A new bistro and wine bar showcasing Virginia wines opens Tuesday on H Street, Northeast.
is run by two former attorneys who met in law school at the University of Virginia. Ian and Mika Carlin said they wanted to create a wine bistro celebrating the best Virginian wines they enjoyed during their time in Charlottesville before they left the legal profession for full-time careers in hospitality.
Irregardless features Virginia wines along with wines from around the world. The two-story, 1,600-square-foot restaurant is located at 502 H Street N.E., and features omnivore and vegetarian tasting menus and beverage pairings.
鈥淚rregardless鈥� is an unusual name, and not really a word. That鈥檚 the intent.
鈥淲e chose it to acknowledge that this is not a real word, and how we don鈥檛 want to take ourselves too seriously,鈥� Ian Carlin said. 鈥淚t evokes a sense of playfulness and irreverence we want to bring to the dining experience with our tasting menu format.鈥�
The menu from executive chef Ben Browning, most recently of Mintwood Place, is “modern American” and highlights ingredients sourced throughout the Mid-Atlantic. The menus will change frequently.
Six-course tasting menus are priced at $85. Some of the tasting menu dishes can also be ordered a la carte at the 12-seat bar. Irregardless will add nightly specials and an expanded menu this fall.
鈥淎s residents of the H Street neighborhood, we鈥檙e proud and excited to open our first restaurant in a community we have grown to love,鈥� said Mika Carlin.
鈥淥ur industry has been hit hard over the past two and a half years but we remain committed and inspired by our colleagues in the independent restaurant community,鈥� said Ian Carlin.
The restaurant also has a seasonal outdoor terrace on the upper level. A ground-floor garden will be used for rotating pop-ups.
Irregardless is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday 5:30 to 10 pm.
The new bistro occupies space that was previously French restaurant Le Grenier, which closed in March.
The Coca-Cola mural on one dining room brick wall is original to what had previously been an alley before the current building was constructed.
