Always on the lookout for something new and local to try, my wife and I had heard that “The Plum”, a downtown Hagerstown daytime lunch staple for years, was now open for dinner.  Now going by the name of District Provision & Supply Co., we headed towards the county seat on a recent Friday night to check them out.

After parking in a downtown parking deck, we ambled down the alley that is Rochester Place, just off of West Washington Street in the downtown corridor, west of the city square.  Although you may feel like you’re going in the wrong direction, trust me, at the end of the alleyway on the left, the District is there, tucked away off of the main street (and just behind the addition to the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts, if you’ve parked on the backside of the street – coming in from Antietam Street).  The entrance is unassuming, the only clue to its whereabouts is a small sign hanging outside for “The Plum”.  We were greeted warmly at the door and escorted to the dining area, where we took a seat by the window.

The interior is simple, with free standing tables and a few high-tops in the kitchen/bar area.  This is still a place where many downtown workers stop in for lunch, and during the daytime this area can become crowded, but the dining space is further back and more subdued during dinner hours.  Large windows anchor the two-story space, and there’s lots of brick walls that set off the otherwise sparse décor.  I imagine that when full, the dining room’s wood floors and high ceilings could become a bit loud for intimate table conversation, but for us, it was not an issue on this trip.  There was also a small patio hung with lights for outdoor dining options, but the weather was not conducive for outside eating on this visit. 

We were again greeted by a friendly wait staff, who I later learned were also the owner/operators, and we perused the bill of fare.  There was an extensive list of local craft beers to choose from, wines by the bottle and glass, as well as several hand-crafted cocktails.  Feeling “cocktail-ish”, my wife opted for a “Pomegranate Orange Spritz”, a concoction made from pomegranate vodka, Grand Marnier, and club soda.  I chose a traditional whiskey sour, here made with rye, house mix, and the obligatory cherry and orange wheel.  Both were enthusiastically and theatrically made at the bar (in our viewing distance) and quite good.

Then it was onto menu selections.  The dining style here is “small plates”, where a selection is not a gigantic, full course serving and perfect for sharing among the table (think tapas).  There are fourteen selections overall, many changing each month, so there’s always something new and seasonal to look forward to. There were “appetizer”-type items, such as hush puppies, “elevated” Chex mix (made with truffle oil and fresh black pepper, and chips with homemade Pico de Gallo, as well as more hearty fare, such as mussels and shrimp, meatballs, and Chipotle marinated chicken thighs.

My wife and I opted to start with the deviled eggs (topped with traditional filling and capers on this visit), the crostini (this week’s special was a “BLT”), and fried Brussels sprouts.  The deviled eggs were smooth, hearty, and creamy, the capers giving the dish a nice salty, finishing punch.  The crostini was a combination of shredded lettuce, seasoned cherry tomatoes, and a bacon-onion jam, which simulated the flavor profile of a traditional BLT quite nicely.  The star of the show; however, were the Brussels sprouts.  Deep fried with crispy edges, they were tossed with pistachios, honey, and a white truffle oil, then topped with shaved Parmesan cheese.  I could have eaten these all day, and I was assured that this item would not be leaving the seasonal menu, which is a plus.

Upon finishing this round of small plates, we opted for one more selection, this time choosing a beet hummus, consisting of roasted golden beets, hummus, olive oil, and assorted seeds, served with warm pita points, which was also quite good.

I opted for a second cocktail, this time trying out a ginger-limoncello martini while my wife (at the urging of the bartender) was made a custom, “boozy”, iced mocha.  Again, both were expertly made, presented, and tasted great.

The menu had many other options we wanted to try (every single one was enticing), but four plates suited us just fine on this visit.  The selections also had several vegetarian options, and many offerings could be made with vegan substitutions or gluten-free.

While no “official” dessert was offered, we were pleasantly surprised when presented with a small plate consisting of a square of a blueberry compote crumble topped with fresh whipped cream while we finished our second round of drinks.

Prices were quite reasonable, with the hand-crafted cocktails making up the bulk of our dinner bill.

With the promise of a changing, seasonal menu, a Saturday brunch, and the still-continued lunchtime options, the District was an absolutely wonderful surprise for dinner, and the perfect option for a downtown destination either after work or before a Maryland Theatre show.  This is exactly the type of dining option that downtown Hagerstown needs, and I can’t wait to return to sample more of their small plates menu.

If you are looking for a new and exciting dining experience in Hagerstown, take a walk down the alley and check out District Provision and Supply Co.

You won’t be disappointed.  

Ratings:

Food: 8 (out of 10)

Atmosphere: 7 (out of 10)

Price: $$ – $$$ (out of 5)

The Rundown:

Restaurant Name: District Provision and Supply Co. (aka “The Plum”)

Cuisine: American Tapas/Small Plate

Address: 6 Rochester Place, Hagerstown, MD  21740

Phone: (301) 791-1717

Hours: Tuesday-Friday: 09:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Saturdays: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM, closed Sundays and Mondays

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theplum.hagerstown/

Website: https://www.eat-district.com/

Parking: street and/or city garage parking