Sous-vide Brisket, Spanish Inspiration at New Wagshal's

Grid View

• The entrance to the new Wagshal's.
• Digital menu board.
• Digital signage.
• Terra cotta-inspired ceiling.
• Back-loading soda case.
• The company's first grill top.
• Oven.
• Meat slicer.
• Live lobster tank.
• Future home of cheese.
• Market area under construction.
• Coffee dispensers.
• Vegetable and flower shelving.
• Scale.
• Butcher counter.
• Gelato station.
• Dining area.

Bill Fuchs was inspired by the mercados of Spain when figuring out the design of the latest location of Wagshal's. The deli, restaurant and market will open its doors later this month, and it has an open-air feel, state-of-the-art technology and some new experiments for the company.

"There are a lot of firsts," Fuchs said during a tour of the still-unfinished space. Those include artisan breads, homemade pastas, a grill top for making hamburgers and hot dogs, a pickle bar, gelato, and 74 feet of pastries.

Wagshal's occupies about 4,000 square feet at the location on New Mexico Ave. NW, adjacent to Al Dente. There is seating for 60 people inside and about 40 at the outdoor patio. Wagshal's worked with a Portuguese company on specialized equipment such as a back-loading soda case so that customers won't be disturbed when it's being refilled.

The restaurant portion of Wagshal's will offer the company's signature sandwiches (including its acclaimed brisket, which will be prepared using the sous-vide method here to speed up delivery). There's a salad station, hot foods bar, silver dollar latkes and grilled items as well.

Visitors to Wagshal's market will be able to purchase seafood such as oysters and soft shell crabs, and the company's rare cuts of meats and specialized items such as the Iberico bellota ham, not to mention cheeses, produce and pantry items like infused olive oils. The company is partnering with florist Johnson's on flowers. There is charcuterie such as European-style sausages cut to order.

The space designed by architect Will Couch of Foundry has 15-foot ceilings, 50 major pieces of high-end equipment and other touches such as a live lobster tank, and environmentally friendly construction (using reclaimed wood and ventless hoods). Wagshal's will open by the end of May, though a precise opening date hasn't been set.
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