The Washington, D.C., home of Darlington School’s namesake – educator, attorney and philanthropist Joseph James Darlington – has a new name and a new look. Formerly the location of Childe Harold, a 40-year-old restaurant and music venue famous for hosting entertainers like Emmylou Harris and Bruce Springsteen, the century-old townhouse in Washington’s historic Dupont Circle area reopened in May 2008 as Darlington House.
The new owners, Patricia and Fabio Baggiato, are no strangers to D.C.’s dining scene, owning interests in both Sesto Senso and the Cleveland Park Grill down the street. Their unique and creative approach reintroduced Darlington House as a three-in-one establishment with a tavern on the bottom level, fine dining on the first floor and a café with free wireless internet on the second floor.
“When Childe Harold closed [in the fall of 2007], we started looking for a replacement restaurant,” said Peter Kiernan, J.J. Darlington’s great-grandson, whose family still owns the property. “The place was getting a little worn, so the Baggiatos came in and did very substantial renovations. When it was time for them to choose a name, they decided to go with something English because it was their view that the building looked like a London townhouse. I told them we had two English names in our family and they were welcome to use either if they desired. They were interested in Darlington right off the bat, and everyone in my family was delighted.”
The restaurant, located at 1610 20th Street NW, features seasonal menus developed by Chef Alexander Schulte, formerly from The Modern in New York. For more information, please visit
www.darlingtonhousedc.com.
