Kevin: Rob, Thanks for meeting
me here today.
Rob: Kevin, it’s my pleasure.
Kevin: How about a little bit
about yourself and how you found the position as General Manager at Shaw’s
Tavern.
Rob: Well I grew up here so D.C. is my home. I’ve been in
restaurants in D.C. for over 10 years, including the Dubliner in Capitol Hill
and Leopold’s in Georgetown. I arrived
in Shaw’s Tavern in May 2012.
Kevin: Shaw’s Tavern was closed
temporarily last Fall/Winter, correct?
Rob: Yes. Under different ownership the restaurant
attempted to open up a year ago, yet there was some issue obtaining a liquor
license. They were open for breakfast
and lunch and waited for a liquor license that came later than they wanted. The chef at the time left and they closed.
Kevin: So when did Shaw’s Tavern
reopen?
Rob: The Tavern reopened after
New Year’s Eve, acquiring its liquor license in April. Now things are rolling.
Kevin: What’s the concept behind
the restaurant?
Rob: Well, a little history
about our name – Robert Gould Shaw (October 10, 1837 – July 18, 1863) was an
American officer in the Union Army during the Civil War. As colonel, he
commanded the all-black 54 Regiment, which entered the war in 1863. He was
killed in the Second Battle of Fort Wagner, near Charleston, South Carolina. Aside from the derivation of our name, our goal is to establish a real-feel tavern in Shaw. We also want to surprise our community with great
dishes. We want to bring people in for a
beer and wine and have them be surprised how excellent the food is.
Kevin: Who is the chef?
Rob: Chef’s name is Joel
Hatton. He brings the south with him—being
from North Carolina. Lots of Southern
inspired dishes. I followed Joel from Café
Leopold. He has a very clean palate and
emphasizes that everything should be on his plate for a reason.
Kevin: Is he switching things up
going into the Fall?
Rob: Yep, we were just chatting
about that actually. Right now our
summer dishes—watermelon salad; black-eyed pea salad; pig chop; smoked meats—are
transitioning into a Fall menu, so our menu is turning with the season!
Kevin: And you have a different
special every night?
Rob: Yep! We are trying to bring in the dinner crowd—emphasize
the food. In order to do that we have
something going on every night of the week at the Tavern:
Monday: Trivia with prizes.
Tuesday:
Show movies starting at 10PM.
Wednesday: Live piano bar (similar to karaoke)
Thursday:
Live Jazz
Friday:
Grill on the patio.
Kevin: What makes Shaw’s Tavern
what it is?
Rob: We have been trying to
develop our personality to service our regulars. When we opened people were really
excited. Before this it was two
different stores: a record store and
liquor store (if my memory serves me correctly). When we moved in, so many people came by, and
when they did, we listened to the people and their stories. So we want our regulars to feel at home while
cultivating an after-dinner/weekend crowd too.
Kevin: How many can you seat?
Rob: 65 inside and 50 on the
patio. We are working on a second floor
room to accommodate Friday nights and eventually a rooftop deck.
Kevin: Similar to 1905?
Rob: Oh yeah, their deck is
incredible. They did an awesome job with
that.
Kevin: What do you want to say
about Shaw?
Rob: Well, I live over in Adams
Morgan—and have for some time—and Shaw is cool because when I ride my bike over
from my house to the Tavern I make the transition from city to
neighborhood. Last week Shaw Main Streets was doing a neighborhood cleanup and there were like 50, 60 people
picking up trash. That’s amazing. I like the feeling of a neighborhood. It’s refreshing.
Kevin: Rob I really appreciate
your time.
Rob: Thanks, Kevin. Anytime.
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