DC Harvest opened in 2014 in the H Street corridor. One of the owners, Jared Ringel, reached out to me to ask if I would review the restaurant. I'm not often asked to review a restaurant by the owner, so why not?!
So, on a Monday night a few months ago, I met a friend for dinner at DC Harvest. An unassuming, old, white and green row house sits on H Street. The sign outside the restaurant doesn't really match the decor inside the restaurant. In fact, although it matches the restaurant name, it looks a bit cheesy and not like it feels on the inside--this is where I think there is a bit of a disconnect because when you walk in, although it is a small place, you realize this could be a really nice place. With its nice bar with white granite top to its quaint dining room, this place has some definite promise.
I immediately found Mr. Ringel behind the bar and he showed us to our table. It's a small restaurant--smaller than I had expected with less than 10 tables. The lighting is dark, the walls are white, and the bar area is quite large. On this particular night, all of the tables were full at one point--not bad for a Monday night.
Mr. Ringel stopped by to explain the menu and pointed out which items were either vegan by design or could be made vegan. I started with the Friendly Fire drink made with cilantro-infused blanco Mezcal, tangerine juice, lime juice, gomme syrup, cilantro, and grilled jalapenos. Yum!
A bowl of pickled vegetables were dropped off, which consisted of a few carrots, a few celery sticks, a pickle, and a lone green bean. It looked a little sad and empty.
We started with an order of the Fried Green Tomatoes made with pea shoots, charred eggplant puree, and lemon vinaigrette. We thought they were nicely breaded and enjoyed the puree--nice pairing.
Next, we shared the Sauteed Summer Greens made with walnuts, currants, and spring onions. It was fantastic.
For my second drink, I tried the War of the Roses made with four roses yellow label bourbon, gomme syrup, peychaud aperitivo, rhubarb, and dry vermouth. Very nice.
Lastly, for my entree, I had a housemade fresh pasta made with okra, tomatoes, and walnuts. The pasta was so fresh and the veggies amazing. I loved it!
Unfortunately, none of the desserts were vegan. Other vegan items on that seasonal menu included tomato and watermelon salad, summer greens, and smoked broccoli. As the menu is seasonal and I'm a bit late in posting this, it has already changed, but the waitstaff is happy to tell you what can be made vegan outside of what is already labeled as vegan on the menu. They are currently open for brunch on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as well as dinner every night of the week.
Overall, I'm excited that a small restaurant like this has so many vegan offerings and I love that the menu is seasonal as you can try something new every season! The food was good, the drinks were fantastic, and prices on the high side. I'd recommend this as a great option for those looking for a fun brunch, a dinner for a special occasion, or as a higher priced regular weekly meal. Bon appetit!
DC Harvest
517 H Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 629-3296
Full Disclosure: Although the meal was provided to me at no cost to review, that in no way influenced my veracious opinion.
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