Mintwood Place is Permanently Closed.
You know those old friends you don’t see very often, but when you finally get together the camaraderie and warm, fuzzy feelings come rushing back? This is how I feel when I make a long overdue return visit to Mintwood Place in Adams Morgan.
Mintwood Place is a French-influenced bistro that has been popular with DC diners since it opened in 2012. It has a neighborhood vibe but is absolutely destination-worthy. I first wrote about the restaurant and its executive chef/owner Cedric Maupillier in its first year of operation, and then again in 2013.
Matthew Cockrell has been chef de cuisine at Mintwood Place since 2017. A native of Vienna, Virginia, Cockrell served as executive sous chef at Stephen Starr’s Le Diplomate prior to coming to Mintwood Place. He and Pastry Chef Stephanie Milne have introduced a bar menu that gives diners a convivial way to experience the restaurant. For me, it’s an opportunity to get reacquainted with the space and introduced to the current team.
The bar menu features a hearty variety of selections to warm the soul. Chef’s charcuterie board is a labor of love with wild boar salami, chicken liver mousse, pate, and port wine marinated onions. Mediterranean-influenced lamb merquez is dressed up with a smattering of chickpeas, cucumbers, and a schmear of bright beet hummus.
Smoked duck wings are perked up with housemade mumbo sauce. Wings of any kind speak to me as the perfect bar food, and these stand up and out with their tangy, slightly sweet sauce.
There’s more here than meats the eye. Mac and cheese, corn fritters with chervil remoulade, and salt cod croquettes with salsa brava balance out the bar menu with a satisfying crunch.
Milne has created some beautiful fall-themed desserts to pair with the food at Mintwood Place. Warm roasted pears with cranberry compote, gingersnaps, and honey goat cheese ice cream melts my heart. And don’t underestimate the power of a plate of cookies, offered only on the bar menu. Oatmeal craisin, chocolate snowcaps, eggnog stars, chewy molasses, and frosted pumpkin are currently being served but she plans to change the selections weekly.
Last but obviously not least on this newly-launched bar menu are cocktails. Patrons are in good hands with Bar Manager Matthew Wilcox, who has created a masterful trio of fall-themed libations to accompany the food. If you’re looking for an especially good pearing, there’s Anjou Can Tell Everybody, with cognac, pear mix, lemon juice, lime juice and Peychaud’s bitters. Another seasonal treat is The Cayuga, composed of rye whiskey, Riesling, grenadine, spiced apple cider, and tarragon. My favorite of the bunch: All Over The Map with sour cherry bitter liquor, pineapple juice, ginger cordial, cherry syrup, chamomile bitters and soda water. Don’t let the sweet-sounding ingredients steer you elsewhere. The cocktails are well-balanced.
Bar snacks are well-priced from $5 to $10 each. Dishes rotate monthly and are available exclusively in the 31-seat bar and lounge.
It’s natural after seeing an old friend to conclude with a well-meaning “Let’s get together again soon.” It’s often just something you say. But this time I really mean it, Mintwood Place.
Mintwood Place, 1813 Columbia Road, NW, Washington, DC
Happy Hour is available exclusively at the bar Tuesday through Friday, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Been There, Eaten That was a guest of Mintwood Place.
