New Ruta del Vino Chef Brings More Seafood and Vegetables Into the Mix

Ruta del Vino, part of Petworth’s attention-getting restaurant lineup on Upshur Street NW, is kicking off spring with a new chef and an updated menu filled with more Latin American food.

Newly minted executive chef Wille Harner, an alum of downtown’s Casa Luca and Navy Yard’s Whaley’s, joins the 15-months-old evolving neighborhood eatery (800 Upshur Street NW) alongside Timber Pizza Company, Himitsu, and Hank’s Cocktail Bar.

Harner’s cooking resume has included overseas stints in Bologna, Italy and Lima, Peru, as well as under Jeremy Fox at Michelin-starred Ubuntu in Napa Valley.

In his new gig he’s keeping some items in place, such as ceviches and Brazilian cheese grilled over wood and finished with garlic-infused olive oil and oregano. New additions include cazuela de mariscos, a coconut milk-based seafood stew, as well as a vegetarian version of Ruta’s traditional mixed grill featuring stuffed chiles and purple Peruvian potatoes.

More Mexican wines are being poured soon, with new imports from Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe arriving any day now. Scroll down to take a look at the new dishes:

• Ruta del Vino Founder Discusses Lessons Learned From Opening a Wine Bar [EDC]
• Ruta del Vino Is a ‘Roller-Coater Ride’ [EDC]