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 21M Lounge
Last July, the St. Gregory Hotel and restaurant designer
Walter Gagliano (DC Coast, Café Atlantico) changed the
concept of the hotel lounge from a destination or even way
station for travelers to social gathering place for the greater
community. The partnership has led away from the sometimes
over-the-top nature of boutique hotel lounge design to return to
a marriage of classic elements of elegance and comfort. The St.
Gregory always has been a hotel where comfort is paramount, so
the inviting nature of its new 21M Lounge should be no
surprise.
21M Lounge is inspired by Marilyn Monroe, long the St.
Gregory’s patron icon — a timeless American beauty skilled in
the art of overt and implied seduction. “We took the visual cue
of the Marilyn statue in the lobby of the St. Gregory, which we
love dearly and which gives the double meaning to the name ‘21M
Lounge,’” Gagliano says. “We wanted something that reminded us
of the famous Marilyn Monroe mural at Connecticut Avenue and
Calvert Street, where she’s looking right at you, just drawing
you in.”
21M Lounge is entered through the hotel lobby, a plush,
inviting space in tones of soft maple, ivory, gold and black. At
the far end of the lounge, Gagliano has created his centerpiece
— a mesmerizing, glass sun room, perfect for people watching
into the night.
Here is a lounge to gather and relax on sleek, contemporized
wing back, high-back sofas, or nickel chairs with red
heart-shaped satin backs and black seats, around gorgeous Massa
gold limestone café tables. The muted red tones are gently
illuminated by fabric cloud lighting. Inside hangs a portrait of
Marilyn framed in a rose red gauzy fabric: at once both hot and
cool. “It’s a return to the truer essence of modern design,”
Gagliano says. “It draws less attention to itself and is more
about the people and the comfort. That’s significant for a
hotel, rather than a place screaming for its own attention. It’s
about the people.”
Upscale mezze dining only enhances 21M Lounge’s communal
experience. While all dishes are not necessarily Mediterranean
in origin, they are based on the region’s tradition of shared
food. The cuisine is steeped in comfort foods and creatively
presented cooking, his irresistible small plates and appetizers
sometimes playfully enhanced with Asian accents.
Music at 21M Lounge is hip, not cloying, and sensuous, not
competitive with conversation.
We invite you to come have a
look at the exciting new 21M Lounge at the St. Gregory Hotel.
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As Seen
In the
Washington Post
Spring Dining Guide October 2006
Written By John
Scheinmann
M|STREET
BAR & GRILL
2033 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
202-530-3621 phone
M Street Bar & Grill Chef Ronde
Murphy has turned his attention to home this fall; not
necessarily his birthplace of Baltimore, but the idea and
suggestion of homespun goodness and warmth evoked by a special
kind of cooking. A new dish on his menu at this sunny and cozy
enclave off of bustling M Street is simply called Meat and
Potatoes (“Like your mama told you,” the chef teases) and it
features the most tender seared beef medallions doused in a
delicious gravy touched with orange marmalade, cracked pepper
and brandy. His pan-roasted chicken is an American classic; a
succulent half-chicken with burnished, crisp skin served with
pecan-studded sweet potato mash, a side of macaroni and cheese
and wilted broccolini. Autumnal and lovely. Seafood here is a
knockout: Dry pack scallops are big and sweet, served on a bed
of crisp greens and angel hair pasta lightly touched with a
lime-butter emulsion. A salmon fillet topped with sliced roasted
red bell peppers rests atop a wonderfully reserved crab risotto.
M Street appetizers and small plates split the difference
between tapas and full entrees, with wonderful treats like
soy-roasted duck tortillas and curry spiked Maryland crab cakes.
The restaurant performs expert catering with the full menu, on
premise or off, for special events and holiday parties.
__________________________________
As Seen In
 |
M
Street Bar and Grill
Huge Proportions, Great Prices and Great Drinks
Make This an Excellent Place for Dinner and a
Nightcap
Story By: Mick Myers and Erin Zollars/
Pointed Magazine Staff
Photos
By: Sol Tucker/ Pointed Magazine Staff |
When we went searching to find a high end restaurant and bar
that combined great service, unique menu items and great drinks,
it was a tough decision because some places in Washington have
one or two of what we were looking for, but it was the M Street
Bar and Café that provided us with one of the best all around
dining experiences we have had in downtown in a long time.
[Read the Complete Article]
A Gratuity of 18% Will Be Added to Parties of 6 or More.
All
of our meals are prepared Trans Fat Free.
Menus are subject to change without notice.
Changes may occur due to seasonal availability of product or at the
discretion of the Chef.
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