In Washington, late-night eats heat up

Three years ago, Weekend chronicled Washington’s late-night dining scene.

At the time, the most revolutionary thing to happen to the fourth meal was falafel, and if you weren’t the type to scarf down a slab of pizza on a sidewalk, your best sit-down spots were the same old options, such as Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe and the few other restaurants that bothered to serve customers who wandered in after 11 p.m.

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Fast-forward to 2 a.m., 2011: Dangerously Delicious and Taylor Gourmet are burning the midnight oil, serving rustic pie and Italian sandwiches to H Streeters after last call. At the Passenger, a tiny kitchen sends out hot dogs topped with sriracha and kimchi to visitors sucking down cocktails. The newly re-opened Bullfeathers feeds Hill types through a shutdown quandary, and IHOP — yes, IHOP — is flipping pancakes for Columbia Heights scenesters fueling up after a night of bar-hopping.

Washington’s expanding nightlife offers one easy explanation for the boom, especially in such growing neighborhoods as H Street, Shaw and U Street. But if you’re in Clarendon or Capitol Hill, there are new options, too. Find them here, along with a few old favorites that are worth rediscovering. (We’ve noted the especially vegetarian friendly spots with a V.)

And nope, there’s not a jumbo slice in sight.

Capitol Hill/H Street NE

Bullfeathers (V)

Daily till 1 a.m. 410 First St. SE. 202-484-0228. bullfeathersdc.com.

Earlier this year, the Capitol Hill institution was purchased and renovated by the group that owns Stoney’s, Tunnicliff’s and Ulah Bistro. When the doors reopened, Bullfeathers fans were met with a new 45-foot bar, 31 beers on draft and a new menu of such American classics as house-cured corned beef, stacked club sandwiches, burgers, crabcakes and steak. Late night doesn’t see the bar explode with a particularly rowdy or young crowd; it’s too much of a neighborhood joint for that. What you do get is a low-key place to grab a good late-night pint and a plate of food.

Taylor Gourmet (V)

Fridays and Saturdays till 3 a.m. 1116 H St. NE. 202-684-7001. www.taylorgourmet.com.

The availability of authentic Philadelphia-style hoagies in D.C. was enough of a novelty three years ago that Taylor Gourmet was an instant sensation when it opened in the Atlas District. With three locations, the ability to sink your teeth into a 9th Street Italian (Genoa salami, capicola, prosciutto and provolone) or Spring Garden, a veggie sandwich, at 2:30 a.m. still makes the H Street location a sensation.

Dangerously Delicious (V)

Friday and Saturday till 3:30 a.m.; Monday-Thursday till midnight. 1339 H Street NE. 202-398-7437. www.dangerouspiesdc.com.

The dainty bakery (a faintly rockerish Baltimore export) provides a sugar high for a steady stream of night owls. They come for the Baltimore Bomb, a pie filled with crushed chocolate-frosted Berger cookies; the SMOG (with steak, mushroom, onion and gruyere cheese); the chocolate-peanut butter chess, strawberry-rhubarb or one of the 15 or so other varieties baked fresh at 10 p.m. The nightly offerings (slices of sweet pies are $6.50; savory slices are $7.50) are listed on the chalkboard. Nearly all the fruit pies are vegan, and an addictive tofu-curry savory pie is a weekend staple.