Birch & Barley

Mallard, Helmed by Chef Hamilton Johnson and Coming Soon to 14th Street, to Feature Refined Southern Cuisine

Chef Johnson is no stranger to Southern cuisine; he grew up in Inman, South Carolina, where he began learning the local foodways by cooking alongside his mother and father in the family kitchen. After spending his formative years as a chef in some of Charleston’s most storied kitchens, Johnson made the move to DC. Once here, he quickly found his way to the kitchen of Vidalia, the much-missed bastion of Southern cuisine, where he spent eight years and served as Chef de Cuisine to Chef-Owner Jeff Buben.

At Mallard, Chef Johnson will apply classic and global techniques to the culinary traditions of the south while incorporating the best local and regional ingredients available. Undergirding it all will be a sense of hospitality rooted in Johnson’s memories of the family table. “For me, as important as the food itself is the feeling of being welcomed and cared for in a place where thought has been given to the details that make an experience memorable. That is the ethic that will guide our team at Mallard.”

Mallard’s menu will range from Chef Johnson’s take on classics like Shrimp and Grits with Smoked Pork, Piquillo Peppers, and Tabasco-Shellfish Nage and Wild-Caught Blue Catfish with Poached Oysters, Summer Corn, and Smoked Trout Roe to new creations like Seared Sea Scallops with Cracklin’ Cornbread, Charred Peaches and Dandelion Greens and Crisp Berkshire Pork Trotters with Ramp Chow Chow, Sunny-Side-Up Egg, and Edisto Island Grits. Dessert options include Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Rhubarb and Almond Shortbread and Banana Puddin’ with Cracker Jacks and Nilla Wafers.

Beverage Director and Partner Greg Engert has curated a focused list of draft, canned, and bottled beers from ChurchKey’s award-winning collection upstairs. Spirits Director Nick Farrell’s cocktail list celebrates fun and fresh drinks connected to the south, including a focus on spiked lemonades, iced teas, and smashes, alongside a massive selection of 150+ whiskeys. The wine program, from Wine Director Erin Dudley, includes a wide selection of old and new world offerings produced by boutique vintners, all practicing sustainable winemaking.

Mallard’s name was inspired by Chef Johnson’s father’s hobby of carving wooden decoys. This cultural touchstone felt familiar to NRG founder and principal Michael Babin, who hails from south Louisiana. “Hamilton and I are both from places where wildlife, hunting, and fishing traditions connect tightly with cooking, eating, drinking, and socializing. Mallard will celebrate that social element of food and cooking. We’re building it to be unpretentious and fun, but without ever compromising quality or flavor.”