On June 1, the 185-seat bilevel restaurant and lounge Blue Ridge opened in two adjoining townhouses in Glover Park. Owned by restaurateurs Eli Hengst and Jared Rager and filled with dark wood, wainscoting, and the occasional patchwork quilt, the venue’s minimalist decor and neutral palette were inspired by an early 20th century Shaker farmhouse. Keeping with the theme, bartenders pour Prohibition and pre-Prohibition era cocktails.
Just inside the front door, there is a 110-year-old carved oak bar that seats 14, and overhead, a restored white tin ceiling. Off to the left is the 75-seat main dining room that incorporates reclaimed church pews and ladder-back chairs. The room’s key design elements are an indigo ceiling and a series of pendant lights with exposed-filament bulbs.
Up a flight of stairs are a 24-seat private dining room, a small bar, and a 24-seat lounge with a wall of folding doors that open onto a spacious deck. A landscaped garden with mature plantings and café seating for 75 is accessible from the first floor and deck.
The menu, under the direction of executive chef Barton Seaver, emphasizes seasonal, mid-Atlantic cuisine, focusing on products from the Blue Ridge region. Think fried catfish with sorrel aioli and chow-chow frisee salad or pork chops with red-eye gravy.
The venue is available for full and partial buyouts.
