Where to Eat: Firehouse Food.
Pictured: Callaloo Soup at Old Engine 12 Firehouse Restaurant ©JohnnaKnowsGoodFood
I had been to Old Engine 12 Firehouse Restaurant for brunch. I am glad I went back for dinner. I had left brunch feeling like I would not need to return to the North Capitol St, NW restaurant but dinner made it the comeback kid. The callaloo soup, alone, is the reason to revisit this place. Fresh off a trip to Jamaica, to even see callaloo anything was a pleasant surprise and I had no idea how Executive Chef Peter Prime would add his own spin on the classic Caribbean dish. I would have never guessed a pureed form of the Caribbean favorite topped with a crisp Kale leaf and heated up with a Habanero pepper. This is one of the best soups I have tasted in D.C. in a long time. Pumpkin, squash, lentil soups, get outta here! There is a new sheriff in town. Callaloo is typically served with saltfish, which is the only other addition to make this dish better. I, however, could live with it just the way it is.
The vibe of Old Engine 12 is very casual and welcoming where the happy hour scene and beyond was buzzing with guests on a rainy, chilly Thursday night. Housed in the space of an old fire station, Old Engine 12 has three levels of dining space for very different needs. The first level speaks to the happy hour/dinner hour crowd, while the second level says group/birthday dinners and the top-level gives us life with its speakeasy intimate setting. Never thought of making North Capitol an after work destination? Old Engine 12 might change your mind.
Category: restaurant reviews, Reviews, Washington D.C.
About the Author (Author Profile)
Johnna French is a Harlem NY native with deep roots in Panama, Washington, DC and North Carolina. All four places have heavily influenced her life and the foods she loves today. After graduating Howard University School of Law and beginning her life as a young professional in the city she was led to start Johnna Knows Good Food in November 2007 to keep family, friends and colleagues updated on where to go and what to eat while dining in the nation’s capitol. French, who still practices law, leads a team of three writers to cover the ever expanding Washington, DC food scene. French has been featured in print and television, appearing in Washingtonian Magazine and is a regular contributor to various local TV affiliates including WUSA 9, FOX 5 DC and WJLA (ABC Affiliate) News Channel 8. During the 2016-2017 football season, Johnna aired on Comcast Sports Mid-Atlantic (CSN) show, Redskins Life, as the weekly tailgate host. Johnna is currently a regular contributor to the FOX Baltimore Weekend morning show.Subscribe
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