Our Seafood Brunch Adventure in The Cold

Over the course of the past month, the weather in the DMV area managed to tease us with summer-like temperatures followed by quick shifts to dreadful and bitter cold. The brief spell of warm weather we had in mid-February served as the catalyst that inspired us to get seafood for our most recent adventure. As you probably know by now, both of us really love seafood; hence, we decided to venture down to Washington, DC's Navy Yard neighborhood earlier this month for some seafood brunch action on a sunny but (very) chilly Sunday morning. Our brunch destination was Whaley's, a fantastic seafood and raw bar restaurant located on Water Street SE.

If you haven't checked out this section of the Navy Yard neighborhood yet, we would highly recommend it, especially for its many restaurants, attractions, and great views of the Anacostia River. Whaley's is located right off the water and would a great place for friends coming together to enjoy some seafood or for a beautiful date night. And despite how fun it can often be to find parking in DC (there was sarcasm there if you couldn't tell), there is a large parking lot across the street from the building that Whaley's is in that is pretty reasonable in terms of cost. A great restaurant, easy access to parking, and wonderful river view--what more could you want?!

Whaley's reminded us of a summer beach house, as it has tons of natural light, colorful nautical paintings, and wood fashioned seating. When we arrived, the service we received was impeccable. The friendly host staff checked our coats (it is free) and promptly sat us at our table. We quickly learned that Whaley's offers a $29.00 Brunch Special which has two options: you can get one appetizer and one entree, or you can get an entree and a dessert. And for an additional $5.00, you can enjoy a Mimosa or a Bloody Mary with your brunch. We both decided to forego the Brunch Special because none of the appetizers spoke to us and Simone gave up sweets for Lent. However, we found out from our server that they serve gelato from Dolcezze, which is a superb cafe, so we would highly recommend ordering the gelato if you decide to check out Whaley's in the future.

Brunch is never complete without cocktails, so Simone chose the Aged Avua Cachacha, Pear, Lime & Cava House Cocktail to accompany her brunch. The cocktail, which was topped with cinnamon, was incredibly light, refreshing, and delicious! It is akin to a mature and well-made Bellini, if that is usually your brunch beverage of choice. If you like sweet--but not too sweet--cocktails, then you will definitely enjoy this fantastic drink. Damien went with the Sparkling Rose, St. Germaine, Cana Brava Rum & Grapefruit House Cocktail. If you are a fan of grapefruit like Damien, then this is the drink for you. It was crisp and flavorful, and the grapefruit in it was definitely present but not too overpowering. For our appetizers, we ordered Poached Shrimp and several of Whaley's Raw Oysters. Simone had never had raw oysters before, so this was going to be an adventure! The Poached Shrimp, which featured six healthy-sized shrimp, cocktail sauce, and house-made ginger aioli, was essentially Whaley's version of a shrimp cocktail. It was a fantastic appetizer! We both enjoyed topping the shrimp with both sauces--the ginger aioli added truly rich and herbaceous flavor to the shrimp. We were a bit mixed in our review of the Raw Oysters, though. This wasn't the first time that Damien had eaten oysters, and he thought that they were really fresh and delicious; however, Simone described her first time eating oysters as "tasting the ocean". Oysters are definitely an acquired taste and dependent on the person, but if you enjoy them, Whaley's has you covered.

Now on to our entrees. Simone ordered the Blue Catfish Sandwich, as well as a side order of the Crispy Hash Browns to share. The catfish itself was fresh and served perfectly cooked and crispy. The fish was covered in an amazing sweet soy glazed sauce and placed on a bed of pickled radishes. The sandwich was a delicious blend of amazing flavors and it felt like eating a fresh roll of sushi tempura. The Old Bay Chips that accompanied the sandwich were prepared in-house at the restaurant and were really well-done. They were crispy, and thankfully not oily or overwhelmingly seasoned. They were the kind of Old Bay Chips that any native Marylander would love. Whaley's Crispy Hash Browns is a unique side dish that featured two large hash browns placed over a roasted red pepper puree and sautéed shallots. The hash browns were prefect to Simone, but Damien felt that they needed a pinch more salt. For his entree, Damien had the Scallops and Grits Carbonara, and it was excellent. Both the scallops and grits-carbonara were cooked perfectly, which was important given that they were the stars of the dish. Damien initially thought that peanuts in a dish like this might be odd, but it worked well and gave the dish some much-needed texture. But the real star of this dish? The onion jam. It added a nice sweetness and depth of flavor to the overall entree that was divine. The dish would benefit from one more scallop, but that's being really nit-picky. Overall, we had a kickass brunch.

Overall, we would give Whaley's a 4.5 out of 5. The interior of the restaurant is really beautiful, open, clean, and light, and you can't beat the view out of the windows. The combination of the fresh seafood, impeccable service, and amazing drinks made Whaley's a new favorite for a seafood adventure. And by the way, the music playing during our time there? Bomb. Whaley's would be such an amazing place for a beautiful summer evening or spring afternoon out in DC. We are ready for consistently warm weather (especially on a snow day like today!) and more restaurant adventures--and a return trip to Whaley's. Until next time, enjoy a great meal with even better company soon!