D.C.'s first cidery, ANXO Cidery & Pintxos Bar, isn't slated to open in Truxton Circle until the end of the year. But if you want a sneak peek before then, the Basque-inspired bar and restaurant will host a dinner at the Dolcezza factory on July 27.
The event will begin at 7 p.m. with cocktail hour featuring an array of pintxos (Spanish small bites) from chef Brad Walker plus a welcome drink and pour of cider. That will be followed by a four-course family-style meal accompanied by ciders from the Basque country and elsewhere. Pintxos will include grilled calçots (a type of scallion) with romesco and mushrooms with herb salt and garlic puree. Family-style dishes will range from a mixed seafood salad to a wood-grilled ciderhouse bone-in ribeye. The meat will be similar to that traditionally served by ciderhouses in the Basque country during cider season (January through April).
Beverage Director Tim Prendergast says the dinner will focus on "lively and acidic" Basque ciders with lower alcohol content (around 5 percent). They'll also serve some ciders from Virginia as well as France.
Tickets for the dinner, $85, are available here. Only 65 seats are available. If you miss out, stay tuned for more pop-ups leading up to ANXO's opening.
ANXO's owners include managing partners Sam Fitz (former Pizzeria Paradiso and Meridian Pint Bar Manager) and his sister Rachel Fitz (a former assistant general manager at Meridian Pint), along with Walker, Prendergast, and Cooper Sheehan.
While the pop-up's exact menu may not carry over to the restaurant, expect a similar selection of pintxos, simply prepared seafood, and the cider house steak at the 300 Florida Ave. NW establishment. The restaurant's menu will also include small plates and large entree-style dishes that can also be shared. In addition, ANXO will be the first cider producer in D.C. Currently, the team is working on a collaboration with Millstone Cellars in Monkton, Md., that will likely debut with the opening.
Photo by Farrah Skeiky