Southwest’s New Global Bistro Serves ‘Du Jour’ Plates Like Pot Pie-Style Veal Stew

A new Franco-American bistro that integrates all sorts of global flavors opens tonight in the the Mandarin Oriental hotel on the Southwest waterfront.

Amity & Commerce moves into the space that housed Eric Ziebold’s dearly departed CityZen. Chef Justin Houghtaling, who has experience cooking at Brasserie Beck and Marcel’s, is behind elaborately plated dishes like tamarind-glazed Angus short ribs and grits with crispy taro. Mid-Atlantic ingredients make their way into dishes like an Eastern Shore crab dip imperial and whole roasted Shenandoah rainbow trout. A standout for vegetarians is crespelle that’s described as a crepe lasagna layered with vegetables like zucchini and sheep’s milk ricotta.

While CityZen was a fine-dining destination known for its tasting menus, Amity & Commerce is aiming to be more of an everyday affair with communal tables, a 20-foot wood-topped bar, and crowd-pleasing items like truffle fries.

“We want to be an easy place for people to come in and enjoy themselves,”

Amity & Commerce is named after Thomas Jefferson’s 1778 treaty linking the United States and France, and the restaurant will continue one French tradition with a “Plat Du Jour” section. A tomato-braised lamb pappardelle with ras el hanout will run on Tuesdays, Sundays will bring a potpie-like white stew of braised veal en croute, and on Fridays, diners will find pan-seared Diver scallops served with passionfruit, peanut relish, and a crispy curry rice salad.

Here’s a look at the menu:

• D.C.’s Mandarin Oriental Is Opening a Global Bistro in the Old CityZen Space [EDC]
• Amity & Commerce [Official Site]