Blagden Hospitality Group will debut Bar Ivy this spring in Arlington, Va. The group behind Tiger Fork, Hi-Lawn and several other DC restaurant concepts will open the restaurant in the Clarendon neighborhood at 3033 Wilson Boulevard. Carr Properties’ Clarendon Square will be the home of the new bar and restaurant.
Chef-owner Nathan Beauchamp will head Bar Ivy’s kitchen with chef Jonathan Till. He is the former executive chef of Evening Star Cafe. A West Coast-inspired menu will draw heavily from that coast and use local, Mid-Atlantic ingredients.
Seafood will fare prominently on the menu. Bar Ivy’s team will work with local farmers and fisherman to produce vegetable-centric dishes and local seafood. The kitchen aims to elevate the best ingredients in creative fashion.
“When I was 18 and working in the restaurant industry, I traveled through Northern California for the first time, dined at The French Laundry, Chez Panisse, met Wolfgang Puck,” said Beauchamp. “It opened my eyes to the West Coast approach of cooking, using fresh ingredients sourced locally, prepared simply but manipulating them just enough to create something so incredible. It always inspired a dream in me to open a restaurant in that realm,”
Duck and lamb dishes will also be used extensively.
“When I was 18 and working in the restaurant industry, I traveled through Northern California for the first time, dined at The French Laundry, Chez Panisse, met Wolfgang Puck. It opened my eyes to the West Coast approach of cooking, using fresh ingredients sourced locally, prepared simply but manipulating them just enough to create something so incredible. It always inspired a dream in me to open a restaurant in that realm,” says Chef Beauchamp.
With its West Coast slant, expect Bar Ivy’s design to be bright and feel coastal. Tapping the benefits of the building’s expansive outdoor plaza, patio seating will be ample. A total of 125 outdoor patio seats are “anchored around a stand of mature crepe myrtles that provide shade and flowers through the summer.” according to the restaurant’s announcement.
A 20-seat terrazzo bar is another feature that Bar Ivy will highlight. Cozy banquettes and booths are nestled into wavy archways around the dining room, split by an open kitchen that shows off the restaurant’s culinary creativity to guests.
“Bar Ivy is a transformative addition to Clarendon Square—offering our building customers a unique dining destination, perfect for before, during and after the workday,” said Jackson Prentice, Carr Properties’ senior vice president of Portfolio Management. “We are proud to welcome the BHG team to our retail portfolio, especially as we continue to prioritize food and beverage integration as a key building amenity throughout our portfolio.”
General Manager Jake Worth will curate the wine menu, with eclectic selections from around the globe. He’ll focus on low-intervention wines and diverse young winemakers. Worth and the team will also plan to highlight often-changing wine regions with featured sub-menus.
Blagden Hospitality Beverage Director Ian Fletcher will develop creative cocktails that complement the menu. We’ll have more on that as we get closer to the restaurant’s opening.
Bar Ivy, 3033 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201
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