Swanky seafood spot Cordelia Fishbar swims into Union Market
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Clyde's Restaurant Group fires up a new restaurant with wood-grilled oysters. Photo: Courtesy of Deb Lindsey
Cordelia Fishbar launches near Union Market on Wednesday, bringing a svelte seafood restaurant to D.C.'s hottest dining district.
Why it matters: You can add trendy conservas, dry-aged fish, and a high-energy oyster bar to a growing list of must-tries in the area.
Dig in: The wood-fired eatery is an entirely new look for homegrown Clyde's Restaurant Group, best known since the '60s for their crowd-pleasing American saloons and Old Ebbitt Grill — one of the highest-grossing restaurants in America.
- Cordelia is dinghy-sized compared to most of Clyde's massive fleet, with around 170 seats (plus a patio that'll open in spring).
Between the lines: With a whopping 2 million oysters sold annually, CRG routinely tests its bivalves for bacteria in an independent lab — a measure that costs the company tens of thousands of dollars a year, but also ensures a clean and safe product.
What they're saying: "We're pretty obsessive about seafood. Leaning in and taking our best shot at a seafood restaurant is long overdue," John McDonnell, CRG president, tells Axios.
- Clyde's buying power is a boon, given the cost of quality fish. "Money talks, and in this case we've built so much leverage capital in buying seafood, it's the right time for us to do something like this," says McDonnell.
The vibe: Shipyard chic. Designer Karen Herold of Studio K — behind the look of high-profile spots like Chicago's Girl and the Goat and Nobu Hotel — decked out the space with weathered oak floors, coastal antiques, and a hand-painted, blue-and-white ceramic bar.
The intrigue: Most items come off a huge charcoal grill that's fueled with a custom blend of cherry, apple and oak from NoVa's Woodwirks, which supplies sustainable, salvaged woods.
- That includes a showstopper whole 4 lb. Spanish turbot for $140 (feeds 3-4) that's carved tableside. The menu is designed for dabbling between fancy tinned fish, caviar service, seafood towers, small plates and luxe proteins (e.g. tiger prawns, Iberico pork) that diners mix and match with sauces and sides.
- The kitchen is also dry-aging its own Ora king salmon and tuna — the trend du jour — which kicks up the umami.
In your glass: Coastal cocktails like a white port-and-tonic — Portugal's answer to a G&T — or a boozy clarified milk punch with coconut, pineapple and lime.
Menu cheat sheet: If McDonnell was ordering for the table, he'd go with: tuna belly conserva with olives, capers and grilled bread; dry-aged salmon crudo with grapefruit and honey nage; kohlrabi-apple-blue cheese salad; and of course, that turbot.
If you go: Cordelia Fishbar. 550 Morse St NE. Open daily for dinner at 4pm, weekend brunch coming in January.