Washington, DC New Menu Report: 09/02/15

Is it really Labor Day this weekend? What happened to the lazy days of summer? If you want to squeeze just a few more hours of leisure from the season, we suggest you make brunch the last memory of the summer, but start by taking off the edge with a great cocktail, followed by Southern fare, and a Chesapeake classic — soft shell crabs. If you still feel panicked about the inevitable, repeat step one.

City Perch Kitchen + Bar
September is National Farm Month at City Perch Kitchen + Bar, which means garden-to-glass original cocktails. Throughout September, you can sample Try refreshing drinks like the fennel gin and tonic, apple Margarita, vodka spiked strawberry lemonade, and basil rum punch.  

Due South
When folks tell you to head due south next time you're craving authentic grits, make a U-turn and head for The Yards to Due South. This new eatery, from restaurateur Bo Blair, has a Southern drawl and is his twenty-first iteration on the D.C. resto scene. Monday to Sunday, 5 to 10 p.m., until September 7, they're featuring a special "soft open" menu that features farm-fresh produce, slow smoked meats, and local seafood and includes classics like shrimp and grits, Brunswick stew, and smoked pulled pork sandwiches, which are all larrupin', which in Alabama means damn good.

Founding Farmers
Don't cry because summer is over, cheer because there's still one last weekend to brunch heartily and enjoy the produce straight through to Monday. On Labor Day, September 7, Founding Farmers restaurants and sister restaurant, Farmers Fishers Bakers, will be serving brunch beginning at 7 a.m. at Founding Farmers DC and Montgomery County, 8 a.m. at Founding Farmers Tysons, and 9 a.m. at sister restaurant, Farmers Fishers Bakers. Reserve your seat or you won't get to dive into beef pastrami hash topped with a poached egg, soft billowy pancakes, or cocktails like the Famer Jon.  

Market Lunch
If the mess and noise of hammering away at blue crabs just isn't your thing, chances are you're a soft shell maven. And for a lightly fried version that lets the sweet, creaminess of the Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, which in Latin means, beautiful swimmer that is savory, shine through, head to Market Lunch at Eastern Market. The line to get one of these beautiful swimmers may be long, but once you taste this minimalist version, and see the $9.95 price, the wait will seem unimportant. 

Summer Whitford is the D.C. City Guide Editor at The Daily Meal and the DC Wine Examiner. You can follow her on Twitter @FoodandWineDiva.