The Dish: Meet Birch & Barley

by WL Author

Situated in Logan Circle, Churchkey’s downstairs sister restaurant shines with flavorful, complex food.

By Katie Test

Birch and Barley, 1337 14th Street Northwest Washington, DC 20005, (202) 567-2576

Birch and Barley, 1337 14th Street Northwest Washington, DC 20005, (202) 567-2576

It would be difficult being related to ChurchKey, I would imagine, in the Kim and Klohe Kardashian kind of way:  your big sister was famous first, but when you actually do get noticed, people realize you’re not so shabby yourself. That’s how I feel about Birch & Barley – a restaurant that was out-shined by the opening of DC’s new favorite beer bar, Churchkey, directly upstairs.

Birch & Barley is an 80-seat, “beer forward” restaurant headed by Executive Chef Kyle Bailey located in Logan Circle, a short walk from the McPherson Square Metro station. Chef Bailey moved to DC from New York, where he most recently served as the executive chef of Allen & Delancey, a Michelin-star restaurant on the lower East Side of Manhattan. Not in it alone, Bailey is joined by pastry chef Tiffany MacIsaac, who also came to Birch & Barley from Allen & Delancey.

The menu at Birch & Barley is a bit fussy – dishes are complicated, but oftentimes flavorful and creative. I loved the Char Tartar with Yuzu, ginger, basil and sesame chips; but my favorite appetizer was the Charred Octopus with pickled eggplant, the acid from the pickling brightens and balances a pitch-perfect plate. Chef Bailey does game well, with sophistication – the Tagliatelle Pasta with Braised Rabbit is outstanding, and the duck breast has the right balance of fat with flavor. Desserts are out-of-the box, no stale panna cotta or typical cheesecake. A little milkshake, with straw, arrives at the table paired with a peanut butter and chocolate tart with malted milk sorbet. Heaven is close.

But my favorite part of Birch & Barley wasn’t just the food, it was the fact that Beer Director Greg Engert creates brilliant pairings. The tasting menu at Birch & Barley comes in at an affordable $55, and I fully recommend you spring the extra $16 for the beer pairings as well. If six courses is too much, ask for a beer pairing with your meal anyways.

While Birch & Barley may be outstanding on it’s own, it is still related to ChurchKey in the end, a fact that only makes it better.

Birch & Barley and ChurchKey are located at 1337 14th St, NW. For more information, please call 202-567-2576 or visit the websites at www.birchandbarley.com and www.churchkeydc.com.

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