Where There's Smoke, There's Bonfire

As hot as it’s been in DC lately, there’s a new restaurant in town serving up food that’s even hotter.
Bonfire – from the team behind Provision No. 14 –  is playing with fire, literally, with menu items like gooey s’mores and inventive smoked cocktails.
Executive pastry chef Ellen Diekemper, beverage director Chad Spangler and the rest of the Bonfire team invited us to preview their campfire-inspired menu and cocktail lineup. I started with a delicious glass of Prosecco while sampling the plethora of food.
The menu was designed to imitate the communal feel of a meal around the campfire. You’ll find a lot of hearty fare at Bonfire, like this decadent mac and cheese with 3 Stars beer cheese, smoked gouda and “crunchy stuff”. Cooked in a cast iron skillet to melty perfection, I was in love.
We got to sample the upcoming duck waffle entrée as well, with crispy confit duck, Hong Kong waffle, duck fat butter and a pomegranate-maple sauce. The small taste I had boasted an intriguing blend of sweet and savory and beautiful, tender duck. This will definitely be a must-order on my next visit.
Other savory items included pork belly and tuna sliders, a subtly spicy pork belly hush puppy topped with luscious coconut butter and stick-to-your ribs bone marrow tater tots with short rib and a red curry ketchup.
While I wasn’t crazy about the tuna sliders, the majority of the food delighted me. The flavors were often unexpected and there was a touch of playfulness to each dish.
And then there were all the beautiful s’mores.
My first thought when seeing this delicious display was that the s’mores were simply too pretty to eat. But I quickly got past that…
I really enjoyed the toasted coconut s’more, as well as the orange and nutella but I don’t really think you can go wrong here.
My girlfriends and I are always looking for places to go just for drinks and dessert, and I think we’ve found it. Speaking of drinks…
Bonfire currently has two bars, and Hungry Lobbyist got word that there will eventually be a rooftop bar as well. We sampled the Snowbunny cocktail first: Absolute Elyx vodka infused with pear and chamomile, lemon, sparkling wine and pomelo skin. This cocktail is vigorously shaken to add oxygen to the drink and create an explosion of aromatics and effervescence on the tongue.
As someone who isn’t a huge fan of strong cocktails, this was right up my alley. It was definitely sweet, but the acidity from the lemon and the addition of sparkling wine kept it from becoming cloying.
At the other end of the spectrum, you’ll find a selection of smoked cocktails. Chad demonstrated how to make the You’re Killin Me Smalls made with chocolate-infused mezcal and anejo tequila, sugarcane, bitters, roasted marshmallows and maplewood smoke – stirred, not shaken.

Chad’s most beloved accessory behind the bar is his blow torch, which is used here to smoke the cocktail glasses.
And here to roast the marshmallows. I have to imagine his job is never boring.
The final product, which could serve as a dessert on its own with its rich smokiness and smooth chocolate flavor. Swirl that marshmallow around and you’ve got an awesome adult s’more.
Although the cocktails steal the show, Bonfire also has an impressive wine and beer program that shouldn’t be missed.
I’ll be honest, sometimes I’m a little leery of themed restaurants. I find that they can be too limiting on the menu and can quickly become too hokey. Bonfire manages to escape those pitfalls by creating fun and inventive drinks and cocktails that will make your meal incredibly entertaining. I would recommend this as a first date spot (great conversation starters) or for larger groups looking to create that ’round-the-campfire ambiance inside city limits.