Savory Surprises Abound At Redline; Penn Quarter Gastropub’s New Menu Emphasizes Int’l Influences

PENN QUARTER -- The counterweight to a sports bar culture full of greasy plates and finger foods, upscale casual gastropub Redline was welcomed with open arms to the District when it first debuted in November 2010.

Watermelon Salad.
The success of the 130-seat sports pub and 86-seat restaurant since then has stoked talk among the owners of expanding the Verizon Center-adjacent venue to include a gleaming new first floor area. And indeed, the seeds of such an expansion are now in the works with remodeled restrooms on-track for completion by the end of August.

Lamb Lollipops.
But food always comes first at Redline thanks to Chef Fabrice Reymond, who arrived in Washington in 2006 and has since worked everywhere from the now shuttered, but then award-winning, Hook restaurant in Georgetown to Centro in Bethesda.

Gator Three Ways.
And building on a genuine passion for his craft (ask him a question about a dish and his eyes will light up before he delivers an excited explanation), the French born and Swiss trained chef has recently updated the menu, with some surprisingly gourmet and exotic additions.

Baby Pineapple Ceviche.
With the goal being to pair ‘subtle international influences’ with ‘classic American recipes’, diners at Redline can now enjoy foodie-friendly dishes like Lamb Lollipops (Grilled marinated rack of lamb, spiced puff pastry, garnish of frisee salad, Cranberry Port wine reduction), Watermelon Salad (Diced watermelon, arugula, feta cheese, red onion, black olive, mint, red endive), Duck Cajun Style (Cajun marinated duck breast served with mashed sweet potato, steamed baby bok choy, vermouth tomato sauce), and Rack of Lamb (Marinated Rack of lamb rosemary oil served with potato gratin and grilled vegetable).

Duck Cajun Style.
Chef Reymond shows his playful side too with signature dishes like the Baby Pineapple Ceviche (Medley of seafood calamari, tilapia, and shrimp, red onion, cilantro, diced pineapple, radish, tomato, cucumber, Lavash crackers -- all served in a baby pineapple) and Gator Three Ways (Pan-seared alligator bites served with either a spicy chili sauce, applewood smoked BBQ or tangy Dijon mustard sauce).

When asked about the rather exotic decision to serve the latter dish, Reymond simply smiled and said: “I just always wanted to do something with alligator.”

Rack of Lamb.
The introduction of such gourmet fare doesn’t come at the expense of more traditional menu items. The kitchen will still serve-up plenty of tater tots, nachos, pizza, and chicken wings. But the emphasis is on an overall upscale experience and the customer is ultimately the master of his culinary fate, be it exotic or traditional.

That’s why no matter the outcome of a game, there will always only be winners left standing/sitting at Redline.