D.C.-based chef, Nicholas Stefanelli, has named Bullfrog + Baum as his agency of record. Bullfrog + Baum will develop public relations and marketing campaigns to promote Stefanelli’s beloved Michelin-starred restaurant Masseria, and his soon-to-open, multi-faceted concept located in D.C.’s emerging neighborhood, The Wharf.
Stefanelli’s first restaurant, Masseria, opened in 2015 in D.C.’s industrial Union Market neighborhood. A marriage of Stefanelli’s Puglian roots and suburban Maryland upbringing, the restaurant embodies a relaxed allure, with a creatively reimagined take on fine-dining. Upon opening, the restaurant quickly became a staple of the city’s culinary landscape, and was awarded a Michelin-star in the guide’s inaugural D.C. edition in 2017, and again in its 2018 guide.
Masseria offers a range of inventive and flexible tasting menus, an acclaimed wine program with particular reverence to Italian varietals, awarded Wine Spectator’s “Best of Award of Excellence,” and a cocktail menu focused on inventive and experimental takes on the classics. The flagship restaurant embodies Stefanelli’s fashion-forward, individualized style, transporting guests to an urban oasis.
In spring 2018, Stefanelli will open Officina at The Wharf, a three-story culinary complex inspired by Italian markets. Highlighting Stefanelli’s dedication to the highest-quality ingredients and traditional preparations, Officina will house a curated market with imported specialty items, local produce and prepared foods, an in-house butcher, a second-floor trattoria and an Amaro library with sought after bottles, plus a year-round rooftop and events space that overlooks the Potomac River. The project emphasizes the ease and luxury of an Italian culinary experience, while remaining accessible for D.C. natives and visitors in the newly revitalized DC waterfront neighborhood.
