LA MERNA

2153 P Street NW 

La Merna, from husband-and-wife duo, G. Bradley Shorten and Meg Schmitt, has opened in Dupont Circle; offering Midwest hospitality, inventive cocktails and an in-house cheese program. Chicago tavern-style pizza and scratch-made pasta anchor the menu, while a cocktail program rooted in classics shares the bar with a curated list of Italian wines and local beer. The 2,000-square-foot space is decorated piece-by-piece with vintage finds from the Chicago and DC areas. The floor-to-ceiling wood panelling and lived-in tile honors decades-old Chicago taverns, with moody lighting and vintage lamps washing the dining room in a warm, familiar glow. The dining room seats 50 with an additional 25-30 seats at the bar. La Merna is open Thursday-Sunday for dinner. Reservations on RESY.

Photo Credit: Brad Bobrow