Turns out that I’m a bit of a traitor to my neighborhood. Granted, Adams Morgan is my home, and I’m pretty attached to So’s Your Mom, Tryst, Mintwood Place and a certain billiards joint that I won’t divulge the name of (sorry, it’s just too good). However, over the past few months, and the last few weeks in particular, I’ve found myself making the short trek over to Columbia Heights’ 11th Street strip more and more often. My first introduction to the area was a joint night at RedRocks Pizza and Meridian Pint–an outing that I have since repeated a number of times. Then there was Maple for dinner with a friend, Wonderland Ballroom for late night drinks, Kangaroo Boxing Club (KBC) for barbecue after a choir concert, and Room 11 for a darling little brunch with girlfriends just last weekend. And although I’ve only just popped my head into The Coupe (the newest venture from those restaurateurs responsible for Tryst, the Diner and Open City), it’s bound to be next on my list for a quiet weekend respite. There’s only one conclusion: I’m an 11th Street Junkie.

Perhaps I’ll do an 11th Street series at some point, but for now, I just want to talk about Maple. It’s only been open since last spring, but my impressions of the sophisticated wine bar have only been great! My first visit was a sit-down dinner with a friend on a packed Saturday night. Although my friend hadn’t arrived yet (and didn’t for another 20 minutes), they graciously seated me in a cozy corner table and set me up with a nice glass of Montepulciano. Our server was delightful and fun, but took my questions about my dietary restrictions with a respectful seriousness. My friend and I split each item we ordered from the simple, rustic menu: a quartet of bruschetta (Asparagus with shaved  parmigiano reggiano and truffle oil; Prosciutto di Parma with fig spread and gorgonzola dolce; Eggplant caponata with goat cheese; and Roasted garlic with arugula and olive oil), a steak panini, and the Tagliatelle with Lamb Ragu. Instead of a dessert (which I have yet to try!), I ordered a Sloe Cider (sloe gin, St. Germain, muddled orange and grenadine-soaked cherries, hard cider) to top off my meal.

My second venture to Maple was just 2 weeks ago for a lovely, low key Friday happy hour after a considerably long week at the office. Although it was the start of the Inauguration weekend, we stayed hidden from the hordes of tourists visiting the city, and spent an enjoyable 2 hours with only a few other patrons at the bar or having dinner. Although there are no food specials, Maple serves a few select wines for $3 off, and $1.50 off draft beers. Again, we split one of Maple’s perfectly gooey and greasy panini–this time with mozzarella, pesto and roasted red peppers. The bartender assured me there were no peanuts lurking in the pesto, but that there were, in fact, both pine nuts and walnuts. A very pleasant chap, and very generous with his pours…

I’m definitely looking forward to trying Maple again and again, perhaps for brunch next time! That is, if I can tear myself away from all the other wonderful options on 11th Street!

Maple | 3418 11th Street NW, Washington DC 20010 | 202.588.7442