Episcope Hospitality has nabbed two alumni of D.C.’s acclaimed Pineapple and Pearls to helm a pair of celestial-themed restaurants in National Landing.
Chefs Mariela Pacheco and Andres Lopez (whose resume also includes stints at Vermilion and Kinship) are the culinary talent behind Altitude, an upscale listening bar with an Italian-inspired menu and retro aviation-inspired decor, and adjoining sister spot Constellation, an all-day cafe serving artisanal coffee, lunch and grab-and-go eats.
The sibling concepts are the latest neighborhood newcomers from Episcope, whose other properties in National Landing include outdoor food hall Water Park, breezy open-air Water Bar and Daydrift Books & Cafe.
“Our analogy is, if you’re out in northern Italy for your favorite chef’s dinner, that’s what the food looks and feels like at Altitude,” says Episcope founder David Morton, “and when [the chef] is fresh back from the farmers market making a quick lunch, that’s what the world of Constellation wants to feel like.”
Altitude’s Elevated Menu
At Altitude, which opened June 16, Pacheco and Lopez are turning out starters like wagyu-and-pork meatballs, fresh seafood crudos and gnocco fritto—fried bread pillows stuffed with stracciatella, pistachio mortadella and balsamic. An elegant foccaccia bread service features toppings ranging from whipped lemon ricotta to garlic confit with parmesan and honey.
Carb lovers will gravitate toward the house-made pastas. Think agnolotti stuffed with spiced artichoke, or pappardelle with a ragu of braised rabbit, pecorino, fennel pollen and mint. Other mains center on proteins such as seared branzino, roasted chicken or wagyu tri-tip paired with whipped polenta or broccoli rabe.
The wine and bar program is just as curated. Head sommelier Sarah Gaines offers 70 wines by the bottle and 20 by the glass.
From the signature cocktails list, try the Agent Harris Makes a Visit (a riff on an old fashioned), made with lamb-washed mellow corn whiskey, amaro and smoked rhubarb, or the lighter Imola Spritz, an effervescent blend of rosé lambrusco and cherry aperitivo.
Casual Fare at Constellation
Constellation, which opened May 2, shares a kitchen with its clubby sibling, but focuses on cheffy daytime fare. Here, you can start the day with Scramble Toast (eggs, whipped ricotta, chive and crispy shallots on semolina toast) and an espresso made with beans roasted by D.C.-based Small Planes Coffee.
Those beans also find their way into drinks such as the Valencia Orange Cold Brew (cold brew with orange bitters and freeze-fried orange), Banana Brown Butter Latte (house-made banana brown butter syrup, espresso and milk), as well as a pistachio honey latte.
For teatotalers, loose leaf teas from Rare Tea Cellar entice with flavors ranging from classic Earl Grey to Mallorca Melon, Wild Thai Banana and Italian Green Almondine. Apropos for our area is the Sakura Cherry Blossom green tea. A seasonal blueberry matcha takes antioxidants up a notch.
Plated lunches promise satisfying fillers like chicken parm or a wagyu burger with pickled fennel, banana peppers and arugula. Salads (roasted beets with citrus; a Greek-inspired tomato-feta-olive) can be topped with grilled chicken, pan-seared salmon or poached shrimp.
Constellation also stocks gourmet sundries for purchase, including hard-to-find balsamic vinegars, olive oils and specialty pastas.
Reach-for-the-Stars Vibes
Though sibling restaurants keep different hours, they share a similar vibe. Morton describes it as fun, not “fussy.”
“We have a basic belief and a strong conviction that it’s more fun to eat at a bar than drink in a restaurant. I think Altitude has that in spades,” says the restaurateur, whose father founded Morton’s The Steakhouse. “I would call it very highly qualitative, groovy, fun and very different than what else is offered in and around the area. Constellation is approachable counter service with food brought to table.”
Altitude’s design evokes the glamour of midcentury air travel—a theme that befits its location near Reagan National Airport. (The restaurant building will ultimately connect by footbridge to the airport.) The centerpiece is a bar resembling a cross-section of an airplane wing. Custom furnishings create an atmosphere reminiscent of the in-flight lounges of the 1950s and ’60s.
Altitude doubles as a listening lounge, with an extensive vinyl library spanning a wide range of musical genres. “The vinyl is on the floor and explorable,” Morton says. “We welcome everybody to grab an album and flip around and hand it to the bartender, and they’re the next in the queue.”
Watch for upcoming theme nights, such as British Invasion or the Birth of Bebop, with wine and food to match.
Inside Constellation, where clean lines and curves are meant to appeal to the astronomer in all of us, the centerpiece is also a bar, albeit one serving slow-brewed coffee and pour-overs. Happy hours are in the works.
“Altitude and Constellation conceptually are designed to do something that Episcope has been really passionate about for a long time,” Morton says, “which is just the whole notion of discovery.”
Find Altitude and Constellation at 2011 Crystal Drive, Arlington.
