Hello, I'm Travis!

A Team USA figure skater-cum-art historian-cum-writer. A decidedly American transplant in London with an appetite for the ages.

I tell stories both large and small with words and with visuals. I eat Instagram posts, brand guidelines, and website text for breakfast, speeches with a side of email newsletters for lunch. Your tone of voice is my comfort zone.

Count on me for effulgent and perspicacious copy and social media strategies. Let's maximise your brand with storytelling and anchor everything in narrative. My areas of expertise are food, wine, and travel, but I've worked in fields varied as global health, higher education, and corporate housing. I'm pleasantly nimble as you can see.

Let's find ways to collaborate, a future [you] x me. The enduring partnership.

One or two things I can do:

Storyboarding for brands encompassing the entire lifecycle of the customer experience.Digital assets including, but certainly not limited to, websites, pop-up windows, email newsletters, product descriptions, and blog posts.Printed assets including, and again not limited to, menus, posters, brochures, business cards, and one-pagers.Social media. Yes, everything. I do absolutely everything.Editing down words and ideas. You know exactly what I’m talking about. (I love nailing a word count.)Synthesising materials and producing myriad products, which have ranged from luxury wine brand speeches to customers to positioning brands and producing press materials.Talk endlessly about corgis.

Michelin-starred and James Beard-nominated restaurant in Washington, DC

Bon Appétit No 2. 'Hot Ten' in 2018, GQ's Best New Restaurants in America in 2018, Food & Wine Restaurants of the Year in 2018

Visual identity and website development in collaboration with topo-graphic

Brand development, social media strategy, website content

Beginning in 2017, I opened, branded, and built the social media followings for Maydan, the second project from the Compass Rose team. This project focused on storytelling through food and travel through the Middle East and the Caucasus.

maydandc.com

Website copy

About us
We want you to have a different approach to dining: one that’s about the food, but also the love, respect, and traditions that go into each dish. Our food tells the story of our own travels, from Tangier to Tehran and Batumi to Beirut, but it also tells the stories of voices that often go unheard. We were invited to sit and break bread with strangers, listening to stories and learning tried and true techniques. We felt welcomed, embraced, and valued, quickly becoming part of their families. We want you to feel that every time you visit.
 
When you enter our town square—our “Maydān”—we want you to feel a sense of wonder. We want you to forget what you know and be ready to explore. And we’ll be there with you for every bite. You’ll feel like you’ve met new friends—a new family—who will guide you through the square to a table full of dishes. Dips, spreads, salads, condiments, roasted and grilled meats, and seafood coming together in unison. Just remember, there is no wrong way to go about this.
 
The centerpiece of every table is the bread, which we make to order in Maydān’s clay ovens; it is a culmination of everything we love about the regions we focus on. Bread brings the meal together and bread brings people together. We want you to use your hands, making the bread your utensil. Share with your neighbor, break bread with your family and friends.
 
See you in our Maydān soon, we'll be waiting for you!

What does 'Maydan' mean?
Pronounced "my-dahn," "may-dahn," or "mi-dan," this word has roots in a number of languages. It's been crossing borders for generations from Tangier to Tehran, Beirut to Batumi. It means “gathering place” or “square," often in the middle of a city. The word originates in Arabic, but translates to Hindi, Urdu, Persian, Ukrainian, and even Latin. It's one of the many ways can see differences, but in the end we're all the same.

Is it possible to eat dinner at the bar?
It is! Personally, we love eating dinner at bars when we go to restaurants, so we’ve made it possible for you to eat at ours. It's just alongside the hearth, so you will be right in midst of all the action.

Our bar offers the full dinner menu and the seats are first available.

Directions
We’re located at 1346 Florida Ave NW, just off of 14th Street NW on Florida Avenue. You’ll see a few of our neighbors (La Colombe and Franklin Hall), and you’ll make a right down the alleyway, going underneath the bridge and past the WeWork entrance. Yes, it doesn’t really look like you’re going the right direction, but you are—we promise!

The closest Metro station is the U Street/Cardozo Metro on the Green Line. Exit the Metro station at 13th and U, and follow U Street until you make it to 14th Street. Make a right and walk north on 14th Street for three blocks until you arrive at Florida Avenue, and make another right. Continue to proceed as described above.

What are my public transportation options and is parking nearby?
We are big advocates of public transportation! We recommend the Metro or any number of buses that go up and down 14th Street.

You’ll have the most parking success in the garage located on 14th Street and U Street in the Reeves Center Parking Garage (Sunday through Thursday: 6 pm-1 am; Friday through Saturday: 6 pm - 3 am). Additionally, there is metered parking on 14th Street.

RAMMY winning restaurant in Washington, DC

Reviewed in the Washington Post

Brand redesign, social media strategy, website content, photography, blog, event planning

compassrosedc.com

Over the course of two years, I built out the Compass Rose brand online through website and logo redesigns and directing the social media strategy, including content for all social media platforms as well as photography and other visuals.

Website copy

About us
Getting blissfully lost in crowded markets. Smelling fresh ingredients and wet concrete. Walking through streams of sunlight filtered through brightly colored canopies. Hearing familiar sounding words, yet completely unplaceable. Smiling and laughing—with everyone. Haggling over prices as you relish the still new feeling of foreign coins in your hand. Buying goods, and having great moments. Sharing stories, and living your story.

Your exploration rewards you with the most delicious thing you’ve ever had the privilege—and the courage—to taste.

At Compass Rose, we live for those moments, every time. And we hope to give them to you, transporting you to new destinations from within your neighborhood.

We pride ourselves on being what we call “armchair tasters”, which is our take on the “armchair traveler”—a genre of literature and movies that takes you on a trip to an exotic locale without leaving the comfort of your own home. So while it’s great to travel around the world, we understand that’s not always possible; instead of waiting for the smells and tastes on a great trip, we’ll bring them to you—in a cozy row home right in your own neighborhood.

When we welcome you into our restaurant, we hope you’ll savor our selection of international street food alongside handcrafted cocktails, some quirky beers, and exotic wines. We’re a place for friends and neighbors to come together and feel at home while sending your taste buds out to travel the world.

Rose Previte, our owner, created Compass Rose after living abroad and traveling the world with her husband from 2009-2012. She visited more than 30 countries during this period, giving her an amazing breadth of knowledge and passion for food and culture. When Rose returned to Washington, DC in 2012, she wanted to share those discoveries with everyone. Given her background working for her mother’s catering business, making sausages with her dad in rural Ohio, eating a lot of good—really good— food, it was only a matter of time (and a few passport stamps) for our local tavern to be born.

Not all who wander are lost.

Location and Travel Tips
Like any great stall in a market, we know we’re sometimes hard to find. But once you know where we are, it’s hard to imagine how we manage to stay hidden in such plain sight. If you’re looking and can’t seem to locate us, we’re in a brick row home right on T St NW between 13th St and 14th St.

The closest Metro is the U Street/Cardozo stop on the Green/Yellow line. Once there, take the exit to 13th St.

If you’ve come to us via a car, Toboggan (Portugal), Tanga (Pakistan), Boda-Boda (Uganda), Habal-Habal (Philippines), Coco Taxi (Cuba), Tuk-Tuk (Thailand), or Cylco (Vietnam), we unfortunately don’t provide valet service. However, there are plenty of options for street parking on and around 14th Street to park your preferred mode of transportation. Around the corner from us is a parking lot at 1740 14th St NW, as well as the Colonial Parking Garage at 2125 14th St NW.

Visa Guidelines and Passport Stamps
Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans—at least that’s what we’ve heard. We want you, our neighbors, to be able to decide on any given night to come in and toast your wins and share your sorrows. Because of this, we do not take reservations for our main dining room—we are walk-in only. First come, first-served. Unfortunately, we cannot hold the plane for a delayed friend. We can only seat complete parties due to our intimate restaurant setting.

Bedouin Tent

Compass Rose owner Rose Previte went on a crazy Sahara Desert trip while in college and slept in a Bedouin Tent, rode camels, and went to amazing markets. When she looked at the under-utilized back patio of Compass Rose she knew it had to be covered to be used all year round. So why not make it a North African-style tent? It is an homage to the covered markets that inspire both the design and menu of Compass Rose as well as a reminder of a life changing trip that set the stage for a lifelong love of travel.

How many people can attend?

Reservations are for 6-8 people. When we call to confirm your reservation, the quoted number of attendees is final as we need to prepare the kitchen accordingly.

How much does it cost?

The fixed price for food is $75 per person, excluding tax and gratuity.

We offer a drink pairing package for an additional $40 per person, or drinks may be ordered a la carte.

What if I have to cancel?

We understand that life happens while you’re busy making other plans, which is why we have a cancellation policy of 72 hours prior to your reservation. In the event of a cancellation, please follow the instructions within the original confirmation email.

Can I make special requests for particular diet restrictions?

We are flexible and able to accommodate most dietary restrictions. You’ll work with your server to create a menu that works best for you.

Can I see a menu?

We don’t post the menu as it changes regularly depending on what we have on the main menu. But rest assured, you’ll be getting our very best.

What if I have additional questions?

You can call us with questions but you have to make the reservation here! Or, you can always drop us a line via email.

How do I reserve my table?

New reservations are available each Monday at noon. Our calendar releases four weeks at a time and you can reserve your table online by clicking here.

In 2018, I took over the Daikaya Group social media handles, which include Daikaya, Bantam King, and Haikan. All restaurants feature ramen with custom-made noodles flown in from Japan, and each has its own unique take on ramen.

Zagat-rated and RAMMY winning restaurant in Washington, DC

Social media strategy, photography, graphic design

Haikan specializes in Sapporo-style ramen from the Showa period, the golden age of ramen in Japan, and also features a playful selection of Japanese-inspired kozara (small plates). Haikan means “pipe works” in Japanese, an ode to Atlantic Plumbing Building where it's housed in DC's eclectic Shaw neighborhood.

Zagat-rated and RAMMY winning restaurant in Washington, DC

Social media strategy, photography, graphic design

Bantam King specializes in chicken-based ramen (a joy of joys). Unlike many ramen styles in Japan, it is not based on a specific location, but is considered an authentic style of ramen. Bantam King also features fried chicken and innovative accompaniments. It's housed in a former Burger King near Daikaya.

Zagat-rated and RAMMY winning restaurant in Washington, DC

Social media strategy, photography, graphic design

Located in the heart of Chinatown in Washington, DC, Daikaya is home to a popular Sapporo-style ramen bar on its ground floor and an experimental and casual izakaya upstairs serving Japanese comfort food to accompany a spectacular selection of bar offerings, including an exclusive shochu and sake selection.

In 2018, I took over the Q by Peter Chang social media handle, the flagship restaurant of famed Chinese chef Peter Chang. In 2019, I was on the opening team for the sister restaurant Mama Chang, where I started the social media accounts.

Social media strategy, photography, graphic design

Located in Bethesda, Maryland, 'Q', which stands for 'Qijian', means 'flagship' in Chinese. Q is Chef Peter's largest restaurant in his empire, dedicated to Szechuan and Hunan cuisine.

Chef Peter Chang and his restaurants have been featured in national and international outlets, including The Washington Post, Eater DC, The New York Times, The New Yorker, CCTV (Central China TV), and Sinovision.

Social media strategy, graphic design

Located in Fairfax, Virginia, Mama Chang celebrates the extensive culinary contributions of the Chang women. The menus place a heavy emphasis on Hunan, Szechuan, Hubei, and home-style Chinese cooking and recipes, many of which have remained in the Chang family for generations.

Michelin-starred and James Beard-nominated restaurant in Washington, DC

Bon Appétit No 2. 'Hot Ten' in 2018, GQ's Best New Restaurants in America in 2018, Food & Wine Restaurants of the Year in 2018

Visual identity and website development in collaboration with topo-graphic

Brand development, social media strategy, website copy

maydandc.com

Beginning in 2017, I opened, branded, and built the social media followings for Maydan, the second project from the Compass Rose team. This project focused on storytelling through food and travel through the Middle East and the Caucasus.

"The mist of familiarity obscures from us the wonder of our being." - P. B. Shelley

I live in hues of red and blue, in tannins and textures.

Below are a few of my favorite moments from my travels, local or otherwise. A bitter Negroni pairs perfectly with cherry blossoms. Shadows on the Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal echo the raking light on a bronzed bust in Liberty of London. A bouquet of flowers in the Republic of Georgia is the perfect antidote to any rainy day, as is a field of sunflowers full of laughing family. And of course, cheesy khachapuri makes all memories better.

RAMMY winning restaurant in Washington, DC

Reviewed in the Washington Post

Brand redesign, social media strategy, website content, photography, blog, event planning

compassrosedc.com

Over the course of two years, I built out the Compass Rose brand online through website and logo redesigns and directing the social media strategy, including content for all social media platforms as well as photography and other visuals.