Bloomingdale’s Wicked Bloom Drops Local Barbecue for Gourmet Food

Wicked Bloom Social Club, the neighborhood bar that started out as barbecue den Dcity Smokehouse’s boozy sibling, is pivoting from backyard fare to global snacks complemented by classic cocktails.

Bourbon Steak head bartender Torrence Swain and pop-up dining vet Johanna Hellrigl are now consulting on the drinks and food, respectively; their latest contributions are hitting tables right now.

The revamped menu ($8 to $16) trades pulled pork for appetizers, mains, and desserts designed to appeal to a wider audience. There’s za’atar-spiced flatbreads for two as well as lightly fried veal- and mortadella meatballs flanked by marinara sauce (Hellrigl’s secret family recipe). A house burger features black garlic-infused Virginia beef and spicy honey.

Hellrigl has been busy this year hosting temporary dining events around town; find her fare paired with beer-based cocktails at District Space’s pop-up 1 Ounce or 2 through the end of the month. Wicked Bloom is the most permanent home she’s found to date.

Photo by Tierney Plumb / Eater DC

New additions behind the bar include classics like daiquiris and sidecars; a clarified chocolate milk punch (rye, rum, coffee, Curacao, chili) is coming online soon.

Photo by Tierney Plumb / Eater DC

Meier is purposely keeping cocktail prices at around $10 to draw more of a following in the revitalized NoMa neighborhood — a similar move that NYC’s famed Dead Rabbit employed when first opening in the Financial District, he says.