Spike Gjerde’s A Rake’s Progress Lands in DC

Spike Gjerde’s eagerly-awaited tribute to Mid-Atlantic dining opens in Washington, D.C. Monday. Gjerde, the James Beard Award-winning chef of Baltimore restaurant Woodberry Kitchen, is obsessive about local sourcing, to the point where he doesn’t include ingredients that aren’t a part of regional food systems. A Rake’s Progress, located inside D.C.’s new Line Hotel, marks the first time he’s applying this model to a restaurant outside of Baltimore.

In D.C., Gjerde had to find some new ingredient producers and secure larger commitments from existing growers (it’s not so far from Baltimore, after all), but the biggest difference from his Baltimore restaurants may be the setting. “In D.C., we’re in a beautiful, elegant, spectacular space,” he said to Eater last year. “We want that to reflect in the cooking. The sourcing is part of our DNA, but what we choose to put on the plate and what we don’t is driven by a sense of a little more luxury and finesse.”

Photo by Rey Lopez / Eater DC

Menu details, so far, are few, but according to Gjerde, the focus will be on small game, like poultry and rabbit. He told Eater he’ll be sourcing rabbits from a Virginia producer. According to Eater DC, diners can also expect a whole, honey-roasted chicken, served table side, as well as burgers and oysters at the adjacent A Rake’s Bar, helmed by beverage director and co-owner Corey Polyoka.

Starting Monday, A Rake’s Progress will serve locally sourced cuisine to hotel guests and friends and family, but reservations for its grand opening on February 12 are available now.

• Look Inside Spike Gjerde’s Tribute to Mid-Atlantic Dining in D.C. [EDC]
• Spike Gjerde Takes His Obsession With Local Sourcing Beyond Baltimore [E]
• The 16 Most Anticipated Restaurant Openings of Fall 2017 [E]