WASHINGTON 鈥� It鈥檚 no coincidence that the door to is cut in the shape of a keyhole. When diners step through its arches, they enter an experience that鈥檚 been locked away for decades.
Red leather booths, white table cloths and dark-painted walls fill the 75-seat restaurant inside at 1731 New Hampshire Avenue in Northwest.
Manhattans, Negronis and Old Fashioneds are mixed behind the wood-paneled bar; vintage Life magazines decorate a gold coffee table in the lounge.
But it鈥檚 not just the d茅cor at The Riggsby that channels a midcentury dining experience 鈥� the restaurant鈥檚 menu reflects an older era as well.
鈥淭his is a throwback. We don鈥檛 have any small plates here,鈥� says the restaurant鈥檚 chef and owner, Michael Schlow.
There are bar snacks, such as deviled eggs and homemade potato chips, and a generous selection of first-course options, such as oysters, beef carpaccio and a classic chopped salad with homemade Thousand Island dressing.
鈥淚 know it鈥檚 not fancy, but it tastes so good. I want to eat it every day,鈥� Schlow says about the salad.
Entr茅e options include everything from an all-American burger to a heritage pork chop, roasted chicken, fresh spaghetti, seared scallops and an herb- and pepper-crusted cote de boeuf.
The Riggsby is the second D.C. restaurant for Schlow, who opened the Latin-inspired on 14th Street last year. But the former 鈥淭op Chef Masters鈥� contestant says the two restaurants couldn鈥檛 be more different.
Tico has 5,000 square feet, with high ceilings and an energy that reflects its location in the bustling U Street Corridor; the Riggsby is smaller and more intimate, tucked away in a residential part of the city.
Schlow says his goal for the restaurant was to create a go-to neighborhood spot that looks as if it鈥檇 been there for a long time 鈥� a place where his parents鈥� generation might have dined.
鈥淎nd I think we accomplished that,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 hope guests feel that way 鈥� that when they walk through the door 鈥� they鈥檙e truly transported to something of a bygone era, a place that really doesn鈥檛 exist anymore.鈥�
All the art on the walls was either made or curated by Schlow鈥檚 wife, Adrienne, a mixed-media artist. And Schlow selected the music himself, to further enhance the old-time ambience.
Dishes at The Riggsby are not deconstructed, nor are they reinvented. Schlow says he鈥檚 sticking to serving the classics in a comfortable setting.
So far, it seems his approach is working. A young diner who recently ordered the barrel-cut New York strip filet with b茅arnaise sauce and homemade french fries told Schlow, 鈥淚 want to take my french fries and I want to bathe them in this b茅arnaise sauce for the rest of my life.鈥�
Schlow was entertained by the young critic. 鈥淎 connoisseur of b茅arnaise at 11 years old 鈥� I love it.鈥�
And while The Riggsby has talented and knowledgeable mixologists behind the bar, as well as a sommelier on staff, Schlow says the drink program is not meant to be intimidating.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not that kind of place where you鈥檙e going to get a dissertation about where the bourbon came from,鈥� he says, adding that the friendly bartenders are there to pour you, or mix you, what you like to drink. In addition to the tried-and-true cocktails, Schlow says, The Riggsby has new creations as well.
鈥淚t really is a flexible restaurant that I hope people find, more than anything, to be that neighborhood spot that you wish was in everybody鈥檚 neighborhood. I hope it resonates for a really long time.鈥�
