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The partners behind neighborhood hit The Pub & The People will open their new bar, Present Company Public House, this weekend in the former Sixth Engine space that was once the oldest operating firehouse in the District. It dates back to 1855 and was decommissioned in 1974.
Brittany Ryan, Matt Murphy, Nick Bernel, and Jeremy Gifford tapped the former executive chef of 701 Restaurant to lead the kitchen. Lincoln Fuge is a Nashville native who promises he left fine dining drizzles and dollops behind to focus on sending out high quality pub grub, including vegetarian options.
Present Company also vows not to ask customers trope questions like, “Have you ever dined with us before?” because “the menu shouldn’t have to be explained.”
Something-for-everyone menu highlights include a house-smoked pastrami sandwich, Nashville hot chicken wings, bao buns stuffed with BBQ jackfruit, a veggie muffuletta sandwich, and bourbon-pecan cheesecake. See the full menu below.
Beer drinkers will find 12 brews on tap and an additional 46 bottles, including hard ciders and spiked seltzers. Beer and shot combos will start at $6. There will also be 20 wines available and a range of classic and original cocktails.
Hospitality will be a focus, just as it is at Pub & The People. Bar manager Walter Thomas says he’s going for a Cheers vibe, where bartenders know both your name and your order.
When Present Company opens Friday at 4 p.m., it will operate on a limited schedule. Later on, the restaurant will serve lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.
Present Company, 438 Massachusetts Ave. NW; facebook.com/presentcompanydc