“I kind of call us a tavern, but there’s definitely a steak house–like component to what we do, and D.C. is definitely a steak and wine kind of town.”

“St. Anselm was born with a silver spoon in its mouth. Make that three, actually: Stephen Starr, Joe Carroll and Marjorie Meek-Bradley. When news broke that the trio were opening a restaurant across from Union Market in the District, some of us forecast a hit on the horizon.”

“Tasked with lending a local perspective to an established Brooklyn brand, Marjorie Meek-Bradley pulled off a major feat. At the St. Anselm tavern that opened in Northeast D.C. in September, Meek-Bradley has flipped the stuffy D.C. steakhouse stereotype on its head, deploying a fun, fresh menu full of salads and sides that draw attention away from a full complement of animal proteins.”

The principals behind St. Anselm near Union Market have a favor to ask: Please don’t call their restaurant, an import from Brooklyn, a steak house. While the menu showcases a lot of meat cooked on a grill and a slew of sides that sound like perfect companions, the team would prefer you to think of St. Anselm as “a tavern,” says co-owner Stephen Starr: “a restaurant that happens to have steak on the menu.”

“In the restaurant world, Stephen Starr openings are kind of like Spielberg premiers. You know they’re going to be big productions that involve a lot of talent and money, and the hype usually pays off.”