Stephen Starr's vintage-glam reinvention of The Occidental is here
The big picture: Restaurateur Stephen Starr has been on a two-year opening spree in D.C. — El Presidente, Pastis, and new VIP magnet Osteria Mozza — but he's often dished to us about the one that excites him most:
This glamorous reinvention of The Willard hotel's 1906 power spot (long faded) overlooking the White House.
"I think the time is right for it," Starr tells Axios. "It's a grown-up place. It feels intimate."
And while the menu is studded with spendy luxuries like caviar service and ribeyes, "The food isn't challenging — you can just eat here," no tweezers or deconstructions involved.
Dig in: While few may remember the time when glazed Virginia ham steaks with pineapple were popular, the menu is full of lesser-seen throwbacks like that, lobster Newburg or steak Diane — plus some revived Occidental classics like oysters beurre blanc or lamb chops with mint jelly.
Cocktails lean nostalgic too, whether memories drift back to icy cold martinis — here shaken until glacial with manzanilla olive brine and sea salt — or cosmos mixed with Grand Marnier.
Between the lines: Starr noticed a post-pandemic hunger for nostalgia. Even his oldest Philadelphia restaurants, whose sales once waned, "started doing crazy business. People wanted to feel comfortable and go to places they remembered."
The Occidental, Starr says, "is for everyone, Democrats and Republicans," towing the statesman line of many restaurateurs opening in D.C. (Mozza has welcomed all stripes – the Obamas, Jeff Bezos, and as of Monday night per restaurant sources, the Bidens).
The vibe: 19th-century dazzle. Designer Ken Fulk, behind the vintage-glam looks of Carbone Miami and ZZ's Club, channels The Occidental's glory eras in the multi-tiered space.
That includes an Art Deco-style bar boasting a black-and-white marble floor and grand piano. A clubby main dining room outfitted with crystal chandeliers, potted palms and jewel-toned booths for both privacy and people watching. And a modish whiskey lounge tucked away upstairs.
One element that isn't throwback: the bill.
A tony vibe and prime downtown location come with prices to match, with most apps in the high teens to low $30s and entrees in the high $30s to low $70s.
The intrigue: Most Starr restaurants serve a signature dish (e.g., Le Dip's burger, St. Anselm's axehandle ribeye). The owner's bet here is on the salt-crusted prime rib served au jus with creamy horseradish. Or pheasant presented under a smoking cloche with braised thigh, seared breast, and foie gras.
That said, smaller indulgences may win. We have our bets on the buttery, brick-size "giant hash browns" anointing every table during a pre-opening service.
Also, pretty slices of Champagne cake or coconut chiffon, served on custom china, that you can chase with grasshopper mochas — the 1960s answer to espresso martinis.
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