Orange Anchor opens at Washington Harbour
Name your restaurant Orange Anchor and you will inevitably be asked how the name came to be. For restaurateur Reese Gardner the answer is rather simple, “I love the color orange. And one day I was in the shower going through all the different parts of a boat: orange haul, orange stern. And orange anchor just felt right. Plus, I want you to get anchored in here and hopefully enjoy the food and booze.”
In Georgetown’s Washington Harbour development, Orange Anchor — as one might expect — is a seafood-focused restaurant. The menu crafted by chef Allan Javery includes plenty of creative bites, such as the white fish, shrimp and clam chili, the “Anchor Dog” (bacon wrapped around an all beef hot dog and topped with crab salad), caviar tacos, and twin lobster tails.
There is also the option of fresh Chincoteague oyster prepared one of four ways. You can have them chilled and accompanied by cocktail sauce, mignonette, fresh shaved horse radish and grilled lemon, or perhaps try them grilled with Parmesan cheese, butter and garlic. You can also have them flash fried with a cornmeal breading, or splash out on the half shell filled with Champagne.
Javery does not ignore the landlubbers. For those seeking non-seafood dishes, there’s plenty on offer, such as the Carolina coast BBQ sandwich, the beer marinated portobello burger, the duck confit corn dog, and a grass-feed 10 oz. filet mignon with bourbon peppercorn sauce.
The bar program at Orange Anchor offers a culinary approach to classic mixology by incorporating fresh, local, seasonal ingredients to make its homemade syrups and mixers. An extensive rum collection is available with more than 40 different varieties including multiple orange infused rums. There is also a wide selection of draft and canned beers (a fun nod to the “no glass on a boat” rule).
Orange Anchor’s decor reflects the menu, as well as Gardner’s personal love of boating (he owns a 37 foot Cruisers Yacht). There are porthole theme mirrors on the wall, dangling buoys, and nautically themed artwork. The 124 seat dining area includes 24 communal seats and a further 15 at the bar. There is also an expansive outdoor patio available during the spring and summer months (weather permitting) that can accommodate 48 guests. A wall of windows offers views of Washington Harbours central courtyard.
To introduce diners to the restaurant and to help train the staff, Orange Anchor is holding a soft opening today and tomorrow. As a special treat, it will be offering all food and drink at half-price during lunch and dinner. On Friday, Feb. 13, it will open for regular service.
Orange Anchor will also offer brunch service on Saturdays and Sundays, beginning Feb. 21. The brunch menu will include many of its popular lunch and dinner items as well as breakfast options such as bananas foster French toast, orange zest pancakes, and blue crab benedits.
Orange Anchor is located at 3050 K St., NW. Call (202) 802-9990.
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