Justice Elena Kagan Samples One-Third of Iron Gate’s Menu

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan tried a little bit of everything during dinner November 13 at Dupont Circle’s historic Iron Gate restaurant, tasting over a half-dozen Mediterranean-style dishes during a leisurely visit.

A tipster reports that Kagan dined with a female friend at the Neighborhood Restaurant Group outpost overseen by Rammy Award-winning chef Anthony Chittum. According to the spy, Kagan and her companion ordered a bunch of small plates including smoked deviled eggs bolstered by bottarga, burrata with spiced pumpkin seeds, ricotta gnocchi with Calabrian chilies, and octopus accompanied by smoked sweet potatoes and mustard. The duo wound up tackling seven of the 21 dishes on the current dinner menu. (Perhaps Kagan is ready to switch from reviewing laws to evaluating restaurants?)

Kagan is no stranger to the local dining scene. In 2012 she was spotted grabbing a bite at Unum in Georgetown. And back in 2010, someone saw her toting a box from We, the Pizza, the gourmet pie shop Top Chef alum Spike Mendelsohn planted on Capitol Hill.