Pluma Temporarily Closed Near Union MarketPluma near Union Market (391 Morse Street, NE) is temporarily closed due to “water issues” in the space. A look in the window revealed what appeared to be a fairly significant water problem. Pluma opened earlier this year in the Edison building near Union Market. Updates when we hear more.
Pluma by Bluebird Bakery
Pluma by Bluebird Bakery is now open near Union Market (391 Morse Street, NE). The bakery cafe is located in the new Edison building and is a beautiful build-out with tile floor throughout, marble counter tops, and an open kitchen. Going forward, they will be open from 7am until 9pm during the week and then from 8am until 10pm on Saturdays (until 9pm on Sundays). The bakery–which had previously been a pop-up–features a menu of pastries, scones, and other breakfast items in the morning before offering a lunch/evening menu of salads, sandwiches, and pizzas (menu here). District Cuisine got a chance to preview one of their flaky and buttery croissants on Friday and greatly enjoyed it!
Future Sites for Pluma and Shouk in the Edison at Union Market Building
Pluma by Bluebird Bakery (391 Morse Street, NE in the new Edison Building) plans to open soon near Union Market. According to a Craigslist posting, Pluma intends to open in December. Pluma is the brick and mortar version of Bluebird Bakery that had previously popped up. According to a story from Washington City Paper, Pluma will “serve far more than breakfast pastries, including salads, sandwiches, Roman-style pizza, dessert, coffee, beer, and wine. The cafe will seat about 30 inside and will include outdoor seating as well for their morning-through-night service.”
BBQ Joint Closing in Union Market
The BBQ Joint, located next to District Fishwife in the main Union Market building, closed yesterday after two years of operation. Another location of the BBQ Joint closed quickly on 14th Street several weeks ago. The sign noted that catering will still be available in DC, despite the two locations closing. No word yet of what may replace the BBQ Joint in Union Market.
Fresh Fruit and Sorbet at Masseria
You will need to suspend your disbelief when you approach the front entrance at Masseria (1340 4th Street, NE) in the Union Market district. While the restaurant will one day be a neighbor to upscale apartments and retail, it is currently across the street from a wholesaler, next to an empty parking lot, and a half block down from a Motel 6.
Open Faced Ravioli with Rock Shrimp at Masseria
But don’t let that scare you away! Once you enter Masseria’s front gate, you will completely forget the outside surroundings. Immediately upon walking in, you walk through a beautiful outdoor patio and lounge with couches and a floor that is covered in tile. Via a large bar, the patio gives way to the indoor dining space that features an open kitchen where you can watch your dinner being made. There are several seats at the kitchen bar that give you the best view.
Summer Soft Shell Crabs at Masseria
Dinner starts with an amuse-bouche followed by a presentation of bread featuring fresh focaccia, miniature breadsticks formed into small rings, and a sundried tomato sauce. Masseria has a robust wine program as well as a large craft cocktail list (we tried a type of mojito that included beer in it…sounds strange but it worked).
Sample Menu at Masseria
The menu is a tasting menu (either three or six courses) where you can choose what you want from the menu. The menu is broken up by antipasti, pastas, fish/seafood, and meat (see sample menu above). On the pasta front, we tried the linguine with salami and a spicy XO sauce as well as the open faced ravioli with rock shrimp. Both were wonderful with the spicy XO sauce packing a real punch. From the seafood category, we tried the summer softshell crab dish featuring two halved crabs in a bed of summer corn. The soft shells were delicately sauteed and topped with basil blossoms, which added a strong basil flavor. The combination of the corn and the basil blossoms made it taste like pure summer. Continue reading
Sign Posted Outside of Masseria Near Union Market
Masseria (1340 4th Street, NE) is nearing completion and could open in the coming weeks (see our preview here). We stopped by the Masseria drink pop-up that was held last week right outside of Union Market (there is another one tonight!) and learned that construction is almost complete. There are a few finishing touches that must be applied and some final permits that they need from the DC Government prior to opening. Once all of that is complete, they will train their staff and open up. We peaked at the construction a few days ago and noticed some beautiful tile work in the patio area of the restaurant. We were also quite excited to learn that the patio will have both heaters and cooling equipment to help make the patio usable almost the entire year.
District Cuisine 