59 Postcards
At Bresca, Chef Ryan Ratino plays with French techniques and seasonal ingredients in a vibrant bistro setting, offering inventive dishes that delight both the eye and palate.
"Bresca will be open for Thanksgiving from 2 to 8 p.m., offering a special tasting menu for $195 per person. Get full on a spread of dishes like smoked mussels with saffron emulsion and basil or truffle choux with taleggio mornay to start. Main courses consist of brioche stuffed turkey with turkey sausage, jus gras (pan drippings) gravy and endive or wagyu zabuton steak ($35 supplement) with black garlic, beef jus, and romaine. Reserve here." - Vinciane Ngomsi
"Bresca’s star bar team, comprised of beverage director Will Patton and lead bartender Sara Chaudhuri, sends out a stellar espresso martini made with D’Usse Cognac, Mr. Black coffee liqueur, espresso, demerara, and nutmeg. The classic vintage Negroni comes with 1970s Tanqueray, 1983 Campari, and Present Day Cocchi Torino. Or sip sans spirits with its Citronnade a la Menthe or Pineapple Collins." - Vinciane Ngomsi
"Chef Ryan Ratino’s buzzy bistro on lower 14th Street NW whips up dinners dreamed up by the ambitious chef, who’s among the youngest to have a restaurant earn a Michelin star (sample course: tuna crudo with Calabrian chile, wild fennel, makrut lime and foie gras gateau with pistachio, strawberry, celery, and anise). The restaurant pushes boundaries everywhere: The menu incorporates a vintage French duck press gifted by gourmet supplier D’Artagnan into a theatrical tableside offering, while the bar program spearheaded by beverage director Will Patton is also not to miss. Chef’s tasting menus ($158) can be augmented with seasonal delicacies like luxe truffles, and there’s now a la carte options available too. This fast-growing team, which is also behind two-Michelin-starred tasting room Jônt upstairs, recently opened a new restaurant in Fort Lauderdale and will soon expand to LA." - Tierney Plumb, Emily Venezky
"Beverage director Will Patton has the Olympics spirit, so of course the Michelin-starred, French-influenced restaurant is offering spectators a taste of Paris in the District. Enjoy a new reimagined drink menu like the “Fastest Man Alive,” prepared with gin, vermouth, mango, citrus, and egg white ($16). Rally behind USA gymnastics while toasting with the “Magnificent Seven.” It combines pisco, tequila blanco, Bergamont, apple, and bitters ($16)." - Vinciane Ngomsi, Tierney Plumb
"As the parade marches down 14th Street NW, this fine-dining eatery refreshes marchers and parade-goers with hot dogs, snacks, and seltzers." - Evan Caplan
