Foodies will likely recognize the name Enrique Limardo from DC restaurants like Seven Reasons, Imperfecto, and Immigrant Food. Since 2017, the chef has also been the culinary mind behind Chicken + Whiskey, a pollo a la brasa spot on DC’s 14th Street. There, the chicken is brined for at least 12 hours before it’s slow-cooked over charcoal. For diners who prefer their chicken fried, there are both chicken tenders and a sandwich breaded in cassava. And chicken lovers in NoVA are about to get a treat–the restaurant will open its first Virginia location by the end of the year.
“We’ve had our eye on this area for quite some time … but the pandemic set us back. Now we’re ready and the vibrant neighborhood of Clarendon is ready, too,” Des Reilly, managing principal of SRG, operator of Chicken + Whiskey, as well as The Walrus Oyster & Ale House and Doi Moi, said in a press release. The new, 5,708-square-foot space is part of a major expansion for the brand, which also includes another location in DC and one in Columbia, Maryland.
Besides the obvious culinary cred, Reilly promises a restaurant experience that adheres to the motto “good, fast, cheap and fun.” The fun includes a music program from co-founder and former DJ Chuck Koch. But the main event is the roster of 99 whiskeys. As a base, the tipples, which include international whiskeys that come from countries ranging from Japan and Scotland to Israel and India, are served in two-ounce pours. They’re also available in classic cocktails like Manhattans and Boulevardiers. Seasonal scratch cocktails go beyond the basics (as well as beyond whiskey) with combinations like the Bing Bong, which combines Bombay Sapphire gin with hibiscus, lime, and club soda.
Across from the Clarendon Metro station, the Clarendon Square building, which will house Chicken + Whiskey, is already home base for Waterhouse Coffee & Juice Bar. They will be joined by Bar Ivy, a West Coast-inspired restaurant specializing in seafood towers and foraged foods.
3033 Wilson Blvd., Arlington
Feature image courtesy Chicken + Whiskey
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