José Andrés Finally Gets to Open a Bazaar Restaurant in DC in the Former Trump Hotel

Washington, DC’s Old Post Office building may actually be one of the newest hot spots in the nation’s capital, thanks in no small part to the local celebrity chef José Andrés.

The prolific restaurateur just opened an outpost of his Spanish-influenced Bazaar in the building, which is now a Waldorf Astoria hotel. Since first settling down in DC in 1993, Andrés has dreamed about opening a restaurant in the magnificent space, and now that dream is a reality.

More from Robb Report

• This Bonkers $250,000 Valentine's Day Dessert Comes With a Diamond Ring by Lorraine Schwartz

• Inside 'Top Chef' Star Evelyn Garcia's First Restaurant in Houston

• A Michelin-Starred Restaurant in Napa Valley Is Being Sued for Serving Foie Gras

“This debut has been a long time in the making and marks a tremendous celebratory moment for the great city of Washington, my team, and me personally,” Andrés said in a statement. “To have The Bazaar open in this beautiful, historic building that has always held a special place for me, is an American dream come true.”

The chef was set to open a different restaurant in the same space years ago, when the Old Post Office was the home of the Trump International Hotel. After then–presidential candidate Donald Trump made disparaging remarks about immigrants in 2015, Andrés pulled out of the project. That decision led to a two-year-long legal dispute with the Trump Organization, which the parties settled out of court in April 2017. Now, with the Waldorf Astoria taking over the building, Andrés is finally planting his flag there as well.

The Bazaar first opened in Los Angeles in 2008 and includes spots in Miami Beach and (soon) New York City. DC’s Bazaar will include some of the restaurant’s signature dishes, while also paying homage—aptly—to American history (the menu calls this “a peek into the archives”). The Beef Cheeks “Eisenhower Stew” is a nod to President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s favorite dish when he was in office. Hewing close to the 1950s version, it’s served with braised beef cheeks, potato, carrots and demi-sec tomatoes. Other classics include Butifarra Senator Moynihan (house-made pork sausage, baby cuttlefish, white bean stew) and Truffle Rabbit Roulade (miso-mustard marinate, truffle mousse, rabbit jus).

Andrés’s Spanish-leaning fare is exhibited in little snacks like tacos with Ibérico ham and caviar, as well as traditional tapas like patatas bravas and croquets filled with blue crab and béchamel. Modern tapas include plates such as dragon fruit ceviche, California “funnel cake” (a seaweed funnel cake with avocado and blue crab) and Japanese Wagyu au poivre with Parmesan air. You can pair your feast with one of the restaurant’s classic Margaritas or Mojitos.

With DC containing such a mishmash of cultures, Andrés’s modernist mix of Spanish and American cuisine seems to have met its perfect match.

The Bazaar is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Click here to see all the images of the Bazaar.

Best of Robb Report

• Why a Heritage Turkey Is the Best Thanksgiving Bird—and How to Get One

• 9 Stellar West Coast Pinot Noirs to Drink Right Now

• The 10 Best Wines to Pair With Steak, From Cabernet to Malbec

Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.