On my birthday, Amy surprised me by taking me to Michel Richard Citronelle. I know -- it's quite a present isn't it? I'm going to atttempt to give you a good picture of the entire experience through my writing, although it will be challenging to express what was going through my mind while all that exited my mouth was a lot of oohs and ahs throughout the night.

If you've never been to Citronelle before (and just so you know, before my birthday, I'd never been either), you basically have two choices for dinner: the eight-course tasting menu and the three-course tasting menu. The eight-course tasting menu is a set menu (called the Promenade Gourmande) -- you get all eight dishes and there's no substituting, although I'm sure they would if you had a food allergy or something.

The portions are very reasonably sized and well spaced. With the three-course tasting menu, there are many dishes to choose from for each course, but you only get three of them: an appetizer, entree, and dessert. We decided to throw all caution to the wind and ordered the eight course tasting menu which was $150 per person -- plus ordering the wine pairing for myself for an additional $80.

To start, service is perfect -- no question -- it was probably the best service I've ever received. The waiters are friendly and conversational. The manager comes around to check on every single table and I found no evidence of snooty service like I've read on chats or user reviews on The Post. The only problem I experienced was that the wine tasting wasn't consistently poured before the next course came out -- OH THE HORROR!

Our table had a view of the kitchen, which is open for most to see. Inside, we could see the chefs (Michel Richard was sadly missing) who all moved with the efficiency and grace of synchronized swimmers. Each had their own job they were performing whether it be plating a certain dish or preparing the dorade. The kitchen was spotless - I could've eaten off the floor.

The night we were there the menu looked like this:

Amuse Bouche with egg surprise, mushroom cigar, haricot vert tartar
Asparagus Vichyssoise, served cold
Foie Gras with red onion pickles
Dorade Royale with roasted, fingerling potatoes & leeks, black bean sauce
Lobster Medallion with citronelle sauce, japanese eggplant
Squab served three ways
Imported Cheese Selection
Raspberry Vacherin
Chocolate served three ways

I'll concentrate on describing to you the dishes that put me in gastronomic extacy.

First, the foie gras...The foie gras was seared with pickled red onions, beets, and beet sauce (I think it was beet sauce) and had to be the most delicious morsel of food I've ever eaten. I've eaten other foie gras, and this, in my humble opinion, is the optimal way it should be served. I prolonged this course as long as possible, taking small delicate bites and mixing each with a tiny amounts of the pickled red onions, all along trying to avoid the inevitable conclusion that the final bite would come. Cooked to perfection, as you cut into the foie gras with your fork, the slightly pink juices from the liver would run out onto the plate and you could see the fat-engorged flesh of the foie gras -- it was literally bursting with flavor. The texture was soft and melted as it touched my tongue -- no chewing was needed.

If the only dish of the night had been the foie gras, then I would have been satisfied, but the list continues. The "squab three ways" was probably my second-favorite dish. What is squab you ask? From the Epicurious Food Dictionary, squab is:

"a young (about 4 weeks old) domesticated pigeon that has never flown and is therefore extremely tender."

The squab steak was the whole breast, filleted and grilled, which gave it the appearance of being steak-like. However, it didn't taste anything like a steak. Since squab is a game bird, the meat is fairly dense -- I found it to have a mild flavor like a cornish game hen.

The second form that the squab took was a very simple crispy wing which didn't have an abundance of meat on it, but was good nonetheless. The skin was extra crispy and the meat was so tender you just sucked it right off the skinny bone.

By far the best part of the squab dish, though, was the homemade sausage with squab, foie gras, squab foie gras, and mushrooms. The perfume of it was like the most aromatic liver pate ever -- nutty and peppery. If the portion of this were larger and made up a whole dish, I would have had a hard time determining what was better: this or the seared foie gras.

The amuse bouche (French for amuse the mouth and defined as "A small bite before the meal begins". Thanks Amuse Bouche for the definition.) was an egg surprise, mushroom cigar, and haricot vert tartar. The word that came to mind when it was first brought to the table was "dainty." These three tiny portions of food were very colorful and all delicately arranged on a single plate. The egg surprise was actually tomato and mozzarella -- it looked like a sliced hard boiled egg, and it was served with tomato gelee and basil oil. The ingredients came all thoughtfully arranged on a spoon for ease of eating. Melts in the mouth.

The mushroom cigar literally looked like a cigar, but sure didn't smell like one. If you're a mushroom lover like me, this is for you. The center is filled with cooked, pureed mushrooms; the wrapping made with fillo dough; and served with ginger sauce. This one wasn't so colorful, but what was lost in the visual senses was gained back in the flavor. The strong, pungent flavor of the mushrooms was well-matched by the silky ginger sauce.

The rest of the dishes were all excellent, but not mind-blowingly so. As far as desserts go, the chocolate three ways was probably some of the best chocolate desserts I've ever had. The cheeses were...well, they were cheeses. I've had better, but I imagine if we could've allowed them to bring out raw milk cheeses, that they would've been better.

I shouldn't leave out the wine pairing, which was six half glasses of wine to go with the eight courses.  Each was paired perfectly with the course it went with. At one point, they brought out a sweet Spanish dessert wine to go with one of my courses (I forget which one), which puzzled me, but once I drank it with the food, it made complete sense. The right wine always makes good food even better.

Now the bad part, the check: Two tasting menus at $150 each, the wine pairing at $80, and two bottles of water for $7 each. It all came to $433 after tax. Cough. Clear throught. Try to keep composure. After the 20% tip -- $520. This meal was at least twice as expensive as any we've had before.

Was it twice as good? The answer is a very simple, "No." The 7-course tasting menu at Komi comes to mind where we both had the wine tasting and probably remains to this day the best meal we've ever eaten, was only $250 (and I think I'm overestimating). I think if I were going to go back to Citronelle, I wouldn't get the 8-course tasting menu. I'd probably get the 3 course tasting menu, order the Foie Gras, the Squab, and Chocolate Three Ways, and a good bottle of wine. Of course the menu changes quite often, so those dishes might not be on the menu anymore, but you get the picture.

Michel Richard Citronelle
3000 M Street NW
Washington, DC
(202) 625-2150 Map

Hours:
Breakfast in Lounge
Daily 6:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Dinner
Monday - Thursday 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Friday - Saturday 6:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sunday 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m

Lunch
Served Monday through Friday

Dress Code: Dressy. Jackets required for men. Business attire required for lunch.
Smoking: No clue. Probably allowed in the lounge.
Closest Metro: Foggy Bottom
Parking: Valet parking for $10. Parking on the street is difficult in Georgetown.
Reservations: Taken and recommended.
Amy's Bathroom Rating: Very Clean and Immaculate.

On Thursday night, after returning home from work, I came to the ghastly conclusion that there was absolutely nothing in our kitchen to cook for dinner. Rather than go down the street to the Usual Suspects (2 Amys, Cafe Ole, Cafe Deluxe, etc.), Amy and I decided that we needed a change of pace. The plan was to go down to Glover Park (or North Georgetown if you like) and go to either the wine bar at Bistrot Lepic or Cafe Divan for a quick dinner and then hit the grocery store afterward.

Upon arriving in Glover Park and parking easily on the wide-open 34th Street behind Cafe Divan, we decided to go with French food rather than Turkish. Besides, we had just been to Cafe Divan a couple weekends ago, when my parents had visited, and it's been forever since we've had French food. Rather than dine downstairs like our last trip to Bistrot Lepic, we went up the stairs to the wine bar and where there are a bunch of cozy, short little tables. When you reach the top of the stairs, you're standing facing the small bar at the one end of the room and to your left is the small dining area. There were a few couples sitting already with a group of four people in the corner. Overall, I'd say that the entire room can seat about 25 people maximum.

One thing to keep in mind is that smoking is allowed in the wine bar, so if you are really sensitive to smoke, this place is probably not for you. However, they do have ceiling fans blowing the air around and we barely noticed that the people two tables over from us were smoking. There was only a single waitress covering the entire room and she was scurrying around trying to get people their food and drinks. There was also a runner that was bringing dishes up from the kitchen downstairs.

The full menu is available at Bistrot Lepic's wine bar as well as their "Appeteasers" menu, which has a bunch of interesting small plates that you can order when you just feel like a small salad or plate of paté with a glass of wine. The small plates all looked fairly appetizing, but the country paté sounded especially good to me. Paté and a glass of wine always makes for a good meal. (I chickened out, though. I had a perfect opportunity to try snails and conquer one of my food phobias, but I ordered the paté instead. Oh well, maybe next time I'll grow some balls.) Amy decided to get two of the small plates rather than order a whole entree -- one of the special salads which was mixed greens with goat cheese and roasted red peppers, followed by the onion tart with bacon in soft pastry. All of the appetizers sounded (and looked, from what we could see on other tables) intriguing. There was also a plethora of specials. I ended up ordering one myself -- the hangar steak with frites (pronounced freet not fright. Amy is constantly correcting me when I pronounce that word incorrectly). As far as prices go, appetizers and salads range from $7 to $14. Entrees are a bit more expensive, ranging from $17 to $27. Specials can run a little more.

The wine menu has an average number of wines available by the glass. Now that Amy isn't drinking, I'm forced to order off of the limited selection of wines available by the glass rather than order a whole bottle. Not to sound too much like an ignoramus, but ordering wine in a French restaurant can be quite intimidating, with all of those French names that I just know I'll mispronounce. I think I need to take a French language class.

We found that the wine bar seemed especially conducive to good conversation, and I'm not sure why. I don't know how long it was until the food came out -- it didn't seem like we waited very long, maybe it was because I was enjoying the atmosphere and good conversation with Amy. My paté came with a very fresh side salad with a light but tasty vinaigrette. The paté was a country paté with a prune and armagnac filling. I wouldn't say it was worlds better than other patés I've had, but overall I was pretty satisfied with the dish I'd chickened out with. At first Amy wasn't so happy with her mixed green salad, but as she ate it, she grew increasingly fond of it.

Our second course came out not too long after we were done with our first. My steak, which I had ordered medium-rare, was more on the very rare side, but I didn't mind -- I'd rather my steak was undercooked than overcooked. The hangar steak was very lean and tender. On the side was a  mixture of dijon mustard and very finely sliced onions that complimented the steak very well. Like the paté, the steak came with a salad on the side. It was a nice palate cleanser when I was done eating the steak and gave me a more satisfied feeling than if I'd eaten a side of mashed potatoes. I didn't get a chance to try Amy's onion tart, and quite honestly, I was really surprised that Amy ordered an onion tart. I mean, ever since she's been pregnant, she's hasn't been able to go near onions.

I wasn't especially hungry when we were done with our second course,but the desserts sounded so good that we couldn't help but order some.  Amy went with the almond tarte and I, like last time, went with the pear tarte. I'm such a sucker for pears. I think the one of the reasons I've started gaining so much weight since Amy's been pregnant is because she won't share a dessert with me. Oh well, I'll lose the weight when I have to chase around a little 2-year-old all day. I didn't get a chance to try Amy's almond tarte, because I was too enthralled in my pear tarte. Do you get that I thought it was scrumptious? Amy wasn't too happy with her almond tarte and she wished she had ordered the chocolate tarte.

I'm not sure why I was expecting something else, but the check came to close to $120 -- not your average mid-week night out. What was meant to be a quick dinner out before hitting the grocery store ended up being an expensive 2-hour dinner -- and we never got to the grocery store. Mission un-accomplished.

Bistrot Lepic
1736 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Washington, DC
(202) 333-0111
Map

Lunch:
Tue-Sun 11:30 am-2:30 pm
Dinner:
Tue-Thu 5-10 pm
Fri-Sat 5-10:30 pm
Sun 5-9:30 pm
Closed Mondays.

Dress Code: Casual for the Wine Bar and business casual for the regular restaurant downstairs
Parking: none. Park at 34th and Wisconsin, there is usually parking down 34th St.
Reservations: Taken and recommended for the regular restaurant. Wine bar is first-come first-serve.
Smoking: Allowed in the wine bar
Nearest Metro: It's a very long walk from the nearest metro at Foggy Bottom. Take a cab or drive. The Pennsylvania Ave. bus line (bus numbers 30, 32, 34, 35, 36) will get you there too.
Amy's Bathroom Report: They are clean and kept respectable, plus you get to check out the wine cellar nearby.

Saturday night, Amy and I were trying to decide where to go for dinner. We suddenly realized that we have not been to Taj of India in Georgetown in a while. It had actually been over a month. Amy wanted Indian food and we were going to see The Terminal at the theater in Georgetown, so it was a perfect choice. Either they were having a really rough night, or the restaurant has just gone down hill. First of all, the staff was completely different from the past times we went to Taj. The old staff used to recognize us when we came by, but the new staff was obviously new and barely trained. I think this included the cook. The tandoori paneer appetizer we ordered too forever to come and was burnt. The cook had obviously left it in the oven way too long. For an entree, I ordered the chicken tikka makhani. For those of you who don't know, chicken tikka is pieces of boneless chicken cooked in the tandoor. It too was overcooked. Luckily, it was edible cause it was drenched in sauce. I don't think this will be the last time we go to Taj of India, but if we have another similiar experience, I doubt we'll be returning.

Five Guys is now in Largo!!! I've been waiting for this day for a while now. I used to work in Old-Town Alexandra and we would go to the Five Guys there all the time. Luckily, Magic Johnson is investing in PG County and we have the Largo Town Center. When I saw that Five Guys was moving in, I was sooooo excited. The people I work with even pulled an early April fools joke last week, telling me that Five Guys was open before it had actually opened. I had already eaten lunch, and I still almost grabbed my Jacket and ran out to get one of their burgers.

So what is so good about Five Guys burgers you ask? THE BEEF. I know this is not a good picture, but it is like the butcher is in the back room. FRESH, FRESH, FRESH.

Taj of India
Indian food is my cuisine of choice. I could eat it every day and lucky for me, I live in one of the best cities in the US for it (not that I travel much). When I saw that a new Indian Restaurant had come to Georgetown, I had to try it.   

Before I tell you about Taj, let me just say that Aditi used to be my favorite place to eat Indian in Georgetown. However, ever since they expanded their first floor, the restaurant has been very hit or miss. Why? Who knows? Maybe the best people on their staff left while they were closed for construction, or maybe to help pay for the expansion they started cutting back on the quality of the ingredients. Instead of dwelling on such inquisitive nonsense, (I know that does not make sense, but I am trying to sound smart) I tend to just go somewhere else to eat.

Upon entering Taj, you are instantly greeted by a friendly face. Depending on the time of day, the dining room can be crowded or empty. I have never waited for more than 5 minutes for a table.  The décor was…eh, who gives a crap.

Each of people serving us was attentive and eager to please. This is what Taj is about – Service. I have not once left this restaurant complaining about the service.

The menu was typical for an Indian restaurant with selections of curries and tandoori dishes. One unusual dish is the Lamb Chops Masala, which the waiter recommended my first time there. Do yourself a huge favor and try this dish. The wine list is reasonable as it is at most Indian places, however, I have to say the wine list at Taj is above average. Not that I am a wine connoisseur or anything, but in my opinion, drinking white zin is a sin. (My apologies for the bad rhyming)

The one downfall of ALL Indian restaurants is the dessert selection. Sadly, this also describes Taj of India. However, it really doesn’t matter how good or bad the dessert is if you don’t have room in your stomach for it. My trips to Taj are never an exception.

To wrap up, Taj of India is a good, reliable, reasonably priced Indian Restaurant. I would not say it is the top Indian place in DC. That honor is deserved solely by Heritage India. My review of Heritage will be coming soon.

Taj of India
2809 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 965-4266
Map