Millie's restaurateur drops anchor in Chevy Chase D.C. with the Wheelhouse
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The Wheelhouse opens in Chevy Chase D.C. with a seafood-centric menu and beachy cocktails. Photo: Courtesy Georgetown Events
Millie's restaurateur Bo Blair is back with another big, jaunty crowd-pleaser: The Wheelhouse opens Wednesday in Chevy Chase D.C.
Why it matters: Blair has a knack for building breezy neighborhood restaurants — think Surfside and Jettie's — that draw a broad mix of diners in D.C.'s well-heeled, slightly suburban corners.
- If the Wheelhouse catches the same tailwind, Chevy Chase could soon have a Millie's-esque see-and-be-seen neighborhood hub.
Yes, but: The Wheelhouse isn't Millie's North. The yacht-clubby restaurant — which, like Blair's others, channels Nantucket — is charting its own course with an original New American menu from chef David Scribner.
- Plus, a 24-seat bar for beachy cocktails, many named after Yacht Rock legends (we'll take a salty vodka-grapefruit Chris Cross).
Dig in: The all-day, seafood-forward menu is built for a day by the water — or, failing that, the sprawling patio.
- Start with crudos, crispy rice sushi or selections from the raw bar; dig into apps like crab soup and spiced shrimp; and pick between entree salads, sandwiches, burgers and mains like soft-shells, roasted rockfish over coconut rice and steak frites.
- Blair's current favorite? The French dip: shaved prime rib, horseradish cream and plenty of au jus for dunking.
To drink: Fans of Millie's famous frosé should try the new frozen Aperol spritz — or, better yet, a frosty transfusion.
What's next: Brunch service and a Connecticut Avenue takeout window that doubles as a scoop shop, both expected next week. That means blueberry pancakes, warm biscuits and ice cream are all on deck.
As for the name: "It's a double meaning," Blair says. In boating, the wheelhouse is where you steer the vessel. More broadly, it's "something that you're comfortable with and know you like."
If you go: The Wheelhouse. 5714 Connecticut Avenue, Northwest