City Tap Penn Quarter showcases standout ingredients with new additions to its American gastropub menus. John Koch, City Tap’s Vice President of Culinary Operations, drew inspiration for the new menu items from favorite summer meals while staying true to City Tap Penn Quarter’s approachable and delicious cuisine.
For menu inspiration, Koch reflected on some of his favorite trips to destinations in the U.S. and Europe. “These new menus were inspired by what I like to eat during the summertime and plates that remind me of some of my best vacations,” says Koch. “I wanted to keep everything recognizable, but use elevated flavor combinations to keep people coming back to try more each visit.”
New small plates on City Tap Penn Quarter’s menus include choices like smoked trout sliders with apple, arugula, shallots, crème fraiche, and capers; foie gras mousse with red onion jam and pickled mustard seeds; chorizo arancini; and roasted bone marrow, which Koch recommends paired with one of City Tap Penn Quarter’s bourbons. Other sharable starters include whipped ricotta with orange-fig jam; elote “street corn” dip with tortilla chips; and olive & goat cheese tapenade with grilled bread.
New dinner offerings include steak & egg fried rice; ahi tuna puttanesca with bucatini, cherry tomatoes, and olives; and chicken paillard with arugula, roasted mushrooms, and shaved vegetables topped with red wine vinaigrette and olive caper relish. Those craving something lighter can tuck into City Tap’s new quinoa & kale Waldorf salad or the City Tap chop salad with bacon, bleu cheese and egg. Expanded lunch entrée options include the turkey pastrami Reuben, served on marbled rye with hand-cut fries, and a fried chicken sandwich with Brie and truffle honey. Menu staples like City Tap Penn Quarter’s ten spice wings, blue crab mac and cheese, and Korean short rib tacos will remain on the menu, as will popular rotating dinner specials like Tuesday’s chicken & waffles with red pepper jam.
All dishes can be perfectly paired with a cold beer from one of City Tap Penn Quarter’s 40 draft lines, an array of wine offerings, or the restaurant’s new cocktail list featuring premium takes on established classic cocktails.
