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« December 2004 | Main | February 2005 »
Jan 26, 2005
All you can eat breakfast
DC has a lot of room for improvement in this area - in my opinion. So far my favorite place to get brunch is Tabard Inn. Nothing in this area comes close to the Waffle Shop in State College, PA, though. GO STATE!
Categories: Just Because
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Jan 22, 2005
Opera
Back in October, Kuna closed its doors. Everyone thought they were closed, including myself. Once everyone calmed down, the owners announced that they were simply remodeling and changing the restaurants format. Then in December, they reopened their doors as Opera.
On Christmas Eve, Amy and I decided to stop by and see if the change was for the better or worse. There weren't many customers there and the only people serving food were the owners. Talking to one of them, we found out that the change in format "...all started with a coat of paint." Then they realized that they needed new dishes and once they bought new dishes, they bought new silver, and then table clothes. After the remodeling happened, they felt it was also time to change the format of the restaurant from Italian to French.
Opera's menu is significantly different from Kuna. The pastas that used to make up the majority of the menu are gone - yes, no more penne with vodka sauce. (sob) Appetizers consist of salads and lighter items like steak tartare and country pate. Prices for appetizers range from $6 to $8. We had both the steak tartare and country pate at our last visit and they were very yummy. Nice medium sized chunks of steak tartare are served on top of potato skins. The steak is served with capers and chilies. It was nice and spicy! A "light fare" menu is also available with dishes like assorted cheeses, cured meats, and boudin noir, as well as some lighter choices like grilled asparagus and salmon tartare. Our first trip to Opera, we ordered the cured meats to start. When it comes down to it, cured meats are cured meats. However, you get the pate and garlic sausage with the cured meats, which are very good on their own. The meats were...well, meats. Cured meats, by themselves, get a bit boring after a while unless they're served with cheese. I'd recommend ordering the meats and cheeses to share with a table of four or more. Make sure you call and make a reservation if you want to go with a partner of more than four people though. There aren't many tables that can hold more than four. Our last trip to Opera, we ordered the pate on its own. It was served with fig and celery root moutarde (mustard). We enjoyed the pate much better on its own and it left us not nearly as full leading into our entrees. Dishes in the "light fare" menu range from $14 to $17.
Entrees change on the menu quite often. The last time we went to Opera, only two of the entrees remained on the menu from our first trip - the lamb chops and the pork chop, which I happened to order during our first trip. The pork chop comes with knockwurst, garlic sausage, and sauerkraut. The dish wasn't bursting with flavor but it tasted very different from any pork dish I've eaten in DC. Everything in the dish was baked together, almost as if it was a stew. The flavor of the sauerkraut was mixed with the knockwurst and the garlic sausage. The pork was tender and cooked just right - not dry, but juicy. You wont find lots of heavy, starchy side dishes served with Opera's entrees. Everything on the plate is meant to compliment and add to the flavor. Our last trip, I had a tenderloin dish served with potatoes, yams, carrots and onion. I wasn't so crazy about this dish because the way it was cooked (similar to the pork chop) kind of ruined the meat. The tenderloin was chopped up into small chunks and only a few were actually cooked medium rare the way I asked. Amy ordered a fried risotto dish that reminded us of the suppli that 2 Amys serves, only Opera's version is served with a vodka sauce (the vodka sauce returns!). It was pretty good, but in order to keep the fried risotto from getting soggy, the outside is made very crispy and ends up being a bit chewy.
This is a little off topic, but I've gotta mention it...Our last visit, there was this woman a few tables over who'd obviously had one too many glasses of wine and was talking very loud for the size of the dining room. She had ordered a dish with a thick bacon as one of its ingredients - a different version of the pork chop dish I'd ordered our first trip. Just think of someone with a nasal, Fran Drescher-esque sound to her voice saying this over and over, "I CAN"T BELIEVE HOW BIG THIS BACON IS! HAVE YOU EVER SEEN SUCH HUGE BACON?! THIS IS THE BIGGEST BACON I'VE EVER SEEN!" It was all very phallic and Amy and I and the tables around us couldn't stop giggling.
Another significant renovation occurred in the area of the bar. The tiny serving area that used to be the bar has been increased in size considerable, and now there is room to store many more liquors. The drink menu has been expanded as a result. We've found ourselves ordering a few drinks each which has made our bill more expensive than it should have been. Drink prices range from $8 to $10. The wine list is not huge, but has some good wines on it from Italy and France. There is even the Insolia which is one of our favorite wines from 2 Amys. One draw back to the new format - the free wine tastings that Kuna used to have while you waited for your table are gone.
We have yet to try the desserts at Opera and haven't seen anyone else order them either. Both visits, we were too full to eat anything else after the entrees. Just to name a few though - panna cotta, chocolate torte, and tea poached figs.
We were pretty happy with both of our trips to Opera. As I said before, both times we ordered a few drinks each which caused our bill to be over $120. The drinks alone added $45 to our bills. Overall, I'd say the menu at Opera is very reasonable, with no dish costing more than $20 (with one exception - the tenderloin I ordered at our last meal was $22).
Is Opera better than Kuna? I'd say it's all a matter of personal taste. Personally, I'd have to say it's not. I miss the pasta dishes I loved at Kuna. However, there are lots of good things about Opera like the country pate and steak tartare that are worth going back for. Plus, there are plenty of other places in DC to get good pasta.
Opera
1324 U St. NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 797-0523
Map
Dress Code: Casual
Parking: none - street parking is a rare commodity in the U Street corridor. There is no Valet either. I recommend cabbing or taking the metro. The U Street stop is a block away.
Reservations: Taken
Categories: French, Italian, Restaurant Reviews, U Street
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Jan 19, 2005
Valentines Day
OK guys, If you haven't made reservations yet...Now's the time.
I made reservations for Komi today. Sebastian answered the phone and was like, "Hey, weren't you just here?" Anyway, not that I've decided where I am going, I thought I would make a few recommendations for places I like to go to for a romantic Valentines Day dinner. Do yourself and stay away from the places doing a "special" menu.
- Komi - This is definitely my favorite restaurant in DC right now. Komi has a cool, swanky atmosphere. It's not the quietest restaurant, but the tables aren't right up close to each other, so you'll have a decent amount of privacy.
- Little Fountain Cafe - This little restaurant located in the basement of a townhome in Adams Morgan serves great food and has a quiet, romantic atmosphere. It's very reasonably priced as well.
- Palena - Even though I haven't had the best experiences there lately, I still say Palena serves great food. The atmosphere is wonderful for a romantic dinner. Price fixe three, four and five course menus can be ordered for $50, $57 and $64 per person.
Categories: Events
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Jan 17, 2005
Iron Chef America
Uh...I'm in heaven. I just ate dinner and I'm starving again thanks to TiVo and Iron Chef America. I'm watching the first episode right now and I won't be missing a single episode. I'm looking forward to seeing our very own Roberto Donna go up against Morimoto on Mar. 6. What I wouldn't give to be a judge on this show...
Categories: Just Because
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Jan 16, 2005
Jan 2005 Restaurant Week Recap
Well, it's been a great week of food. This week was gluttony at its worst for me, and my waistline and my wallet are feeling the pains of it. It was worth it though. I had some much grander ideas of what I was going to do this RW, planning to go somewhere every night. However, reality set in when I went to make reservations. I was just so hugely busy at work, I was not going to be able to go out every night. So I ONLY ended up going to Saveur on Tuesday night, Corduroy on Wednesday night, TenPehn on Friday night, and Tarbard Inn on Saturday for lunch.
I had high hopes for Tuesday night at Saveur. Their online menu had a bunch of dishes that I was very eager to try. Too bad I missed the whole thing about it being a "Sample Menu". It turned out only a few of the dishes from their menu online were actually on the menu when we went. In January, they actually do Restaurant Month. For the whole month, they are offering a RW style, 3 course dinner for $35 (although for Restaurant Week, they were actually charging the correct $30.05). The problem was the available dishes were seriouly limited. If you look at their dinner menu online now, it's actually been updated since I looked at it when I was writing my Restaurant Week post the week before. However, their dinner menu used to look more like their lunch menu. To start with, there were only two desserts and both of them were uninteresting. You had a choice between an walnut parfait and an ice cream sandwich. Granted, the ice cream sandwich was made with brownies and vanilla ice cream, but seriously, those two desserts weren't the most appetizing I've ever heard. They were out of the ice cream sandwich anyway, so I reluctantly had the walnut parfait. The one notable item in the Saveur experience, was the special appetizer I had -- sliced kangaroo loin. It was pefectly cooked medium rare and tender. Some of my slices had this one band of fat going right though them, but it was easy to eat around. There was this sauce the kangaroo was served with that I swore was based on Heinz 57 sauce. Either way though, it tasted great. Overall, Amy got the short straw in this meal. Her sea scallop taco salad was odd -- combining the flavors of bacon wrapped sea scallops with a sweet raspberry vinagrette. They just didn't go. The scallops were good, but she just ended up eating them on their own. For an entree she had the black angus filet. It was either a bad cut of meat, or it was not a real filet mignon. It was cooked medium rare like she asked, but there was just a lot of fat in the steak. I had the braised lamb shank. I thought it was pretty good, but missing something (spices, pepper, salt, anything). The meat was extremely tender and fell right off the bone when I poked it with a fork, but it didn't taste much better than something I'd made in my own crock pot at home.
Corduroy was awesome as expected. Their full regular menu was available (not the same menu as they have online, but their menu changes all the time, and they had comparable dishes available) with some upcharges on certain more expensive items like the lobster salad or the strip loin steak. The service was impeccable in my opinion. We waited just a little more than usual for our check, but I would rather wait for my check than be rushed out. Given how busy Corduroy was, I thought the whole staff did a great job. Our waiter was very knowledgeable. I pretty much gave my decision-making over to him since I was incapable of making one. He was also well-trained on the wine menu and was able to recommend a Pinot Noir to go with my scallops and Amy's strip loin. Amy ordered a "Buffalo Mozzarella Porcupine" -- piece of fresh mozzarella slightly warmed, served with crispy stings of a fried tempura-like batter and several sauces. It didn't sound nearly as incredible on the menu as it ended up tasting. The parmesan cauliflower soup I ordered tasted a little bland to me, but Amy thought it was better than I thought. I merely added some salt and pepper to it which made up for the lack of flavor. Entrees were even better than the first course. Amy's strip loin was perfectly cooked and a wonderful cut of meat. One of the better steaks she's had in a while, "but not the best", as she said. The best thing about her entree though, was not the steak, as much as the little 2"x2" square of scalloped potatoes it was served with. It's the little things that count. In a rare occurance that only happens when the moons of Venus and Saturn line up, Amy actually finished her entree, leaving only a single, leftover bite for me. My scallops were perfect as well. There we no little crunches which I always fear I'll find. There were only four of them, but they tasted great. Served over mashed sweet potatoes and garlic butter, the combination of the three went well together. Desserts didn't disappoint either. Amy had a vanilla creme brulee which was a little to soft for her taste, but I thought it was perfect. I ordered a warm chocolate tarte with vanilla ice cream that tasted like the inside of a chocolate volcano cake.
I wasn't all that impressed with our meal at TenPenh. I mean, everything was pretty good, but nothing really blew me away. We went with our friends Mike and Jen, so we still had a really good time. Drinks from their drink menu were interesting, but expensive, all running at about $9 or more. I had a saketini which came with a baby octopus in it. Do yourself a favor and don't try to eat it. Tenpehn's attempts at Asian fusion are valiant. The fried pickled ginger panko crusted tuna I had for my entree was okay. I like my tuna extremely rare - practically cold in the middle. And it's tough to do so when you have to brown the outside crusting. One who likes their tuna a little closer to medium rare would probably love this dish. Mike and Amy ordered the Chinese Style Smoked Lobster which sounded better in theory than reality. The lobster is smoked, boiled, and then stir fried with crispy fried spinach and vegetables. The result -- a slightly overcooked lobster. Jen ordered the crispy whole fish, which we all ended up wishing we'd ordered. Served with a tamarind dipping sauce, it tasted so good on it's own that you didn't really need the dipping sauce. Desserts weren't eactly memorable -- at least in my opinion. I had a ginger cake that tasted like your average carrot cake. I love carrot cake so that was good, but I kind of expected something else. Amy and Jen had a coffee tarte with cardamon ice cream and a mini cup of hot chocolate. They all agreed that the ice cream and hot chocolate were wonderful, overshadowing the coffee tarte. Not to be forgotten is the feng shui martini which was made with vodka and ice wine garnished with frozen grapes. It was very strong, but at $11.95, kind of expensive. Amy and Jen ordered a couple and really enjoyed them. At that price, I'd rather had some straight Grey Goose or Belvedere.
The morning after our night out with Mike and Jen, we decided to go to Tabard Inn. Do yourself a favor and don't try to drive and find a parking spot in that neighborhood like we did. It's a short walk from the Dupont Circle metro. We spent forever trying to find a parking spot in that neighborhood. The restaurant at the Tabard Inn is not very large. It's in a small room in the rear of the first floor of the inn. There were no tables available, so we just sat at the bar. (If you want to sit at a table, I suggest that you make a reservation. ESPECIALLY FOR BRUNCH. Not to give away the rest of this review, but we liked our meal so much at Tabard Inn that we tried to return again today (Sunday) for their brunch. I called at 9 AM to make a reservation, and they were completely booked.) The full menu wasn't available, but you had plenty of choices. I tried a new beer - Sam Smith's Organic Lager. Very good. For appetizers, we both ended up ordering a fresh mozzarella salad that was fantastic. It was made with slices of fresh mozzarella served with basil, kalamata olive confit, olive oil, and marinated roasted red peppers. Mmmmm. It was heaven. I love a good fresh mozzarella salad!
It was hard to believe it, but the entrees we ordered were even better. I was in the mood for hangover food so I ordered the poached eggs with ham, home fries and hollandaise sauce over a muffin. I know in Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain says he never orders hollandaise sauce at a restaurant because it's a hot bed for bacteria, but Anthony, it's worth ordering at Tabard Inn. Amy ordered a tart with leeks, roasted peppers, potatoes, chives, fontina cheese and spinach. She thoroughly enjoyed it. When I tasted it, I thought it was very good as well. It was a very popular choice since shortly after Amy ordered, it was 86ed. Desserts were pretty good. I had a white chocolate tangerine cheese cake with raspberry creme frache. It was a little too sweet for my taste. The raspberry frache overpowered the rest of the dessert. Amy liked her vanilla creme brulee better than the same dish at Corduroy. We hung out at the bar for a little while after our meal was over and talked with the bartender who was very friendly.
Overall, what was my favorite meal?
Well, it was a close tie between Corduroy and Tabard Inn.
Categories: DC Restaurant Week
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Jan 09, 2005
Top 5 Meals - December
This month was tough again. Some of the restaurants that I expected to make the list, turned out not to be so great, and others were better than I expected.
1) Komi - As a commenter said -- KOMI ROCKS!! I couldn't have said it any better. Our recent meal there was one of the best we've eaten in a long time.
2) Heritage India (Dupont) - A meal composed entirely of appetizers shouldn't be so good.
3) Ceiba - Ceiba continued so satisfy us this month at Amy's birthday dinner.
4) Tallula - My trip to this promising new restaurant with Jen and Mike was a really fun night.
5) 2 Amys - It's hard for me not to put this place on my top 5 list. Make sure you order the Rabbit or mozzarella from the Bar Menu. Scott, at the bar, will thank you.
Categories: Top 5
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Jan 05, 2005
De-Lurking Day
Ok. Today is De-Lurking Day in the blog world. For those of you unfamiliar with that, it is the day in the blogging work where we give lurkers out there the chance to finally leave a comment and out themselves. Now, I check my stats and I know there are people who read this site all the time, but there are not nearly enough comments to represent this. So go ahead - leave a comment. Tell me what your favorite restaurant is, a really good meal you've have in the last couple weeks, or just say hi. It's ok, I won't bite. ;)
Categories: Just Because
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Jan 01, 2005
Restaurant Week - The Master List
Click for the most recent DC Restaurant Week Info
I've been doing some research to see what restaurants are doing for Restaurant Week (Jan. 10 - 16). I'll be posting my picks for Restaurant Week here soon as well, once I am done calling all of the places. In the mean time, you can continue reading to see what I've gathered so far. Check back here for daily updates.
Update: It's Sunday, and most places I've called still don't know what they are doing for Restaurant Week. I updated the listings for Bombay Club, Clyde's, Oceanaire Seafood Room, Vidalia and the Federalist. A majority of places are saying they wont know until tomorrow, so expect to see a lot of updates then.
Update: I updated Ristorante Tosca, Ceiba, DC Coast, and TenPehn. All of them will be excellent deals with pretty much their full menus available. I'd go back to Ceiba alone for their black bean soup. I also updated Yanyu, who is doing their usual special Restaurant Week tasting menu, as well as Sesto Senso. Taberna del Alabardero, Saveur, Sea Catch, Zola, Lavandou, Kaz, Heritage India, Caucus Room, and Primi Piatti also have updates.
Update: Well, It's Tuesday and I received a few updates from restaurants, but not many. I guess they don't want the free advertising ;). I've updated Sam and Harry's, Ella's Wood Fired Pizza, Georgia Brown's, FIN, Heritage India and Finemondo today. I don't know about you guys, but Colvin Run Tavern's menu sounds excellent to me. I also updated Pallete thanks to rbh at eGullet.
Update: OK . I'm ready to give my recs. I've received all the info I'm going to and I'm ready to move on to a new article. So here they are -- one for every day.
1) Ceiba - Last Restaurant Week, Amy and I had a great time at Ceiba. I think all of you will as well. Make sure someone at your table orders the black bean soup!
2) Ristorante Tosca - I plan to go here myself. Their full menu is available and you can't get much better than that during Restaurant Week.
3) Saveur - Another place I plan to visit. Like Tosca, they will have their full menu available. Try some if these dishes on for size: Sauteed Scallops wrapped in Serano Ham, Mozzarella with Asian Pear, or Three Ducks (Roasted Hudson Valley Duck Breast, Duck Leg Confit and Duck Foie Gras). On Tuesday they have half-priced wine or you can bring your own bottle with no corkage fee. After eating at Saveur tonight, I withdraw my rec. Saveur does not have it's full menu available. They have a different menu through this entire month. Some of the dishes are available, but it's not nearly as large as it usually is. There were only two desserts available (and they were out of one) and neither of them were terribly appetizing. I don't like being misled.
4) Spezie - Even though I didn't get a response from Enzo...I'm sure Spezie's offering will be excellent no matter what they have on the menu.
5) Colvin Run Tavern - I've never been to Colvin Run Tavern, and I don't know many people that have, but their menu looks just too good to pass up.
6) Corduroy - With their full menu available, I'm sure going to try to get a reservation. Hopefully there are still some available next week.
7) I Ricchi - I think it's about time I tried this place. Plus, anyone who serves a chocolate pear tarte is alright with me. I just hope they are serving it the day I go.
Make sure you call and make a reservation, as the more popular places will fill up fairly quick. Also, be sure to tell the restaurant that you are making a reservation for Restaurant Week as well. This not only helps the restaurant but it confirms for you that they are actually participating.
15 Ria
Lunch and Dinner
15Ria
wont have their full menu available for Restaurant Week diners. Instead
they are offering a 3 course meal with an appetizer, entree, and
dessert course. You'll have a choice of 3 or 4 dishes in each course.
The actual dishes were unknown at the time I called.
The Washington Terrace Hotel
1515 Rhode Island Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.742.0015
701 Restaurant
Lunch and Dinner
701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
202.393.0701
1789
Dinner only
1789's full menu will be available according to the host. (I'm going to call back to confirm this, because quite honestly, I just don't believe it.) Confirmed. Full menu is available.
1226 36th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.965.1789
Andale
Lunch and Dinner
401 7th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.783.3133
American Sea Grill
Lunch and Dinner
American Sea Grill will have their full menu available, with some
limitations. Diners will have their choice of soup or salad, any entree
under $20, and ice cream for dessert.
Loews L'Enfant Plaza
480 L'Enfant Plaza, SW
Washington, DC
202.646.4433
Aquarelle
Lunch and Dinner
The Watergate Hotel
2650 Virginia Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.298.4455
Ardeo
Dinner only
3311 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
202.244.6750
Aria Trattoria
Lunch and Dinner
1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.312.1250
Bangkok Joe's
Lunch and Dinner
3000 K Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.333.4422
Bistro Bis
Lunch and Dinner
Like it's sister restaurant, Vidalia, Bistro Bis also has a very extensive menu for Restaurant Week. See their menus below:
Dinner Menu
Lunch Menu
Brunch Menu
Hotel George
15 E Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.661.2700
Bistro Bistro
Lunch and Dinner
Bistro Bistro will have a 3 course meal, with limited choices from the menu. They don't know yet what the actual dishes will be.
4021 28th Street
Arlington, VA
703.379.0300
Blackie's
Lunch and Dinner
For Restaurant Week, Blackie's will be having a limited selection from their regular menu. There are no specifics yet on what the choices
will be.
4017 22nd Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.333.1100
The Bombay Club
Lunch and Dinner
Bombay Club will be having a special 3 course menu for Restaurant Week diners including and appetizer, entree, and dessert. A choice of 4 or 5 dishes will be available for each course.
815 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
202.659.3727
Brasserie Les Halles
Lunch and Dinner
Offering a three-course limited selection off of the regular menu with an appetizer, main
course and dessert. Appetizer selections will be cabbage soup w. mixed
vegetables or chicken liver salad. For entrees you have a choice of
stuffed chicken breast or salmon, and for dessert, a choice of rum baba
(a mini pie which the host exclaimed was exceptional) with whipped cream or warm apple crisp.
1201 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.347.6848
Butterfield 9
Lunch and Dinner
600 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.289.8810
Café Atlantico
Lunch and DinnerThe hostess at Cafe Atlantico stated that they aren't actually participating in Restaurant Week despite
being listed on the Restaurant Week web page. A contact at Cafe Atlantico emailed me today. It turnes out that they ARE actually participating in Restaurant Week. No menu yet.
405 8th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.393.0812
Café Mozu
Lunch and Dinner
Mandarin Oriental Hotel
1330 Maryland Ave, SW
Washington, DC
202.787.6868
Café Promenade
Dinner Only
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticuit Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.347.2233
The Capital Grille
Lunch Only
601 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
202.737.6200
The Caucus Room
Lunch and Dinner, Dinner only on 15th, closed on 16th
The Caucus Room isn't giving Restaurant Week diners free reign of their menu, but there menu looks pretty damn interesting. Start with white sweet potato soup or Mediterranian chopped salad with romaine, feta cheese, kalamata olives, tomatoes and a lemon-herb vinaigrette. For your entree, you have a choice of beef medallions with potato puree and asparagus, Asian roasted pork with basmati rice and bok choy, or seared scallops with marinated tomatoes and arugula in a sweet corn sauce. For dessert you'll be able to order chocolate mouse or chestnut bread pudding. Mmmm...I love bread pudding! The Caucus Room will also have a special Manager's wine selection available for $5.05 a glass or $20.05 a bottle.
401 9th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.393.1300
Ceiba Restaurant
Lunch and Dinner
Offering a limited appetizer choice, any entree on the menu with an
upcharge on a few of the more expensive items, and a limited dessert
choice. I went to Ceiba for the first time during the last Restaurant Week with Amy and now we have dog with the same name. Do you think we liked it??
701 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.393.3983
Charlie Palmer Steak
Lunch Only
101 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
202.547.8100
Chef Geoff's
Lunch and Dinner
Chef Geoff's full menu will be available for Restaurant Week diners. Choose from any soup or salad to start, then go for any entree, and finish with any decadent dessert. There is a $5 extra charge for the NY strip.
1301 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.464.4461
3201 New Mexico Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
202.237.7800
Circle Bistro
Lunch and Dinner
One Washington Circle Hotel
One Washington Circle, NW
Washington, DC
202.293.5390
Clyde's of Georgetown
Dinner Only
Clyde's offering will consist of a house salad, ribeye steak, any dessert, and a glass of house wine.
3236 M Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.333.9180
Coeur de Lion
Lunch and Dinner
Henley Park Hotel
926 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
202.414.0500
Colvin Run Tavern
Lunch and Dinner
Bob Kinkead's Colvin Run Tavern is giving Restaurant Week diners a lot of options. Here is their menu for lunch and dinner.
Dinner:
First Course Options -- wild mushroom soup with parmesan crisp; soup of day; baby spinach salad with grilled onions, eggs, croutons and poultry liver mousse; cassoulet of venison; confit pork and wild boar sausage; madeira scented consomme with beef and parmesan filled raviolis; Maine sea scallops with clementines, preserved orange and rissole of sunchokes; salad of seckel pears, gorgonzola, walnuts and frisee; crispy Thai fried squid with green papaya salad
Main Courses Options -- barbecued brisket of beef with potato pierogis, horseradish cream and button mushrooms; roasted organic chicken with yogurt glaze, chick pea fries and preserved lemon sauce; cornmeal crusted flounder with tasso ham, artichokes, lemon and thyme; walnut crusted salmon with sherry beet sauce, cauliflower flan and parsnips; roasted pork loin with arepas, grilled tomatillo mole and poblano chile raellegno; roasted North Atlantic cod with cracker crust, lima
beans, haricot verts and sherry lobster butter
Desserts -- David's choice creme brulee; chocolate souffle cake with vanilla ice cream; housemade ice creams and sorbets; pecan tart with maple ice cream; pear crisp with caramel Ice cream; artisanal cheeses with walnut bread and quince paste
Lunch:
First Course Options -- Poached Red Wine Pear with Roquefort, Walnuts and Endive; Savory Chicken Ragout with Rosemary Biscuit; Mixed Green and Herb Salad; Seared Sea Scallops with Olives, Clementines and Basil infused Olive Oil or Another Prep; Grilled Portabella Mushroom with Polenta Cake, Cheese Fonduta, and Charred Tomato Sauce; Crispy Thai Style Squid with Green Papaya Salad
and Lime Dipping Sauce
Main Courses -- Grilled Chicken Salad with Spanish Lima Beans, Ricotta Salata, Grilled Onions,
Roasted Peppers and Pesto Sauce; Pepper and Maple cured Grilled Brisket of Beef with Potato Strudel and Green Peppercorn Sauce; Thai Green Curry and Coconut Milk Seafood Stew; Pistachio crusted Salmon with Arugula, Shaved Fennel, Clementine and Verjus Butter Sauce; Cornmeal crusted Flounder with Fried Potatoes, Sweet Garlic, Lemon and Mushrooms; Muscovy Duck Confit Salad with Braised Red Cabbage, Crumbled Blue Cheese, Beets and Apples
Desserts -- David's Choice Creme Brulee; Chocolate Souffle Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream; Housemade Ice Creams and Sorbets; Pear Crisp with Caramel Ice Cream; Warm Pecan Tart with Maple Ice Cream; Rum Raisin and Brioche Bread Pudding with Bourbon Anglaise
8045 Leesburg Pike
Vienna, VA
703.356.9500
Corduroy
Lunch and Dinner
Corduroy will have their whole menu available with sur-charges on certain items. I'm assuming it will be a choice of appetizer, entree and dessert.
1201 K Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.589.0699
David Greggory
Lunch and Dinner
2030 M Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.872.8700
DC Coast
Lunch and Dinner
Offering a limited appetizer choice, any entree on the menu with an upcharge on a few of the more expensive items, and a limited dessert choice.
1401 K Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.216.5988
Dish
Lunch and Dinner
The River Inn
974 25th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.338.8707
Ella's Wood Fired Pizza
Lunch and Dinner
Restaurant week at Ella's includes
Lunch for two for 20.05
Your choice of two of the following
Mixed Green Salad or Spinach and Escarole salad or Calamari
And any two pizzas
Dinner for two for 30.05
Your choice of two of the following
Mixed Green Salads or Spinach and Escarole salad or Calamari
And any two pizzas
And Tiramisu or House-made Ice Cream
901 F Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.638.3434
Equinox
Dinner Only
According to Tom Sietsema's chat on Wednesday, Equinox might not be participating. Make sure to check when you make your reservation...
818 Connecticut Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.331.8118
Fahrenheit
Lunch and Dinner
Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown
3100 South Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.912.4110
Federalist
Lunch and Dinner
The Federalist will be offering a 3 course menu for lunch and dinner. For lunch, they will be having crisp mixed green salad or the soup of the day for appetizers, roasted chicken breast or grilled salmon fillet with isreali couscous for entrees, and deep dish apple pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert.
For dinner, they will be serving a roma tomato and french green salad or soup for appetizers, beef tenderloin or sea bass for entrees, and deep dish applie pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert.
The Madison Hotel
1177 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.862.1600
Filomena Ristorante
Lunch and Dinner
1063 Wisconsin Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.338.8800
FIN
Lunch and Dinner
To start with you'll have a choice of country greens salad with warm chevre medallions with warm apple cider-smoked bacon dressing or puff pastry wrapped Brie with razzmopolitan drizzles, dressed micro greens and balsmic soaked grapes. Entrees for lunch and dinenr aren't the same.For lunch you'll be able to order chicken cordon bleu made with proscuitto de parma and gruyere cheese or crunchy tenkasu crusted Lake Victoria perch. You dinner entrees include Hudson Valley duck and andouille sausage cassoulet or lemon-chive encrusted tilapia with lobster studded succotash. Dessert for both lunch and dinner will be warm oat crusted winter berry cobbler with Framboise Chantilly. Their full restaurant week menu can be found here under their "events" section.
1200 19th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.530.4430
Finemondo Restaurant
Lunch and Dinner
Finemondo's lunch and dinner menus are different. For dinner, you'll begin with Octopus served with fava bean salad, flavored with a light, spicy red wine-anchovy-black olive vinaigrette, a half order of pasta stuffed with sausage served over a butter and sage sauce, or eggplant slices stuffed with mozzarella cheese and baked with tomato sauce. For your entrees, choose between pillow shaped pasta stuffed with ricotta cheese and spinach in a cream sauce, filet of salmon marinated with a black olive puree over basil sauce, roasted peppers, or spit roasted beef tenderloin served on a bed of wild mushrooms in a brandy cream and essence of white truffle sauce. Desserts will include mixed berries with balsamic vinegar and vanilla ice cream or tiramisu.
Lunch isn't quite as impressive but still sounds very good. You'll have a choice of minestrone soup and a wild mixed green salad. Your second course will give you the option of ravioli stuffed with butternut squash, amaretto cookies, served with a butter-marjoram sauce, pan roasted filet of salmon served over a roasted pepper sauce, or roasted leg of lamb served over a bed of mushrooms flavored with
prosciutto. Desserts will include hazelnut chocolate cake or Mixed berries with balsamic vinegar and vanilla ice cream.
1319 F Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.737.3100
Finn & Porter
Lunch and Dinner
Hilton Alexandria Mark Center
5000 Seminary Rd.
Alexandria, VA
703.379.2346
Georgia Brown's
Dinner OnlyAs if Monday, Georgia Brown's does not know what the menu will be for Restaurant Week. They will know Wednesday. My contact at Georgia Brown's notified me that the menu on their web site is updated. For appetizers you'll have a tough choice between Jerked Chicken Salad of Garden Greens or Ms. Brown's Soul Rolls. Options for entrees include Apple Cider & Bourbon Cured Pork Tenderloin
and Coconut Rum Shrimp. Desserts sound pretty good with a choice of Grandma's Bread Pudding or
Banana Cream Pie. For more details, look at their online menu.
950 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.393.4499
The Grill
Lunch and Dinner
Ritz.Carlton, DC
1150 22nd Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.835.0500
H20 Restaurant & Lounge
Lunch and Dinner
800 Water Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.484.6300
Harry's Tap Room
Lunch and Dinner
2800 Clarendon Blvd.
Arlington, VA
703.778.7788
Heritage India Brasserie & Lounge
Lunch and Dinner
At their Connecticut Ave. location, Heritage India will be offering a three course menu starting with three choices for an appetizer, 3 choices for an entree (most likely curry, vegetarian, and tandoori dish) with rice and bread, and finishing with dessert. OK, I received a response from Heritage via email and it's slightly more complicated than that. Here it goes...
Starters/Appetizers
Opt One
Chicken Tikka, Seekh Kebab and Pav Bhaji
Opt Two
Golgappas/Aloo Tikki/Parmesan Nan with Black Bean Hummus
Opt Three
Polenta Cake with Oriental Chicken/Bhel Puri/Samosa
Main Courses/Entree
Opt One
Mixed Tandoori Grilled Platter served with Black Lentils
Opt Two
Chicken Tikka Masala with Palak Makai and Fresh Vegetable of the day.
Opt Three
Lamb Vindaloo or Yakhani Gosht with Navrattan Korma and Fresh Vegetables of the day
ALL MAIN COURSES /ENTREES ARE SERVED WITH PILLAU RICE AND ASSORTED INDIAN BREADS
Desserts
Shahi Tukra or Kulfi or Gajjar Halva
(Rich Indian bread pudding or Indian Ice Cream or Carrot Pudding)
If I hadn't already been to Heritage India 3 times in the last month, I'd probably be going during this Restaurant Week.
1337 Connecticut Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.331.1414
i Ricchi
Lunch and Dinner
From Chris Ricchi, "We will be featuring an authentic Tuscan menu that will change
daily. Each day there will be 3 Primo Piatti (Appetizers), 3 Secondo
Piatti (Entrees) and 3 Dolci (Desserts) to choose from. Here are just some examples of what will be available:"
1220 19th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.835.0459
JR's Stockyards Inn
Lunch and Dinner
8130 Watson Street Tysons Corner
McLean, VA
703.893.3390
Kaz Sushi Bistro
Lunch and Dinner
Restaurant week diners will be limited on what they can order for lunch. You will receive miso soup and a green salad to start with. For an entry, you have the option of vegetarian or non-vegitarian sushi sampler. You will also get dessert
For dinner, you have a few more options. First you can choose any appetizer on the menu for your first course. For your entree, you can choose any sushi roll or nigeri. Also, for dessert you will have your choice of dessert.
1915 I Eye.Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.530.5500
Kinkead's
Lunch Only
2000 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.296.7700
La Chaumiere
Lunch Only
2813 M Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.338.1784
Lavandou
Lunch and Dinner
When I called Lavandou, they said they would not be deciding what the menu would be until at least Friday. (Humph) The person on the phone did say that for past Restaurant Weeks, they've had their normal menu available to Restaurant Week diners, but she was unsure if that was what they were doing this time around.
3321 Connecticut Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.966.3002
Luigino
Lunch and Dinner
1100 New York Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.371.0595
M&S Grill
Dinner Only
600 13th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.347.1500
McCormick & Schmick's
Dinner Only
1652 K Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.861.2233
901 F Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.639.9330
Melrose
Dinner Only
Park Hyatt Washington
1201 24th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.419.6755
Mendocino Grill & Wine Bar
Lunch and Dinner
2917 M Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.333.2912
The Melting Pot
Dinner Only
1220 19th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.857.0777
1110 North Glebe Rd.
Arlington, VA
703.243.4490
Mezza 9
Lunch and Dinner
Hyatt Arlington
1325 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA
703.276.8999
Mie N Yu
Lunch and Dinner
3125 M Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.333.6122
Monocle on Capitol Hill
Lunch and Dinner
107 D Street, NE
Washington, DC
202.546.4488
Morrison-Clark Inn
Dinner Only
Restaurant Week menu can be found here.
1015 L Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.898.1200
New Heights
Dinner Only
2317 Calvert Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.234.4110
Neyla
Dinner Only
3206 N Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.333.6353
Occidental Restaurant
Lunch and Dinner
1475 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.783.1475
The Oceanaire Seafood Room
Dinner Only
Oceanaire Seafood Room will be offering a limited selection from their regular menu. More details to come on the specific dishes that they'll have available.
1201 F Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.347.2277
Old Ebbitt Grill
Dinner Only
675 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.347.4801
Ortanique
Dinner Only
730 11th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.393.0775
The Oval Room
Lunch and Dinner
800 Connecticut Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.463.8700
Palette
Lunch and Dinner
Lunch:
Course One -- Tossed Field Greens Roasted Olives with Oven Cured Tomatoes and a Basil Vinaigrette; Carolina Crab Cake Cream Corn Puree with Pepper Relish; Roasted Sweet Potato Bisque with Grated Nutmeg Cream
Course Two -- Wild Mushroom Wrap Camembert Cheese with Crispy Sweet Onions, Herb Mayonette, and Eight Vegetable Slaw; Barbequed Chicken Salad with Roasted Corn, Carrots, Peppers, Tomatoes, Onions, and Cole Slaw Dressing; Seared Grouper with Baked Onion, Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Pasta
Dessert -- Roasted Pear Tart Cinnamon Ice Cream & Bourbon Carmel Sauce; Chocolate Oatmeal Stout Cake with Raspberry Lambic Anglaise and Oatmeal Snap
Dinner
Course One -- Roasted Sweet Potato Bisque with Grated Nutmeg Cream; Lump Crab Cakes with Roasted Corn Puree, Pepper Relish; Field Greens and Grilled Mushroom Salad with Truffle Honey Vinaigrette
Course Two -- Red Wine Glazed Free Range Chicken with Baked Spaghetti Squash and Roasted Fennel; Grilled Hereford Beef Flat Iron with Potato Parsnip Cake and Horseradish Butter; Seared Grouper Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Pasta with Baked Onion
Dessert -- Roasted Pear Tart Cinnamon Ice Cream & Bourbon Carmel
Sauce; Chocolate Oatmeal Stout Cake with Raspberry Lambic Anglaise and
Oatmeal Snap
The Madison Hotel
15th & M Streets, NW
Washington, DC
202.587.2700
Petits Plats
Lunch and Dinner
2653 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
202.518.0018
Potowmack Landing
Lunch and Dinner
One Marina Drive
Alexandria, VA
703.548.0001
The Prime Rib Restaurant
Lunch Only
2020 K Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.466.8811
Primi Piatti
Lunch and Dinner
Offering a four course meal featuring spaghettini with fava beans, oven dried tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil for the first course, arugula salad for the second, a choice of roasted filet of salmon with sautéed fennel and fresh orange juice sauce, grilled chicken breast with rosemary sauce and mixed vegetable, or pork scaloppini with smoked mozzarella and tomato sauce for the entree and tiramisu or peach sorbet for dessert.
2013 I Eye.Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.223.3600
Red Sage
Lunch and Dinner
For Dinner, Red Sage's full menu will be available. Choose an appetizer, entree, and dessert. For lunch, you'll have a limited three course menu.
605 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.638.4444
Restaurant Kolumbia
Lunch and Dinner
1801 K Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.331.5551
Ristorante Tosca
Lunch and Dinner
Offering their full menu as usual to restaurant week diners. It sounds like this will be quite a deal people. I'm going to have a hard time passing this one up.
1112 F Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.367.1990
Rosa Mexicano
Lunch and Dinner
575 7th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.783.5522
Sam & Harry's
Lunch Only
For lunch, Sam & Harry's will be having a set 3 course meal. You'll start with a choice between shrimp and corn chowder or a marinated fennel, watercress and Bermuda onion salad. For the entree, you'll be able to choose from medallions of beef tenderloin with oyster mushrooms, prosciutto and tomatoes topped with reggiano parmesan, braised lamb shanks with sweet potato mashed and a sage Madeira glaze, or a filet of salmon with grilled radicchio, tomato and oregano salad with a black olive vinaigrette. Finally for dessert, you have an option of mango sorbet or key lime pie.
1200 19th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.296.4333
Saveur
Lunch and Dinner
Everything that is on the Saveur's menu is open to Restaurant Week diners. You'll be able to order an appetizer, entree and a dessert. I walk past Saveur all the time on the way to GTown, stop, tell Amy how we need to try it, and then keep walking. Maybe it's about time I did.
2218 Wisconsin Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.333.5885
Sea Catch & Raw Bar
Lunch and Dinner
The host told me that Sea Catch doesn't offer their full menu and will be having a set three-course menu. They didn't know the specifics about what dishes they would be offering.
1054 31st Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.337.8855
Season's Restaurant
Lunch and Dinner
Four Seasons Hotel
2800 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.944.2000
Sesto Senso
Lunch and Dinner
Their lunch and dinner menus are the same. Appetizers will include Pasta e Fagioli (canneloni bean and penne soup) or fried calamari. For your entree, you have a choice of three dishes: homemade potato gnocchi with plum tomatoes, asparagus, basil and olive oil; seared tilapia in a pinot grigio sauce with sauteed haricot vert; sauteed pork loin scaloppini in a mushroom sauce with crispy mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. Dessert will be a choice between tiramisu and lemon sorbetto with raspberries.
1214 18th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.785.9525
Signatures Restaurant
Lunch and Dinner
801 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.628.5900
Smith & Wollensky
Lunch and Dinner
1112 19th Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.466.1100
Spezie Ristorante Italiano
Lunch and Dinner
1736 L Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.467.0777
St. Regis Restaurant
Lunch Only
St. Regis Washington
923 16th & K Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.879.6900
Sushi Ko
Lunch and Dinner
2309 Wisconsin Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.333.4187
Tabard Inn
Lunch and Dinner
1739 N Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.785.1277
Taberna del Alabardero
Lunch and Dinner
For lunch and dinner Taberna will be having a four-course meal available. A vegetarian menu will also be available.
Lunch:
1st course -- spanish chorizo; 2nd Course -- soup of the day or house salad; 3rd Course -- grilled salmon with sautéed vegetables and cantabric sauce or sautéed garlic chicken with rosemary potatoes; 4th Course -- rice pudding with cinnamon or chocolate mousse with bitter sweet orange.
Dinner:
1st Course -- chilled tomato soup; 2nd Course -- field green salad with tomatoes and creamy truffle vinaigrette or cream of smoked mushroom soup with morels; 3rd Course -- mahi-mahi with sautéed vegetables and a garlic, parsley refrito or flank steak with piquillo peppers and potato-herb puree; 4th Course -- rice pudding with cinnamon or chocolate mousse with bitter sweet orange.
Vegetarian lunch and dinner is the same as their regular dinner option except:
2nd Course -- cream of smoked mushroom soup with morels or house salad; 3rd Course -- european eggplant with vegetable ragout, manchego cheese and pepper coulis or sautéed cauliflower, with garlic, turnips and green beans.
1776 I Eye.Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.429.2200
TenPenh Restaurant
Lunch and Dinner
Offering a limited appetizer choice, any entree on the menu with an
upcharge on a few of the more expensive items, and a limited dessert
choice.
1001 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.393.4500
Tivoli Restaurant
Lunch and Dinner
1700 N. Moore St.
Rosslyn, VA
703.524.8900
Tony & Joes Seafood Place
Lunch and Dinner
3000 K Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.944.4545
Vidalia
Lunch and DinnerVidalia will have a limited selection from their menu as well as some new creations by the chef. More details to come later in the week. It looks like Vidalia will have a pretty extensive offering for Restaurant Week. Check out their menus below:
Lunch Menu
Dinner Menu
I've read reports of past "snooty" service from Vidalia during Restaurant Week - I'd like to check it out for myself.
1990 M Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.659.1990
Yanyu Restaurant
Lunch and Dinner
For lunch, Yanyu will be offering a first course of Tropical salad, vegetable dumpling, or crab wonton for appetizers, hot and sour soup or aparagus soup for the second course, and a choice of three entrees for the third course. For dinner, you'll have a choice of the same three appetizers as lunch. For the second course, you'll only be able to get the "big duck" (which you'd be stupid not to order anyway). The third course is a choice between three entrees. As usual, Yanyu's regular tasting menus will be available as well. I've been to Yanyu for past Restaurant Weeks and enjoyed it. The service is always good and the food even better.
3433 Connecticut Ave, NW
Washington, DC
202.686.6968
Zola
Lunch and Dinner
For Restaurant Week diners, Zola will have their full menu available, with a choice of appetizer, entree and dessert off the menu. (As of now. Talking with a representative from Zola, there is a slight chance they will limit the selection on the menu like past years)
800 F Street, NW
Washington, DC
202.654.0999
Categories: DC Restaurant Week
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