Smith started creating straightforward New York-style pies as a kind of reaction to the years he spent in upscale kitchens like the Source in Penn Quarter and BlackSalt in the Palisades. At Alfreda, a handful of sourdough pies will be joined by just a few vegetable-forward snacks and salads.

“It really comes from thoughts I was having about food after coming from fine dining and being over that—feeling it was pretentious and unsustainable,” Smith says. “I started baking and it was like a lightbulb went off.” 

Alfreda takes over a high-turnover P Street space one block from Dupont Circle that’s been home to several restaurants in recent years, most recently Del Sur Cafe. The 60-seat dining room’s minimalist decor—photographs of vintage flour bags, wine bottles mounted on the wall—will match its simple menu. Alfreda will also pour a range of New World and Italian wines and serve cocktails and local beers on tap. Read More…