ryan2499

Hi all, My name is Ryan Eades, this is my first post. I'm a long time resident of the District proper having lived here for about 15 of the last 17 years. I worked in the industry for 10 years, from waiting tables & bartending to managing throughout a variety of both chain and family owned establishments. My longest tenure was at the former Ellis Island Restaurant & Pub in Brookland under the proprietorship of Hugh Kelly who is best known for having opened the Irish Times in DC. Other stints included Hops in Potomac Yards (was the 3rd server they hired when they opened), Irish Times, McFadden's (not really proud of that one, and I got out of there quick), The Ugly Mug and probably a couple others that I'm forgetting. Anyways, I've been out of the industry for several years now but still enjoy being around it, love cooking, love wine and have been fortunate enough to live in Bloomingdale for the last 7 years and see the transformation in our neighborhood that has welcomed some awesome establishments like Big Bear, Rustik, Boundary Stone, Beau Thai (technically Shaw), Grassroots Gourmet, Aroi Thai, Showtime, The Red Hen and Baccio's. We still have a couple more restaurants on the way including a tapas place, a mexican place, a new multi-level restaurant in an old Firehouse on North Capitol St, and 13th St Meats opening a retail front. Good times in Bloomingdale. On a personal level, my wife & I are both Catholic U grads, we have two girls (4 & 2) that keep us busy. I come from a baseball family, so I'm a big Nats fan. We enjoy the occasional $200 dinner at any number of fancy places, but prefer lower key holes in the wall locally owned spots, though we never get out enough with the two girls nowadays. Give me a pub with a good draft & bourbon selection and some grit in the atmosphere and I'm a happy camper. Looking forward to lots of great conversations and learnings about the DC restaurant scene as it continues to evolve. Best, Ryan