Atlas District’s Fancy Radish Splices Two Philly Restaurants Into One

Philly-based vegan power couple Richard Landau and Kate Jacoby are breaking new ground at soon-to-open Atlas District eatery, Fancy Radish, opting to weave together core elements from high-end Philly restaurant Vedge and casual counterpart V Street for their debut in D.C.

“We want to serve our best food and the greatest hits of both restaurants,” says Landau, a James Beard Foundation Award semi-finalist. The 65-seat restaurant, destined for the Apollo development (600 H Street NE) and originally billed as another V Street, is shooting for a late February opening.

Its updated name is an ode to one of the starring dishes served at critically acclaimed Vedge. Another Vedge selection slated to make an appearance is whole roasted carrots with pumpernickel and sauerkraut puree. V Street’s street food-style fare, some of which Landau says is “too spicy and bold” for Vedge’s menu, will also be served at Fancy Radish. Dan dan noodles — featuring five spice mushrooms, zucchini, and red chile-sesame sauce — is a destination dish and will likely migrate to D.C.’s expanded noodle bar.

Another reason for the name change was to quell confusion of its placement on H Street, not D.C.’s actual V Street. Both restaurateurs are very familiar with D.C. — Jacoby went to school at Georgetown and Landau has family here — and the name V Street was always a placeholder, they tell Eater.

Photo: Richard Landau

Landau says the in-the-works menu will feature “medium” plates, as he’s never been a fan of tiny tapas.

“I never enjoyed eating that way — it’s like a tease when you’re reading a good book and when you’re just getting into it, it ends,” he says. Large plates are “outdated,” he adds.

Find the right-sized portion under three TBA categories; the menu is expected to be split into themes reflecting preparation techniques and how filling the food should be.

Happy hour will likely join the mix a week or two in, with brunch projected to follow a month later. They’re not keen on pushing a late-night situation, with initial plans to stay open until 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends.

“If there’s a strong pop at the bar we could stay open later,” Jacoby says.

The “industrial garden” design plays off the modern building’s bones, which include concrete floors and exposed ceilings. Vedge vibes will be replicated in the layout; the eatery currently spreads 90 seats across different rooms inside a colonial-style house. Once finished, there’ll be two distinct dining rooms as well as a chef’s counter.

Natural materials like wood and marble, as well as pops of green and purple, also aim to set the scene.

“Apollo is stunning and we want to be mindful of the newness of the building and character of H Street,” Jacoby says.

There’s also plans to potentially ship down experimental sandwich shop Wiz Kid from Philly as well: It’s a “definite possibility” the fast-casual sibling will make an appearance in D.C. in some form or fashion, says Landau.