A new bistro and wine bar showcasing Virginia wines opens Tuesday on H Street, Northeast.
Irregardless is run by two former attorneys who met in law school at the University of Virginia. Ian and Mika Carlin said they wanted to create a wine bistro celebrating the best Virginian wines they enjoyed during their time in Charlottesville before they left the legal profession for full-time careers in hospitality.
Irregardless features Virginia wines along with wines from around the world. The two-story, 1,600-square-foot restaurant is located at 502 H Street N.E., and features omnivore and vegetarian tasting menus and beverage pairings.
“Irregardless” is an unusual name, and not really a word. That’s the intent.
“We chose it to acknowledge that this is not a real word, and how we don’t want to take ourselves too seriously,” Ian Carlin said. “It evokes a sense of playfulness and irreverence we want to bring to the dining experience with our tasting menu format.”
The menu from executive chef Ben Browning, most recently of Mintwood Place, is “modern American” and highlights ingredients sourced throughout the Mid-Atlantic. The menus will change frequently.
Six-course tasting menus are priced at $85. Some of the tasting menu dishes can also be ordered a la carte at the 12-seat bar. Irregardless will add nightly specials and an expanded menu this fall.
“As residents of the H Street neighborhood, we’re proud and excited to open our first restaurant in a community we have grown to love,” said Mika Carlin.
“Our industry has been hit hard over the past two and a half years but we remain committed and inspired by our colleagues in the independent restaurant community,” said Ian Carlin.
The restaurant also has a seasonal outdoor terrace on the upper level. A ground-floor garden will be used for rotating pop-ups.
Irregardless is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday 5:30 to 10 pm.
The new bistro occupies space that was previously French restaurant Le Grenier, which closed in March.
The Coca-Cola mural on one dining room brick wall is original to what had previously been an alley before the current building was constructed.
