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Photo by Rey Lopez
The air is perfumed from the wood fire as you make your way down the alley off of Florida Avenue to find the entrance of Maydan. The adventure starts here. There’s something magical that happens when you walk through the doors and into the high-ceilinged dining room. A massive open fireplace dominates the space, and you are glad to be seated at the bar right next to the chefs. You’re right in the center of the action. All the food is cooked right here, on the fire.
Photo by Jennifer Chase
Also, the fun of sitting at the bar is having easy access to the bartender, who is only too happy to order for you. After all, she knows the menu inside and out, and we are only too happy to relinquish the responsibility of what to order to her advanced knowledge.
“We’re going to make a meal for you,” she says. We are enchanted.
Founded on the concept of a multi-country journey, the food is inspired by the flavors of street food from Beirut, The Republic of Georgia, Tehran, and Tangier. The lights flicker; world beat music fills the air. Conversations bubble up, and it’s a party! It’s an atmosphere of joy!
The bartender mixes me a drink: Library of Muses. A rethinking of the Negroni, it is made with Singani, a pomace brandy from Bolivia, and a very large slice of cucumber. The drink has—how do we say—a funk. It’s floral and slightly bitter. “It’s strange and nice,” says the bartender. I must agree.
Homemade bread comes to the table hot from the wood-fired oven, with delicate air pockets. There are pickled green beans, radishes, and cucumbers. A succession of plates is placed before us as they are ready: a flavorful chickpea salad. Grilled halloumi cheese. Beautifully fire-roasted carrots with lemon harissa. Small bowls of condiments, some hot and spicy, some mildly seasoned, all individually exquisite, enhance every dish. A ground lamb kebab is adorned with a scattering of pistachio nuts. Shrimp are tangy in a lime tamarind and chili sauce. The only item I found less than perfect was the yogurt marinated saffron lamb. It had a toughness that I found less than appealing with chewy fatty layers.
With a slice of semolina cake and a steaming cup of tea, we were fully transported.
To get a reservation at Maydan, you have to go to their website at 10:00 a.m., 28 days before the day you want to dine. The place is that popular. Or you can do what we did and arrive for the 5:00 p.m. serving and see what openings they may have.
It’s only been open for a little over a year and a half, but Maydan has created quite the buzz, with accolades from major food, travel, and fashion magazines.
Your spirit of adventure will certainly be piqued dining here. This is a place where flavor is savored. They are cooking with
fire. It’s wonderfully intimate, basic, and sophisticated—all at the same time.
MAYADAN
1346 Florida Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009
maydandc.com | meet@maydandc.com
KITCHEN HOURS: Mon-Sat, 5pm-11pm | Sun, 5pm-10pm
BAR HOURS: Sun-Thurs, 5pm-12am | Fri-Sat, 5pm-3am
Christine Fillat lives on the Magothy River and is an aficionado of Chesapeake Bay cooking and living.
Annapolis Home Magazine
Vol. 10, No. 5 2019