NYC's glam Pastis is now open near Union Market
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Salut, Pastis. Photo courtesy of Rey Lopez
How do you take an iconic New York City restaurant, revive it, and clone it? That's the challenge power-duo restaurateurs Keith McNally and Stephen Starr have embraced with Pastis, which opens today in D.C.'s Union Market District.
Why it matters: Pastis — one of the most hotly anticipated restaurants of the year — has a lot to live up to given its scene-y Meatpacking District roots (très similaires to Union Market) and its scene-y sibling Le Diplomate on 14th Street.
Catch up quick: McNally, who's also behind lil' celebrity haven Balthazar, opened the original Pastis in 1999. It closed over a decade later after a celebrity-fueled run. Starr acquired it for its grand revival in 2019.
What they're saying: "The original Pastis back in the '90s was always a sort of a grittier brother to Balthazar," Starr tells Axios. "I look at this as the grittier brother of Le Diplomate."
Zoom in: The 250-seat, warehouse-chic brasserie feels familiar: the zinc bar, red banquettes, spackled mirrors, and glowy lighting. But it's designed to be distinctly D.C.
- While NYC and a new Miami location's menus are more devoutly French, there's a sampling of European dishes and drinks here. Also: outside "dining chalets" to keep things cozy in winter, plus a warm weather patio.
🍔 On your plate: Brasserie classics, sure — an au poivre burger, French onion soup — but also plates like potato pierogies, wiener schnitzel, and chicken Kiev. The latter is a nod to Starr's late NYC restaurant Verōnika, "where we perfected it."
- Nostalgia is a theme here. You can feast on throwback French fare like steak haché and tender veal tongue with crispy potatoes. Or twirl a creamy pasta al limone.
Flashback: The decadent steak sandwich is from Pastis' opening days (think of it as Le Dip's burger for New Yorkers).
🥒 In your glass: Spritzes for the cool spritz kids, but we have our eye on "Le Petite Pickle," a riff on a dirty martini with vodka, pickle brine, and "pickled things."
What's next: For McNally, a first-time spinoff of West Village classic Minetta Tavern that's opening near Union Market soon.
- Starr tells Axios he's on track to debut his ambitious Italian restaurant and market in Georgetown with L.A. star chef Nancy Silverton this summer (eta: June). And in the fall, a "glamorous" remake of the old Occidental space in the Willard Hotel downtown.
What we're watching: Pastis DC is open for dinner, with lunch and brunch to start soon.