After going dark for two years, a tony corner of downtown D.C. makes a comeback today, Friday, May 22, as Rosa’s Diner, an all-day ode to Americana classics with Latin twists (1011 K Street NW).
The glamorous Victorian row house attached to the Moxy hotel was restored to its original glory back in 2023 to welcome Atlas Restaurant Group’s polished oyster bar Parlor Victoria
, which didn’t last long.
The brick-framed building’s latest culinary chapter falls under the watch of executive chef Francisco Pomalaza, who’s cooked in New York, Chicago, and his hometown of Miami – but never before in D.C. His newest post in a 9-to-5 corridor is a big departure from his most recent beachside gig at Florida’s Havana Beach Bar & Grill at the Pearl Hotel.
“I
felt that this was more freedom for creativity. There’s so many countries to touch on,” says Pomalaza, who’s Peruvian. “It’s still an American theme, but influenced by Latin flavors.”
See: his eggs “Benedict” – which is actually a pupusa topped with beef birria and aji amarillo hollandaise.
Unlike its short-lived predecessor, which served seafood towers and steaks in an opulent setting, Rosa’s Diner dresses things down a bit with retro bar stools, slick green booths, and a walk-up counter with a full coffee program and a case stocked with its house-made pastries. A full bar spotlights spirits like a Latin gin made from Malbec grapes.
“Rosa’s is a fusion between American comfort food and Hispanic American flavors,” he says. The goal is to present familiar dishes with tastes and flavors “[customers] may not have had together before.” He wanted to stray from going all in on Mexican cuisine, since that’s what the Moxy’s rooftop bar Lucha Rosa already does.
Morning staples also include a breakfast burrito stuffed with Salvadorian chorizo and Pop Tart pastry featuring guava, brie, and a candied pecan dust.
Salads and bowls join “blue plate specials” like mushroom Bolognese and roasted chicken in a citrus marinade paired with Peruvian yellow potatoes. Churrasco, aji panca chimichurri, and a paper bag of fries answer the call to steak frites.
He’s especially proud of his churros French toast, topped with a guajillo maple syrup and roasted pineapple butter he makes himself. “It’s actually my daughter’s dish, to be honest. She loves French toast and I told her I’d put one on there,” he says.
The butter also makes an appearance atop fluffy pancakes with Chantilly cream.
On the savory side, a diner smash burger melt on Texas toast is not for the faint of heart, piled with caramelized onions, cheese, and sweet-and-smoky bacon. The handheld section also features a beet Reuben and chickpea “salad” sandwich full of cumin and paprika on sourdough. Starters include chilaquiles, beef birria empanadas, and fries topped with its house “spice” dust.
The same menu is served all day (7 a.m. to 9 p.m.), which means it’s possible to get a burger or breakfast burrito at the same time.
In a month, the 70-seat newcomer with a prime corner patio will roll out its speakeasy. Located at the top of its circular staircase – real estate that went unused under its life as Parlor Victoria – the “Library” can fit 100 and will function as a co-working cafe during the day and cool cocktail bar at night, complete with its own entrance.
