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Say hello to Ketchup!

The dining scene has just gotten a little bit, well, saucier

By Wendy Standel

Special to Metromix
June 18, 2009

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Critic's Rating:

(Credit: Wendy Standel, Special to Metromix )

Anyone who regularly peruses the daily photo galleries on celeb gossip sites like US Magazine and TMZ can probably name at least a half dozen L.A. restaurants in a heartbeat. Whether to possess such keen intellect of celebrity dining habits is sad or impressive is up for debate, but the fact remains that most people will never step foot in one of these Hollywood hotspots. So hold on to your Wayfarers, because the dining scene has just gotten a little bit, well, saucier.

Say hello to Ketchup - the oldest and most classic of condiments is now the newest of restaurants to pop up at the National Harbor. The local installation of this popular Hollywood restaurant is like a modern, upscale 50’s diner with a psychedelic twist courtesy of pop art décor, red and white vinyl booths and basket wire metal seating. And the fare is American as you can get with burgers, ribs, sandwiches and salads dominating the lunch menu (come dinner the kitchen kicks it up a notch by swapping out burgers with fish and seafood dishes). In a nod to local flavor, the menu includes many Chesapeake-esque staples such as crab cakes and crab and corn chowder - the latter being more than generously full of big, chunky flakes of Maryland crab. And to keep you on your toes (and your fingers busy) the venue is true to its name by offering a bevy of uniquely flavored ketchups in which to dip one of their three styles of tasty French fries: old bay shoestring, garlic parmesan and sweet potato. Dip those sweet potato fellas into the maple ketchup and you'll swear you're eating French toast.

Ketchup is the brainchild of the Dolce Group, which owns a slew of restaurants and hotspots in Hollywood and beyond. You may have heard of one of their partners, Mike Malin. He was known as “Boogie” on the reality show “Big Brother” and in 2006 was crowned champion of “Big Brother: All Stars.” Some of Dolce’s celebrity investors include Ashton Kutcher, Wilmer Valderrama and more.

So, just how saucy is Ketchup? Take a look at the photo gallery and decide for yourself.