Washington, D.C. - February 13, 2008

Comfortably Yum

Evolve Restaurant Opens

10,000 BCE: Cavemen munch on twigs (delicious when paired with raw mammoth meat).

1937: Spam shows up on dinner tables all over America.

1990s: Luther Burgers (a grilled patty and cheese sandwiched between two Krispy Kremes) gain widespread appeal.

2008: Evolve opens in Washington, D.C.

Comfort food has quite the checkered past, but that’s all about to change with Evolve, the new Adams Morgan eatery. They’ve got it down to a science with cushy sofas and chairs, a cement bar surrounded by exposed brick and dark wood, and a swanky second-level lounge overlooking the first floor.

Our favorite thing on the menu: colossal lump crab cakes with lemon aioli, stuffed potato cake, and field beans. Though it’s the smaller plates — like Mediterranean calamari and French fries tossed in rosemary and sea salt — that’ll inspire a loyal customer base for generations to come.

In other words, it’s a natural selection.

Evolve, 1817 Columbia Road NW, between Biltmore Street and Mintwood Place (evolve1817.com).