National Landing’s dining scene is about to get Surreal. Enrique Limardo, a James Beard Award 2023 semifinalist and the talent behind Michelin-starred Imperfecto in D.C., is bringing his culinary creativity to a new restaurant that opens Dec. 1 at 2117 Crystal Drive.
“We want this concept to think outside the box,” Limardo says. “The best way to describe it is like a fun twist on regular American diners, with better aesthetics, better service, a little bit more elevated, but always keeping the approachable side, moneywise.”
At Surreal, Limardo and head chef Daniel Lozano plan to put a global spin on traditional diner fare. All-day brunch options include pancakes or waffles with house-infused maple syrup and marmalade, and a riff on shakshuka that recasts the saucy Middle Eastern egg dish with Mexican flavors, courtesy of chorizo and a topping of Chihuahua cheese.
“I got inspired because I love shakshuka. I spent time in the Middle East and because my DNA is very Latin, I always put that twist on the food,” says Limardo, who is Venezuelan.
Hungry patrons can also choose from a lengthy list of salads, pizzas, entrees and sandwiches (which the menu refers to as “Between Breads”), including one belly filler stuffed with Vietnamese-style roast beef, pineapple, garlic, slaw and Serrano pepper mayo.
East meets West in a Caribbean Chinese Noodle Chicken Salad that tosses angel-hair rice noodles with pineapple, veggies and seared chicken breast in a Caribbean-Asian dressing.
A dish of sushi-grade tuna poke is topped with a puffed pillow of crispy rice paper which, when cracked, adds crunch to the tartare underneath it.
Come the dinner hour, the menu includes playful plates like swordfish carpaccio with “flaming hot totopos” (a topping inspired by Flamin’ Hot Cheetos), and Halloween Gnocchi, so named for its fall colors and flavors (though it will be available all year). “We barely use flour, so they are very light,” Limardo says of the gnocchi, which in this case are made with purple sweet potato and topped with house-made pesto, butternut squash, gorgonzola and guajillo oil.
For dessert, save room for “Guangerine,” a New York-style cheesecake with guava and tangerine; red velvet crepe cake with white chocolate ganache; or a chocolate lava cake “service” that’s performed tableside.
Beverage director Carlos Boada has created an equally inventive lineup of cocktails, from a zero proof piña colada to Enchanting Illusion, an effervescent blend of aperol, limoncello, citrus honey, club soda and sparkling wine.
Brunchtime guests can drink their muesli cereal in the form of a Time-Traveler’s Tipple made with bourbon, corn flakes, oats, apricots, dates, raisins, caraway and aromatic bitters.
Designed by 7RG creative director Valentina Story in partnership with OOAK Architects, Surreal has a colorful, “dining-in-the-park” theme, with seating clustered around a center island of variegated plants, a bar made of rock imported from Greece, and large windows overlooking the patio. When weather permits, the glass doors separating the dining room and patio can be opened up to let the breeze in.
The 5,500-square-foot eatery will also have an on-site bakery and a section of grab-and-go items such as cookies, croissants, house-baked breads, sandwiches, salads, cold-pressed juices, and artisanal pastas and sauces to take home.
Surreal is the latest venture for the Seven Reasons Group (7RG), which Limardo co-founded in 2019 with managing partner Ezequiel Vázquez-Ger. Their flagship D.C. restaurant, Seven Reasons, was named “Best New Restaurant in America” by Esquire in late 2019, followed by Imperfecto, which earned a Michelin star in 2022.
Limardo also owns Clarendon newcomer Chicken + Whiskey.
With Surreal, he’s hoping to make his own imprint on National Landing’s already booming dining scene. “I think the concept we are going to put in that area is going to bring a different feeling,” he says. “A different atmosphere, a more fun, very nice vibe.” Where it’s perfectly OK to play with your food.