Phil Coppage wants to welcome the neighborhood.
His goal as he reopened Cynthia Bistro & Bar (502 H St. NE), he said, was to give the neighborhood what it wants.
Cynthia is located in the former Irregardless wine bar, which Coppage purchased a little over a year ago. He describes the former iteration of his business as “a sort of a fancy wine bar” that served an upscale prix fixe menu.
Cynthia is a bit simpler, more accessible –but still delicious, he said. Leaning Italian, both interior and offerings are nice, but not too nice –the kind of place you could bring your kids or a date.
The bistro still serves wine. But the bar menu also includes cocktails, notably the Cynthia Sour, a golden bourbon-based liquid crowned with foam and served in a Gatsby-style coupe. When he opened, Coppage offered this cocktail to all guests named Cynthia or Cindy. Coppage said they’re taking a wholistic view of the bevarage program while leaning towards local craft beers and the best Virginia wines.
The menu is indeed simple, and delicious. Appetizers include an “anchovy” forward black garlic salad, with za’atar croutons and heaps of parmesan and a delightfully salty pumpkin squash soup. One guest told me that like Coppage, “the [appetizer] are slightly salty but all the more delightful for it.”
The go-to main is the Cindy burger, with caramaized onions and gorgonzola dulce, served with house pickles and parmesan fries. Or opt for the simply-named “fish burger” a pattie mixed shrimp and crowned with salsa verde, lemon aioli and arugula. A pappardelle bolognese and wild muschoorm risotto finsh out the list.
Coppage said the menu arose naturally as he rebuilt a menu from the foundation of Irregardless. “they were rising to the top of what we were trying,” Coppage said, “you can tell when people are particularly pleased with what you’re doing.”
Coppage reaches out to the community, working on fundraisers with local schools like J.O. Wilson and reaching out to community groups. And the neighbors were out in force to him at the Nov. 20 ribbon-cutting.
Greg is one of those neighbors. He first came to Cynthia when it was Irregardless, attending a birthday party for a friend. It exceeded expectations, he said. So Greg has since made it back for casual cocktails. “It has great ambiance, great sense of community and delicious food.”
Cynthia is named for his mother. “Cynthia is not Julia Child,” he said just before he cut the ribbon. “But she is an extraordinarliy generous, giving and kind woman. And that’s what we hope to embody here at Cynthia.”
Jen and her friends live just off H Street. They were regulars at Irregardless and there as Copppage implemented his vision of a classy H Street spot. They say the offerings are consistent and nicer –the kind of place you would go with a close friend but first, maybe lip gloss. “We like it and told everyone we knew about it,” she said. “Phil is great and they always have great food options.”
Coppage is part of the attraction. “He’s fun to talk to,” the group says. The drily humorous, very open proprietor can sometimes be found behind the bar, but will occasionally visit diners, introducing himself and checking in on their experience.
Coppage came to DC more than 20 years ago to take a job in politics. But he stepped away in 2021. He began bartending at Eastern Market restaurant Duck and the Peach before coming to Irregardless in 2022. A year later, he took the plunge, buying the business from original owners Ian and Mika Carlin.
Coppage says alot has changed. But one consistent pillar is Chef Chris Randriarimanana, who has been the head chef of Irregardless since the spring of 2023 and has worked to shape the delicate balance of the menu: accessible, classy and what people want to order.
People are at the core of what Coppage does. He is big on community and big on the neighborhood. “I take an enormous amount of pride in being a business owner in this community,” he said as he cut the ribbon. “H Street, I can tell you, is coming back, Coppage said at his the ribbon-cutting. “To Cynthia, a long and wonderful tenure here on H Street.”
See all the menus, hours and make reservations at www.cynthiadc.com
