CHEF DAVID GUAS
Bayou Bakery Coffee Bar & Eatery

When you walk through the door of Bayou Bakery Coffee Bar & Eatery, a wave of Southern culture greets you with open arms, as all hospitable Southerners do. The corner eatery, located in the Courthouse district of Arlington, Virginia and on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., boasts Louisianan flare and mouth-watering fare that can be tasted through Chef David Guas’ simple, but savory recipes. The menu features a twist on home-cooking staples like buttermilk biscuits with pepper jelly, pimento cheese sandwiches, ‘muff-a-lottas,’ shrimp creole and red beans and rice. Our favorite? The New Orleans-styled BBQ Shrimp – which Guas offers every Friday night to his customers at both his Arlington, Virginia and Washington D.C. Capitol Hill locations.

“It’s something I could eat four to six times a week. How it got its name makes no difference to me, because it has nothing to do with a pit or a grill and everything to do with its most important ingredient – Wild American Shrimp,” said Guas. “It doesn’t taste the same without it – so I work exclusively with purveyors who have access to the shrimp I grew up loving, and the only shrimp I will offer my customers.”

After Hurricane Katrina, many of Guas’ childhood and family neighborhoods were nearly erased. He was flooded with memories of his childhood, and he wanted the guests in his

restaurant to taste exactly what he knew – the exquisite and vibrant flavors of Louisiana. “It was that moment in my career that I shifted my culinary perspective in its entirety to focus on establishing relationships with purveyors who could deliver that memory to a dish at my restaurants.” Getting the best shrimp was a large part of that. Through establishing those relationships, Guas began working with Dominick’s Seafood, Inc. located in Bayou La Batre, Alabama.

Dominick’s, founded in 1992 by Dominick Ficarino, is one facet of a multi-generational operation that is family-run by Dominick, his sister Debbie, their first cousin Rocky Bosarge and Dominick’s brother-in-law Jerry Glass. They all work side-by-side supporting the thriving operation right off Shell Belt Road in Bayou La Batre, Alabama.

With two businesses established on a foundation of Southern culture and rich family heritage – working together to bring Wild American Shrimp to our nation’s capital was an easy fit. “Wild American Shrimp was one of those ingredients worth the effort in getting shipped here to give others the true taste of our Gulf waters. It is my hope that after tasting one our shrimp dishes, home cooks will be encouraged to purchase wild-caught shrimp at the retail level and prepare a recipe of their own,” said Guas.

As a true Louisianan, Guas prefers to purchase shrimp within the shell as it best preserves the flavor. “To put it bluntly, regardless of type – Wild American Shrimp just taste better,” said Guas.

Bayou Bakery Coffee Bar & Eatery is one of a kind in an area where new restaurants pop up all the time. Do yourself a favor and visit Bayou Bakery the next time you are in the D.C. area!