From his mom’s kitchen in Vienna, VA to serving up classical French dishes in DC, Chef Brian Murphy spans the spectrum from home cooking to fine dining. Working at the hugely popular restaurant and club, Policy, has given Brian the opportunity to delight diners with simple yet excellent food in a non-pretentious manner. Here’s why you should reserve a table at Policy.
On Tap: What are your signature dishes?
Brian Murphy: Definitely the Lamb Sliders and the Miso-Mustard Glaze Short Ribs. The meat on the short ribs has been glazed for three hours and they just melt in your mouth. The lamb has lots of depth and flavors with fresh mint, rosemary, shallots, and thyme. On the bread, we use gorgonzola crème on top and mint pesto on the bottom.
OT: What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?
BM: I love simple food and simple ingredients. I’d have to say tomatoes. But you can really only use them in the summer since they are seasonal. I have a guy in Middleburg who grows stuff for me. Chives is also a favorite. I make a chive butter which goes really well with steak. Oh, and truffle oil too.
OT: What kind of experience do you want diners to have when they try your dishes:
BM: I want them to come in with an open mind about Policy. There’s a misconception that we are a nightclub, not a restaurant. When they leave, I want them to leave with a happy unexpectedness. We try to make this a one stop shop where people can have cocktails, have a bite to eat, and then go upstairs – we’ve got a DJ and lounge. I want to blow people away.
OT: You grew up in a big family. How did your mom influence your cooking?
BM: I was one of six boys so my mom was always cooking. When I was old enough she would let me help. Eventually my dishes were really good, some even better than hers.
OT: What do you cook at home?
BM: At home I try to keep it simple – maybe make my chive butter and steak.
OT: Where do you see yourself in five years?
BM: Maybe here at Policy. We hope to expand so maybe at one of our restaurants. Or maybe in Denver, Colorado.
Policy: 1904 14th St. NW, DC; 202-387-7654; www.policydc.com
[googleMap name="Policy" width="780" height="250"]1904 14th St. NW, Washington, DC[/googleMap]
