Mount Airy gets a chic new bistro

In his four decades in the catering business, Peter Loevy vowed to never open a sit-down restaurant. “What’s that line? ‘Never say never’?” he said last week.

The date-night bistro Doho grew out of Loevy’s pandemic-era takeout ghost kitchen and anchors the front of his Catering by Design facility on Hortter Street just off Germantown Avenue in West Mount Airy. The menu — “a blend of Latin and East Asian flavors incorporating European technique,” Loevy says — is changing, even in its early days.

The dining room is outfitted with marble tables, slatted wooden banquettes, plush upholstered chairs, high ceilings, and bold prints. The cocktail bar is dramatically backlit.

Loevy’s descent into the restaurant world began in 2020 with Doho Taqueria. Executive chef Roth Perelman had invented the “doho,” which Loevy describes as “bao dough run through a pasta machine to make this incredible soft, beautiful dough that we then filled and made tacos out of. It really took off.” (“Doho” is a portmanteau of “do” from “dough and ”ho” from “Hortter,” and they render it as dohō.)

Loevy obtained a liquor license, which Catering by Design uses for off-premises catering. Eventually, he said, he backed off his no-restaurant decision, but he kept putting off construction as the catering business surged.

“Each year coming out of the pandemic was a record year for us,” Loevy said. “Trying to cope with that growth made it challenging to build the restaurant inside.” Eventually, he and the team pulled the trigger.

There’s a shot of pragmatism here. The restaurant doesn’t pay rent, he said, so “maybe that’s our saving grace in this crazy business.”

Perelman and chef de cuisine Lee Richards lead the kitchen, with Anders Adams managing the dining room.

Loevy said the masa gnocchi as well as the heirloom tomato in black vinegar and Thai basil that I enjoyed only three weeks ago — on Doho’s fourth night of operation — will be swapped out soon for seasonality. Vegan and gluten-free diners can get by here, too.

Starters include fluke crudo ($18) with aji amarillo, salsa verde, and fresno, and — harking back to the taqueria days — pork belly buns ($18) dressed with Honeycrisp apple, cabbage, and jalapeño.

The showstopping entree is the pomegranate lamb shank ($36) with Jimmy Nardello peppers and scallion, served with steamed sourdough buns; use your fork and shred for sharing.

Neshaminy Creek brews a Mexican lager for Doho, one of five draft beers. There’s a small, approachable wine list with light- to medium-bodied reds and a good balance of whites, nothing over $45 a bottle. Six cocktails include a Cristalino, an espresso martini made with Vietnamese-style coffee; prices top out at $15.

Doho serves Tuesday through Saturday evenings, with plans to add brunch.

Doho, 18 W. Hortter St. Hours: 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. Reserve via Resy.