Southeast Europe Meets Southeast D.C.; Balkan Cuisine On Menu At Capitol Hill's Ambar

CAPITOL HILL -- Pleasantly pushing Washingtonian palettes beyond traditional cultural boundaries, Ambar will dish out both savory and sweet Balkan cuisine to customers when it bows on Capitol Hill next Monday, January 14th.

Rolovana Prasetina (pork roulade, arugula, horseradish dressing, apricot jam, caramelized apples, pork greaves).
Such a serendipitous joining of southeastern Europe with southeastern D.C. is hardly a coincidence, however. Originally hailing from the town of Trstenik in central Serbia, proprietor Ivan Iricanin leaped at the opportunity to provide Washingtonians with a taste of his native fare.

To such an end, Ambar will focus on indigenous small plates, wines, and spirits not often experienced by the city's foodies.

Beef Sirloin Steak (caramelized onions with a parmesan crust).
The menu is enticingly littered with dishes boasting exotic (well, for Americans anyway) names, such as 'ćevapi' (kebab) and 'pljeskavica' (similar to a hamburger patty).

Similarly, the wine list pulls from everywhere from Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and Montenegro, in addition to Italy and Napa Valley.

Forest Gnocchi (ground chocolate, chocolate mousse, orange gel, bitter orange cake, tarragon gnocchi, passion fruit espuma, black tea sauce).
Perhaps best known as one of the partners behind successful 14th Street hotspots Masa 14 and El Centro D.F., Iricanin clearly knows what he's doing. And as one of Ambar's backers, restaurateur Richard Sandoval evidently agrees.

Four Chocolates (dark chocolate biscuit, dark chocolate mousse, chocolate chips, milk chantilly cream, passion fruit espuma, raspberry sorbet).
Zivio ziveli and na zdravje to that.