfectly versed when it comes to beer and reminds me a lot of Derek Brown of The Gibson and The Passenger when it comes to his devotion to, and education of drink.

Upstairs at ChurchKey we had broccoli/cheddar pizza; BLT pizza; mac and cheese sticks; fried sweetbread poppers with a chipotle dipping sauce; risotto balls with butternut squash and a charcuterie plate. I loved that charcuterie plate, flush with spicy chorizo, an inspired duck liver mousse, Red Apron bologna and a homemade terrine of pig cheeks and trotters.

Downstairs at Birch & Barley we had a lovely bread platter with some pretty tasty pretzel rolls; seared sea scallops with Israeli cous cous; charred octopus salad with fingerling potatoes; shaved fennel, apple and arugula salad; roasted beet risotto with wilted greens and goat cheese; fig, gorgonzola and prosciutto flatbread; honey glazed duck breast with wild rice and skate wrapped around grilled radicchio. Dessert followed with a mix of sorbets; sticky toffee pudding with sour cream ice cream; an apple beignet with cinnamon chantilly cream and French toast with oatmeal ice cream and BACON CARAMEL.

Between ChurchKey and Birch & Barley, I liked the latter best. I thought the cooking was at a much higher level and the menu was interesting and priced across the board. I would recommend sticking with the simpler dishes and mixing starters, flatbreads and sides. The flavors are bold and bright, and pairing them with beer just seems to make sense. These two restaurants are a harbinger of change in the neighborhood, but will continue to evolve. Over the next few months expect to see valet parking offered, brunch service and a pre-theater menu for those who want to catch a show in the neighborhood.

Bill on beer:

I've heard it said that the District is not really a beer town. A few restaurants offer a better selection than not - Pizzeria Paradiso, for example. Then there's RFD in Chinatown, whose ambiance is a scant step ahead of a nearly-vacant airport bar in broad daylight; and its big brother, Brickskeller in Dupont, which is akin to the garage of your neighbor's dad. While they have an impressive joint offering, several beers are often not available, and their tap list pales in comparison to their bottle list. Normally, this wouldn't be a significant drawback. But then you enter ChurchKey, which touts 500 bottles, 50 taps and 5 cask-conditioned ales at any given time.

ChurchKey's beer director, Greg Engert, actually comes from the Brickskeller but began this venture with Kyle Bailey, the executive chef of both ChurchKey and building mate, Birch & Barley. I recently went to sample the duo's offerings, at the direction of Greg himself.

I began the night with a Nøgne-ø God Jul, an English Strong Ale brewed in Norway, and a good example of the style. Its appearance was a deep mahogany brown with a light head that left respectable lacing. It smelled of caramel and tasted delightfully full-bodied. Greg was one for one.

In between sampling the appetizers off of ChurchKey's exclusive menu, I also tasted De Ranke's Noir De Dottignies, a Belgian Strong Dark Ale, which I preferred over the God Jul, even though both were excellent. The Noir De Dottignies looks like a ruby gem against a light, and has a wonderful malty taste that finishes dry and bitter from the hops. Greg hadn't missed yet, but dinner was yet to come.

We left our booth and headed downstairs to Birch & Barley, where we were promptly seated and served their standard (and delicious) Bread Board, which included pretzel rolls steeped in Bell's Porter Ale, multi-grain bread with cranberries soaked in ginger beer, and mustard - naturally, also made with beer. [what beer? GI makes theirs with bourbon county stout] Greg then presented us with our first drink of the meal, Drie Fonteinen's Oude Geuze: a blended, oak-aged lambic.

He cited that he chose to start the meal with this beer as it "opens up the palate," causing you to salivate in anticipation of your meal. Drei Fonteinen's beers are highly regarded among craft beer enthusiasts, even though geuzes can be particularly divisive: to some, it can taste like stale wine, or tart champagne in the worst way. Geuze's unique taste is derived from allowing the beer to ferment in the wild, only with the yeast found airborne. It appears gold in the glass and tastes sour and light on the tongue and, in my mind, was absolutely fantastic.

As the food started to arrive, the variety of tastes expanded several fold. Responding to this, Greg led us to a more reserved beer, one that would allow the flavors of the meal to come through. Served in a goblet, we were poured Brasserie des Géants' Urchon, a Belgian Dark Ale brownish-red in appearance, which tasted slightly malty at the start, but had a clean, understated finish. Paired with the meal, I found the beer to be a perfect choice, especially with ruby red risotto with roasted beets and goat cheese, pan-roasted skate, and honey-glazed duck breast. However, on its own, I found it rather forgettable. I won't nix Greg on the selection as it was appropriate for the meal, but I would lean towards a different Belgian Dark, perhaps a slightly stronger one like the Noir De Dottignies.

The meal was rounded out with some sorbet to cleanse the palate (buttermilk, Concord grape, and green apple) and then a smattering of desserts and a superb glass of oak-aged Ten Fidy. Notable for their canned beers, Oskar Blues's Russian Imperial Stout was black as oil, with a deep brown head, and a roasty, magnificent taste of coffee, chocolate, toffee, and oak. It was the perfect way to finish the dinner.

Greg got his Masters in English at Georgetown, so his ability to explain the story behind each beer is quite exceptional. Should you find yourself at one of ChurchKey's coveted bar seats, seek any bartender out and ask them for a recommendation. Not only will it be well-reasoned, but they'll also contribute greatly to the near-sterling experience you'll have at ChurchKey.

For more perspective on ChurchKey and Birch & Barley, check out our previous coverage of the "Naked Pint" book signing at ChurchKey.