Not Common at All!

Last night we hit Commonwealth Gastropub, British-inspired offering from Jamie Leeds of Hank's Oyster Bar fame, in Columbia Heights and I must say that it was anything but common. As a starting point, the beer selection is surprising and comforting all at once - Bellhaven Twisted Thistle on draft with the traditional stout in bottles, selections from some lesser known, but terrific breweries like Cisco in Nantucket and standout stand-bys like Samuel Smith and Dominion.
The food selections are fresh twists on traditional pub fare with salads, pots/pies and mains, trimmings and puddings. I would like to return to sample the Butchers Plate - a pic-three selection of meats ranging from house-made sausages to bresaola to stuffed trotters (pigs feet). Also intriguing, but not tried was the batter-fried bacon. A beautiful selection of cheeses would round out a charcuterie-style plate.

For starters we tried the Crisp Vegetable Salad - a delicious combination of root vegetables, celery, watercress, radish and basil with a light mustard dressing - and the Rocket salad with cheese and lemonette (like vinaigarette, but lemon). The only miss of the meal was the Virginia Oysters off the specials. It was a warm starter of oysters and puff pastry that was so heavy on the Worchestershire sauce you lost the subtle flavor of the local oysters.

For mains we enjoyed the Chicken Pot Pie - full of vegetables and chunks of chicken in a perfect chicken gravy with a delicious crust. The "fish" of the day was scallops with califlower puree and a parsley sauce. The roasted chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy inside. The star of the night was the Braised Lamb Shank. It was a melt in your mouth concoction of perfectly seasoned lamb shank and olives cooked until it fell off the bone served with the perfect compliment goat cheese polenta.

Atmosphere is p[ub-like, but sophisticated. Service was good. They take reservations for dinner.