Washington, D.C.

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Dining in D.C.

An October 2006 trip to Washington, D.C. by Reiflame

Eating my way through Washington!

  • 19 reviews

Cafe AtlanticoBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Cafe Atlantico is another of Jose Andres' small plates restaurants (see also; Oyamel and Jaleo). And, like Oyamel and Jaleo, there are some great hits and some, well, not so great food. Their big draw is that they do a "Latino Dim Sum" brunch on weekends, which is what we went for.

The highlights:

Duck confit with passion fruit oil - The skin was crackling crispy, the duck was neither oily nor overcooked and the passion fruit oil was fruity without being too sweet

Conch fritters with a liquid center - I love conch, and these were a fun play between conch chowder and fritters. They are fried like a fritter, but with a center of conch chowder.

Jicama-avocado ravioli - light, refreshing and a fun play between the crunchy jicama and creamy avacado.

Ones to skip:

Scallops with cauliflower puree - The scallops were competently cooked, but the cauliflower puree was an oily, gross mess.

Potato & vanilla mousse with American caviar - This was just mostly tasteless

Coconut rice, crispy rice & ginger - Sort of a congee, but with less flavor.

The cocktails are well mixed, and the atmosphere is nice. The service is competant, if a little rushed.


  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Reiflame on October 31, 2008

Cafe Atlantico
405 8th Street NW Washington D.C. 20004
(202) 393-0812

ObeliskBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Obelisk is a Washington institution; surviving in a highly competitive environment for the last 20 years. Like most survivors, Obelisk has it's ups and downs, but is currently on an up swing.

The menu is simple; everyone gets a 5 course prix fixe, with 2-3 choices per course. The menu changes daily, and Obelisk does not have a website, which can be an annoyance.

The first course for us was a selection of several antipasti - fried shrimp risotto balls, liver pate with candied hazelnuts, small meatballs, and a rabbit terrine with currants. The liver pate was the standout, but all were of high quality.

As a second course, we had squash ravioli, a lentil soup with homemade sausage and homemade pasta with mushrooms. The ravioli and soup were amazing.

The third course was duck breast, striped bass with artichoke and pancetta and kobe-style beef with broccoli rabe and onions. The steak and duck were out of this world, but I found the striped bass to be lacking in flavor.

The fourth course was a small selection of different goat cheeses. A fresh and an aged cheese from Italy and one from Pennsylvania that was wonderful.

Finally, we all had a fig tart with dessert wine ice cream for dessert. I was least impressed with this; the wine ice cream was a bit sour and the fig tart was made with dried figs. Everything else was so good, that it didn't really matter.

The restaurant is tiny - only 10 tables, so make a reservation early if you want to go. The wine list, while almost entirely Italian, is reasonably priced and has some real gems on it. Service was friendly and not obtrussive.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Reiflame on October 31, 2008

Obelisk
2029 P Street North West Washington, District of Columbia 20036
(202) 872-1180

Michel Richard's CitronelleBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Citronelle reaches for lofty goals - and almost always hits them. Michel Richard is one of the brightest stars in the culinary sky, and this is his flagship restaurant.

The food is playful but always lovingly prepared. You might find rice crispies strewn in with the "hard boiled egg"... which itself is actually the freshest mozzarella you'll ever taste holdings a sliver of yellow tomato. The other 9 courses that followed were equally imaginative and perfectly executed; a play on French onion soup was especially fun - a three cheese souflee on a bed of blanched onions had a rich and creamy crimini broth poured over it tableside. Richard, being a trained pastry chef, does not scrimp on desserts. "Le Kit Kat", a chocolate hazelnut bar is possibly the best chocolate dish I've ever had - and I've had a lot of chocolate. The only low point was the cheese course....not only were the selections bland and uninteresting, the wine they chose to pair with it, Mollydooker from Australia overpowered all but one cheese.

The wine cellar is gigantic and the pairings are generally well thought out. However, prices aren't exactly cheap, although there are some interesting selections under $100.

The service has been known to suffer, thankfully I have not been subject to anything less than the utmost professionalism.

Of course, there is the matter of price. Citronelle's 10 course tasting menu runs $150; $220 with wine pairings. Add tax and tip and you're looking at a $300 per person meal. Is it worth it? That, of course, depends on you. I will say this; if you have any love of food, you owe it to yourself to try Citronelle just once.

Summary:

Price: Extremely expensive
Pros: Best food you'll eat in D.C., one of the largest wine cellars on the East Coast
Cons: Price, service issues
Best Dish(es): French Onion Soup, Michel style; blanched onions, 3 cheese souffle on a baguette and a cremini broth poured over it table-side and the Haricots Verts Tartare served in an eggshell
Needs Work: Cheese plate - the selections were bland and the wine poured to accompany it overpowered the cheeses.
Dress: Jacket Required
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Reiflame on January 23, 2007

CorduroyBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Corduroy is one of the hidden culinary gems of the DC dining scene. It's hard to find, and when you do find it tucked away in its second story of a second rate hotel location, it's not much to look at. In fact, the bathrooms aren't even in the restaurant! You have to use the hotel's facilities.

So why, you might ask, would you go through the effort of seeking out this little dining room with all the ambience of an airport lounge? I'll tell you why... the food. It is divine.

Tom Powers is an alum of Citronelle. The food is elegant, thoughtful and above all, beautifully prepared. The chef's pork belly, in any of its incarnations is a thing of wonder.

Corduroy's wine list is one of the most interesting and fairly priced in DC. Selections range from $20 to $100 with most bottles being between $30-$40. If you're looking for your Cakebread and Silver Oak bottles, you won't find them here. Chances are you haven't heard of 3/4 of the wines listed. No matter, Corduroy's excellent floor staff will direct you to a wonderful bottle that fits your meal and your price range. Another happy note; the markup is generally around 50%, much less than the 100% industry standard.

And you won't leave with an empty wallet... a three course dinner for 2 with a bottle of wine comes to about $160.

Summary:
Price: Moderate-Expensive
Pros: Great food, immaculate service, funky wine list
Cons: Ugly Dining room, secluded location
Best Dish(es): Pork Belly, however they're serving it, Lobster "carpaccio", Chocolate-Hazelnut bars
Needs Work: Tuna - it came out overcooked for 2 of my dining companions
Dress Code: Business Casual
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Reiflame on January 23, 2007

Corduroy
1201 K Street NW Washington, D.C., United States 20005
(202) 589-0699

VidaliaBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Southern cuisine comes to D.C! And with it, gracious, helpful and patient service.

Vidalia makes a great first impression with its bread basket. Caramelized onion foccacia shares the table with some of the most respectable cornbread I've ever had. The condiment of choice is apple butter, which nicely compliments either bread.

Appetizers are lean to the hardy; cream of onion soup with red wine, rabbit sausage with risotto, "pork and beans." Thankfully, the portions are small enough to offset the rather dense offerings. I'd imagine that the chef changes the menu for summer to allow a little more brevity to the menu.

More southern favorites show up on the main courses like shrimp with grits (albeit with a crayfish-tasso emulsion). The side dishes are also hits; the mac & cheese is heavenly!

Vidalia doesn't scrimp on desserts. The lemon chess tart is a perfect balance of sweet and sour, and the apple and caramelized onion "tatin" is fantastically made.

The wine list is a book; if wine is your thing expect to take some time pouring over it. Thankfully, it spans just as large a price range as it does geographic area; if you can't find something to drink on this list, you'll never find a wine you like!

Summary:

Price: Expensive
Pros: Great food, great service, great wine
Cons: Tables are rather close together.
Best Dish(es): Mushroom soup with red wine emulsion, shrimp and grits, rabbit sausage, macaroni and cheese
Needs Work: Hamachi - it just didn't fit with the rest of the "southern comfort food" menu
Dress: Business Casual
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Reiflame on January 24, 2007

EquinoxBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

I'll say right off the bat that I was sorely disappointed with Equinox. It had gotten generally good reviews and Todd Gray was supposed to be a wonderkid of modern dining.

What I found was anything but: the salmon was overcooked to the point of dessication, the wine pairings with our 3 course menu felt like the restaurant was just trying to clean out the cellar, and our server was extremely disinterested in well, serving us.

The dessert was nice, a pink-peppercorn ice cream in a cherry broth that wasn't too sweet. Unfortunately, neither that nor the 20% that they took off the bill was enough to save this meal for me. There are much better places in D.C. to spend this type of money.


Price: Expensive
Pros: Pretty dining room
Cons: Terrible service, mediocre food
Best Dish(es): Pink Peppercorn ice cream with cherry broth
Needs Work: Everything else, and their wine pairings
Dress: Business Casual
  • Member Rating 2 out of 5 by Reiflame on January 25, 2007

Equinox
818 Connecticut Ave, NW Washington, D.C., United States 20006
(202) 331-8118

DC CoastBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

DC Coast is first of the venerable Jeff Tunks restaurants in DC, with TenPehn, Ceiba and most recently Arcadiana. These restaurants, renowned for their consistency, excellent service, and beautiful interior design, sometimes leave a more adventurous palate wanting.

That being said, I'd recommend any of the three to a visiting friend or someone on a first date. The food at DC Coast, while not excellent by any standard, it's completely competent.

The offerings here bend towards classic regional favorites. The "Buffalo" fried oysters were a fun take on an old favorite of mine but lack the crispy fat that makes chicken wings so divine. The accompanying slaw was slightly dry but had robust flavors to counter the slightly spicy oysters. Unfortunately, the entrees didn't quite live up the appetizers, which is a common problem I find.

Service is far above average in DC's typical disinterested fare, and the bread basket is excellent. There are several fun selections by the glass if you don't want to buy a whole bottle, but overall the wine list, like the food, plays it safe.

I'm glad that the Jeff Tunks restaurants are in DC; they're generally good places to recommend to people who are budget conscience but still want an decent meal in a beautiful dining room.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Reiflame on January 25, 2007

DC Coast
1401 K Street NW Washington, D.C., United States 20005
(202) 216-5988

Notti BiancheBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Notti Bianche is tucked away right outside of the George Washington University campus, 2 blocks off the Foggy Bottom Metro station. I had a craving for pasta last night, so I snagged an 8:30 reservation for my boyfriend and myself.

It's a small restaurant, holding no more than 50 diners. It's not particularly pretty, and the low ceilings with exposed piping aren't particularly romantic. That said, I've seen a lot worse in the D.C. dining scene.

The meal itself was great. We started with a trio of crostini, the highlight being the whipped bacala with garlic. It was not too salty, not too bland... a difficult feat to pull off. After our salad course which featured prosciutto, I wanted to try it without the sauce. Our gracious waiter went above and beyond, providing what amounted to half the ham! If you go, I highly recommend anything with prosciutto.

The real standouts were the pasta courses. My companion had the mushroom risotto; a painfully common dish. Thankfully, Notti Bianche serves one that's better than most. My linguine with clams, sopresatta and a garlic butter was the best pasta I've had since I was in Italy last May. Thankfully, the pastas come in both full and half portions.

Main courses were well prepared and imaginative; scallops with savoy cabbage, a Barolo reduction and a chestnut puree was a real standout. Notti Bianche will get a higher rating if I go back and the desserts have improved. The pastry in the chocolate Napoleon tasted like flavored cardboard, and the "Citrus Surprise" was merely good.

The wine list, while small, is thoughtful. There are some good values in the whites, but not many in the reds. As one might expect, it's heavy on the Italian selections. Do try their homemade limoncello, though!

All in all, it was a very pleasant dining experience without a painful bill at the end. Four full courses, a bottle of wine plus two glasses as well as two glasses of limoncello ran $225 before tip.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Reiflame on March 3, 2007

Notti Bianche
824 New Hampshire Ave NW Washington, D.C., United States 20037
(202) 298-8085

CeibaBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Ceiba is one of the four Jeff Trunks restaurants in DC. Of the 3 that I've been to, this is my favorite. Ceiba is Latin American fusion experiment. Instead of bread, you're served a crisp cracker with a pumpkin seed spread. It's addictive!

It's definitely one of the prettiest dining rooms in the area. The rich colors glow in the somewhat dim lighting, and the art is original and yet somehow strangely familiar. Like all of its sister restaurants, Ceiba has great service. The waiters are attentive without hovering and willing to go an extra step for their patrons.

The high point of the night was without a doubt the cerviche sampler. Four small plates arrive on a larger dish of ice. The tuna-based cerviche is strikingly pretty, the bright red yellowfin offset by the cucumbers and crunchy cashews. My favorite was the Striped bass with sweet potato and toasted corn.

Appetizers are definitely the most interesting part of the menu; the main courses that we tried, barbecued shrimp and halibut, are forgettable. Thankfully, desserts make for a happy ending at Ceiba. I recommend the churros with Mexican style hot chocolate as a unique way to finish your meal.

There are several great selections of wine by the glass on the menu in addition to a robust if unimaginative wine list. I'd recommend a cocktail... they make a pisco sour that my dining companion said reminded her of her stay in Peru.

Like all the Jeff Tunks endeavors, you can leave Ceiba without feeling like you've left your wallet behind. A three course dinner for two with a few glasses of wine runs around $150.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Reiflame on March 3, 2007

Ceiba
701 14th Street NW Washington, D.C., United States 20005
(202) 393-3983

1789 RestaurantBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "1789"

First a disclaimer: not terribly long ago chef Ris Lacoste left 1789 to pursue other ventures. I have not had a chance to return since her replacement has been appointed.

1789 is a venerable Washington standby - a fine dining destination that's survived more presidents than most of us. Somewhat amazingly, it's managed to never fall into the stodgy trap that most restaurants it's age fall into. This is in part because of the management's ability to find and keep significant talent in the kitchen.

There are several dining rooms available in the Georgetown rowhouse that 1789 is situated in; all are decorated in pure Federalist style, making for a somewhat unusual atmosphere. If you enjoy the history of D.C., however, it's kind of a neat experience.

The service is exemplary if somewhat formal. Tuxedos are the norm here, as is the pomp and circumstance; you are seated to an array of silverwear and of course all proper respect is given to the wine pouring. Don't sniff the cork, you can't tell anything about it.

The food at 1789 is somewhat out of place in the formal, old fashioned dining room. It's fresh and well made, if a little conservative. This is Washington, after all. Meats are generally the name of the game here; I've had standout venison and lamb dishes, while fish is less well looked after. Desserts are also well made, but as portions are ample you might stick to something lighter. The menu changes daily, so anything I tell you to eat will be long gone by the time you get there!

The wine list is well maintained but leans towards the more expensive end of the spectrum. They do have several selections by the glass, but most are pedestrian.

Personally, I think the best thing about 1789 is the consistency. You don't survive in the restaurant business for almost 50 years without doing what you do well. It's a great pinch hitter when your picky aunt comes to town and you're expected to entertain!

Summary:
Price: expensive
Pros: great food, interesting dining room, great service
Cons: the dish you loved won't be there tomorrow!
Best Dish(es): everything is of high quality
Needs Work: wine selection by the glass
Dress Code: jacket required
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Reiflame on March 14, 2007

1789 Restaurant
1226 36th Street, NW Washington, D.C., United States 20007
(202) 965-1789

JaleoBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Jose Andres' Jaleo restaurants are a great excuse to grab a few friends, knock back a few sangrias, and enjoy some excellent tapas.

Jaleo is first and arguably the best traditional tapas joint in town. For the uninitiated, tapas are "small plates". Generally, you would go with a group of 4-6 people and order 2-3 tapas apiece. Sharing is the name of the game - half the fun is being able to try a bunch of new things. You know how in some restaurants the appetizers are infinitely more interesting than the entrées? This is like eating a whole bunch of appetizers.

The menu is divided into 3 sections; hot, cold, and seasonal. The hot and cold menus don't seem to change, and the seasonal menu only changes a few times a year.

A little known secret is that Jaleo is one of the first restaurants in America to serve Jamon Iberico - think prosciutto's most exciting cousin. It's not cheap, mind you... this stuff goes for a few hundred dollars a pound, but is it ever worth the money! Other standouts on the menu are the oxtail, bacalao (salt cod), patatas bravas, fried squid, and duck confit. On a recent trip, we very much liked the watermelon-tomato skewers and gazpacho. Desserts tend to be large, too sweet and uninteresting. One standout has been the basque cake, and if they have goat cheese ice cream on the menu. Unfortunately, the ice cream was served with a berry soup that was overpoweringly sweet.

The wine list is small and Spain-centric but well priced and there are a few fun selections by the glass. However, I would just go straight to the sangria.

Service can be a little dicey... I've had good and bad experiences at the two Jaleos that I've been to. Food-wise, my only complaint is that some things get repetitive - aioli and ‘Romesco’ sauce show up on a large number of menu items. Desserts are also somewhat forgettable.

Summary:
Price: As expensive as you'd like to make it.
Pros: Fun experience, good food.
Cons: Can be crowded, you might get to know your neighbors better than you thought.
Best Dish(es): Duck confit, oxtail, jamon iberico.
Needs Work: Desserts, repetitiveness.
Dress Code: Casual.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Reiflame on March 14, 2007

Jaleo
480 7th Street North West Washington, D.C., United States 20004
(202) 628-7949

ArdeoBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Bardeo"

Bardeo is the sister restaurant-neighbor to Ardeo in D.C.'s Cleveland Park area. The concept is interesting - it's not quite tapas, but not quite large plates, either. Basically 1.5 or 2 entrées is plenty of food.

The dining room itself is dark and narrow, dominated by a large bar. There are maybe 10 tables, and I don't believe that Bardeo takes reservations (Ardeo, however, does). During peak times, it can be extremely loud.

The first time I went, instead of butter with our bread we received a chicken-liver mousse. I surprised even myself by liking it! Unfortunately, at my latest venture there, the mousse was no more. I'm not sure if this is because we got there late (~11pm) or if they've just cut back on this tasty bite. However, the bread was warm, which always makes me happy. Cold bread is a huge pet peeve of mine.

Dinner itself was full of better-than-average food. The scallops on a shitake risotto were seasoned well and cooked perfectly. The risotto was a tad gummy and salty, but not terribly so. That dish sort of sets the stage at Bardeo - decent food with just one or two very small details gone wrong. The tuna and golden beet parfait was overpowered by the creme fraiche (I happen to like creme fraiche; my dining companion, not so much). The toast for the cheese dish was burnt (we just asked for more bread). The pepper stuffed with hummus was a little too cold (wait a bit and it'll warm up).

However, the dessert was possibly the best dessert I've ever had in D.C. A small, round cheesecake so light and fluffy it tasted like air, topped with a cherry-balsamic reduction - I could go back every night for the next 2 weeks and eat this.

In addition to food, Bardeo styles itself a wine bar. Their list is well rounded and reasonably priced, and they have a decent number of selections that can be ordered by the glass or half glass.

Service is good, if a little standoffish, which is a common complaint of mine in D.C. restaurants. The small plates run between $8-$12 per plate, making for a fair-priced dining experience. We had 4 small plates, dessert, and 6 glasses of wine for around $115 pre-tip.

Summary:
Price: reasonable
Pros: good wine selection, nice light meals
Cons: dark, loud, and no reservations
Best dish(es): cheesecake with a cherry balsamic reduction
Needs work: balance - everything was almost perfect
Dress: business casual
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Reiflame on March 31, 2007

Ardeo
3311 Connecticut Ave., NW Washington, D.C., United States 20008
(202) 244-6750

Central Michel RichardBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Michel Richard's Central"

After Michel Richard gave up his restaurant empire, he moved to DC and opened Citronelle, destined to be the city's hot dining prospect for the next decade. Finally, he's opened his second venue - Central.

Central is above all a classic bistro. The food is classic French sidewalk dining - steak frites, moules, roasted chicken. The end result is food that exhibits Richard's skill and signature styles but at a price that the common man can afford.

Appetizers are divided into "hot" and "cold". Some of the entries made me raise an eyebrown (iceburg lettuce wedge? Are we at Outback?) but most of the choices are simple and rustic. The gougeres (airy little bite-sized cheese puffs) are like biting into a pillow of soft cheese. We also enjoyed the smoked salmon, which is served with brioche. I'd never put much thought into how much the bread affects smoked salmon, but after this, I'm not sure I'll go back to using anything else. The best, however, was the onion tart. It was as thin as a crepe, and the topping of onions, creme fraiche and bacon is a beautiful combination.

Entrée portions are huge. The hangar steak was cooked perfectly to order (bloody) although the fries were somewhat lacking in texture. The lamb and potato stew was also very nice, although a little heavy for a summer's night. The 72-hour shortribs are a meal that will be staying on the menu for some time, I think. Soft and pillowy, they're served with some of the finest mashed potatoes I've had.

Desserts also run to the simple side, but fans of Citronelle will see some recognizable favorites, including Richard's signature "kit kat". We also thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate mousse, which had a dollop of raspberry coulis at the bottom.

Our service was attentive and friendly, and the dining room itself is pretty with an open kitchen. The sound level is on the loud side, however.

The wine list is short but thoughtful. However, the wines by the glass I found to be lacking in variety and cost. Central makes up for it, however, with the inclusion of a decent beer list and some great cocktails. Dinner for three, with tax and tip, came out to be around $250 which included three cocktails and two glasses of wine. Central is definitely not the cheapest bistro in town, but it's definitely one of the best.

Summary:

Price: Moderately Expensive
Pros: Great cooking from one of the best chefs on the east coast at a reasonable price
Cons: Loud, wine list isn't great
Best Dish(es): Onion tart, 72 hour short ribs
Needs Work: Fries
Dress Code: Business Casual
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Reiflame on June 12, 2007

Central Michel Richard
1001 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, D.C., United States 20004
(202) 626-0015

Blue Duck TavernBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Blue Duck Tavern is a relatively recent comer to the DC restaurant scene. The dining area itself is a very open space full of glass, brushed metal and wood with a gigantic open kitchen.

The menu is served a la carte and has a heavy focus on the origin of your meal. You'll know if your steak came from Iowa or Texas and if your veggies were picked that morning in Pennslyvania or Maryland.

Honestly, it's a little pretentious, but the quality of the food and service more than makes up for any shortcomings. We started with the pea soup with morels and a lobster salad. I don't like pea soup or morels, or lobster salad for that matter. But I loved this soup. The broth is thick and vibrant and the tang from the lobster salad sets it off wonderfully. We also tried the fried sardines with a tomato compote, which were great.

One of the best things about Blue Duck is that the entrees are as good if not better than the appetizers. My companion's lamb shank was beautiful in its simplicity, and a big enough portion for even the biggest of eaters. I'm not a huge fan of most duck preparations, since most restaurants slather them with a fruit sauce and destroy the taste of the duck. Blue Duck Tavern, however, exercises restraint in their cherry-soy marinated breast and leg. We also splurged and ordered several side dishes. The stand outs were the duck-fat fried french fries and the carrots glazed with orange juice, carrot juice, and coriander.

Dessert is also a big hit; with an emphasis on traditional American endings. The chocolate bourbon cake was more a mousse in texture with a wonderful hit of the liquor. I adored the rhubarb-plum crumble, and both were elevated by the hand churned ice cream we also got.

My only complaints with Blue Duck are the wine list and the volume. There are a lot of hard surfaces in the restaurant, and sound tends to lean towards the "extremely loud" side. The wine list is short on bottles under $60, and wines by the glass are exorbitantly priced. Given how busy the place is, I doubt that bottles opened for single pours stay full long.

All in all, though, Blue Duck is one of the best tables in DC right now.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Reiflame on July 7, 2007

Blue Duck Tavern
24 & M Streets, NW Washington, D.C., United States 20037
(202) 419 6755

Sonoma Restaurant and Wine BarBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Sonoma Café and Wine bar is the sister restaurant to Mendocino Wine Bar and Grill in Georgetown. Both adhere to the same culinary ideals - simple, flavorful, and fresh.

The restaurant itself is attractive; long and narrow with flattering lighting. My major complaint about the layout is that they've put way too many tables too close together. I'm not a big person, and I couldn't actually get into my chair because it was so close to the person behind me.

This restaurant was one of the few places I've been where I enjoyed my entrée far more than my appetizer. Many of the "firsts" are pastas, and while not terrible, they were definitely forgettable. My squash blossom-goat cheese ravioli were good, but the accompanying sauce overpowered the squash blossom. My companion had the penne with pulled chicken, which tasted like (very salty) chicken noodle soup.

Entrées, however, were a step up. My whole red snapper (was supposed to be progy) was cooked perfectly with nicely restrained flavors that let the fish shine through. My companion had the braised shoat, which is basically a suckling pig. It was a fun take on pulled pork with a hearty ciabatta roll, grilled peaches and swiss chard. The faux-barbecue was moist and the flavors worked well together.

Worth noting for dessert is the restaurant's cheese list, which has some interesting non-classic choices. We liked the Comte St. Antoine and the "Smokey Blue" from Oregon. The prices are somewhat high, but the portions are large. Skip the red wine jelly that comes with it; it tastes like reduced Franzia. The rest of the desserts run the regular gammit - molten chocolate cakes and fresh berries, etc., etc. We liked the berry crumble made with plums and rhubarb, and served with a creme anglais.

Sonoma's wine list, as one might guess, is heavily California-centric. For once, prices by the glass were reasonable and the selections were actually interesting.

Service is good, if a little "Washington," which is to say that they take themselves a little too seriously. Lighten up, guys, you're just serving food to poor Capitol Hill staffers.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Reiflame on August 2, 2007

Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar
223 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C., United States 20003
(202) 544-8088

Bistro BisBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Bistro Bis is the sister restaurant to Vidalia in Dupont Circle. It has a lot of the same touches; a beautiful dining room, excellent food and great service.

The food is updated French. I had the best steak tartar I've ever had with house made potato chips and spicy mustard on the side. We also loved the tuna nicoise. The salads are also very good; vibrant and interesting, without being soaked in dressing.

Thankfully, Bistro Bis is one of those rare restaurants in which the main courses are as good if not better than the appetizers. The lamb with the white balsamic vinaigrette was, in a word, amazing. The richness of the lamb and tartness of the vinaigrette complemented each other very well. Also sucessful was the duck confit; which was neither too dry nor too oily. The airy duck sausage that was served with it definitely elevated the dish. We were not, however, fond of the trout grenobloise. The flavors were muddled and the dish lacks color and visual appeal.

Desserts, while not as good as the entrees or appetizers, were nothing to turn up your nose at. They tend on the small side, which makes for a nice ending after a fairly heavy meal. The peach mille-feuille was by and far one of the best desserts I've had in a long time. It was light but intensely peachy. The tarte Normande is one of the better apple tarts in DC. Unfortunately the blueberry bavarois left me cold; perhaps from the unfortunate gelee atop it.

Much like Vidalia, Bistro Bis' wine list is robust and well priced. Their sommelier is helpful and engaging. The service was upbeat and friendly, once again much like Vidalia's.

Summary:

Price: Expensive
Pros: Great food, great service, great wine
Cons: Gets a little loud with a packed room
Best Dish(es): Peach Mille-Feuille, duck sausage, lamb filet
Needs Work: blueberry bavarois; trout grenobloise
Dress: Business Casual
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Reiflame on September 22, 2007

Bistro Bis
The Hotel George, Washington, United States 20001
202 661 2700

OyamelBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Oyamel is Jose Andres' foray into Mexican tapas, modeled after his highly successful Jaleo chain. You'll notice a lot of the same perks here - great food, decent prices and good cocktails.

This restaurant is POPULAR right now. I'd highly recommend making your reservations (especially if you have more than 4 people in your party) a month or so in advance. They have an unfortunate habit of squishing more people than they should at the tables.

That said, the food is great. The table-side prepared guacamole is wonderful. Some of our favorites were the braised short ribs, the chipotle meatballs, and the baby pig tacos. The chayote salad made for a refreshing break from all the meat! Slightly less successful are the ceviches. Unfortunately the fish in the ones we tried were overpowered by their toppings, which I find to be a common problem with ceviches.

I also can't recommend enough that you break out of your shell and try new things. Two great dishes on the menu are the beef tongue tacos and the grasshopper tacos. Both are really very good; the grasshoppers are spicy and crunchy while the braised beef tongue has a silky texture.

We stuck to beer and margaritas on our trip. The wine selection is moderately priced, but let's face it; this type of food calls for tequila. Oyamel has around 40 different types of top-shelf tequila for your pleasure, but the real winner is the Oyamel margarita. Instead of a salt rim, they use a salt and lime 'foam' to top the drink. It leads to perfect salt distribution every time!

Service is friendly and accurate, if a bit slow at times. Given what a madhouse it was when we were there, I find that understandable.

I honestly dreaded a little bit when the bill came - after all, our party of 6 had been there about 3 hours and drank countless margarita. It was such a pleasant surprise to see the bill come to be less than $350 for everything we ate!
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Reiflame on November 2, 2007

Oyamel
401 7th Street NW Washington, D.C. 20004
(202) 628-1005

Bobby Van's GrillBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Bobby Van's Grill is the more casual outpost of the venerable Bobby Van's Steakhouse in NYC. It is, like many outposts of flagship restuarants, underwhelming. The menu has potential, but execution is poor, service is lacking and the wine list is boring at best. The dining room, though, is enormous, making it a good choice for office parties that don't mind mediocre food. Unfortunately, it's one of the few restaurants within walking distance of the Warner Theater, and we decided to try something new. Next time, I'll go back to Butterfield 9.

The night we went, we were preceeded by two parties of 20+. I understand that this will slow the kitchen considerably, but it still should not take 3 hours when we didn't even order a full three courses. It would've been nice for the servers to offer some explaination, but instead we were roundly ignored for the majority of the time we were there. We didn't even get a menu until we had been seated for 10 minutes (no menu, no water, no bread, no indication that they knew that we were there)

To give credit where credit is due, the clams casino were very good; the clams were not overcooked, they were full of bacon flavor and the red-pepper butter was a nice twist. Unfortunately, the rest of the meal did not live up to the appetizers. They were accomadating when my companion asked for a steak salad (not on the menu) and they didn't charge a lot of the upgrade. However, the lettuce was limp and the dressing overpowered even the taste of the steak. Finally, we tried apple crunch cake. I thought the apples tasted tin-y; my companion liked it. Either way, it was just apple pie with store bought carmel sauce and vanila ice cream.

As a rarity, I didn't order wine because the wine list was terrible. There was nothing on it that you can't find in a grocery store, all marked up 200%.

Maybe this would've been a better experience if there were fewer parties that night, but I'm not going to go back any time soon to find out.
  • Member Rating 1 out of 5 by Reiflame on December 19, 2007

Bobby Van's Grill
1201 New York Avenue Washington, D.C.
(202) 589-1504

PS 7's RestaurantBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "PS7"

Great experience at PS7s! The service was great, the food was good and the atmosphere's nice (and not too loud.) My only complaint is that a lot of the dishes were a little overly sweet, which is kindof nitpicking.

We couldn't decide on an appetizer, so we ended up with three:

Clam and Chorizo risotto - the rice was cooked perfectly (not gluey or toothy), and the clam and chorizo nicely balanced each other. I was extremely hungry, and I don't normally order risottos as appetizers but I thought that this wasn't too heavy.

Tuna Sliders - I tend to stay away from Tuna Tartar because it's kindof overdone, but these were great. The mini parker rolls' sesame seeds complement the tuna nicely. The miso aoili is a nice touch and the tuna itself is of high quality. The best thing is that the sides don't overpower the tuna itself, which is a common complaint I have about tuna.

Butternut squash soup - the only thing we had that I didn't love. The soup was very sweet and it totally overpowered the duck it was served with.

Entrees:

Pork loin crusted with oatmeal and brown sugar - I actually sent my first one back because the kitchen and I disagree on what "medium rare" is. They server was very gracious though (and I really never send things back; this is a first because overcooked pork is just nasty) and the second one was perfect. This is another of the dishes that I thought was unnecessarily sweet, but tasty nonetheless

Scallops and Boudin - the Boudin is actually a seafood sausage that is extremely light and airy. The scallops were cooked perfectly. Great dish!

Desserts:

Beignets - so fun! The dark chocolate sauce was rich, the current sauce was wonderful and the beignets themselves were light and airy. Great way to end a meal.

Apple Crisp - I'm a sucker for crisps, and this was a good one. A minor complaint was that it was served boiling-lava hot.

Misc

Wine - the list was small but interesting and well priced (good number of selections under $50)

Service - Loved our server, he was professional, friendly without being overbearing and patient.

Atmosphere - it's a really pretty dining room, and they made a super smart decision to separate the bar from the rest of the restaurant, which keeps the sound much more reasonable.

  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Reiflame on February 25, 2008

PS 7's Restaurant
777 I Street NW Washington, D.C. 20001
(202) 742-8550

About the Writer

Reiflame
Reiflame
Gaithersburg, Maryland

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