All of St. Anselm’s Show-Stopping Details at Union Market

A sister location to Brooklyn neighborhood tavern St. Anselm joined the D.C. dining landscape this week, letting Top Chef alum Marjorie Meek-Bradley show off her carnivorous cooking talents from its open and spacious stainless steel kitchen.

Aside from her lineup of neatly-presented lamb tartare and seasoned meats meticulously sourced from top U.S. farms, another star at St. Anselm is the eclectic 19-seat bar welcoming guests inside the new 7,000-square-foot Northeast restaurant (1250 5th Street NE).

The U-shaped setup is packed with quirky details and knick knacks at every turn, with deer antlers doubling as beer tap handles and furry taxidermy creatures staring at drinkers perched on colorful stools below. Stacks of vintage books, sequined fez caps, Miller Lite cans, and reclaimed wooden bannisters round out the offbeat, yet cohesive, setting only a Brooklyn hospitality vet like Joe Carroll (behind hip barbecue and beer bars Fette Sau and Spuyten Duyvil) could conjure up.

Rey Lopez/Eater DC

St. Anselm, a joint effort between Carroll and James Beard Foundation Award-winning restaurateur Stephen Starr, has a sleek metal wine book that also dabbles in design: Interspersed within the thick stack of 450 wine options are vino-themed illustrations from A.E. Kieren, who also added artistic touches to Starr’s perennially packed Logan Circle restaurant Le Diplomate. Here’s a look at the list:

Its opening cocktail menu includes a Bloody Mary served all night, along with staples like a daiquiri and boulevardier on draft, as well as brandy, sherry, and tequila “inspired” classics ($12 to $21). And to capitalize on cognac having a moment, there’s a sharable punch bowl starring the spirit alongside Jamaican rum, citrus, orange curaçao, and ginger beer ($50).

Tierney Plumb/Eater DC

St. Anselm plateware is a mix of vintage finds and the same ornate brand found at Starr’s Michelin-rated Clocktower in NYC:

Tierney Plumb/Eater DC

Tierney Plumb/Eater DC

Tierney Plumb/Eater DC

Rey Lopez/Eater DC

The anticipated restaurant is open for dinner service daily at 5 p.m., with brunch and reservations for its dressed-down “Beef Steak” room coming at a TBA date.

• The New St. Anselm Brings Classy Lived-In Vibes to Union Market [EDC]
• Restaurateur Stephen Starr Teams With Keith McNally to Reopen Pastis [NYT]
• Brooklyn’s St. Anselm Grill Expanding to D.C. in 2018 [EDC]
• D.C.’s St. Anselm Will Be Bigger, Meatier, and Boozier Than Brooklyn’s [EDC]
• ‘Top Chef’ Alum Marjorie Meek-Bradley Adds Airport Dining to Her Growing Resume [EDC]
• The Most Anticipated Restaurants in D.C., Fall 2018 [EDC]