Cloture Club’s team of Foodies was recently asked about their favorite restaurants on the DC scene. We humbly submit this list of culinary adventures for you to consider while planning you next date night or night on the town.
2941
Recommended by Clay Battin
Photo Credit: 2941 Restaurant
You wouldn’t think that Route 50 in Fairfax in an office building tucked away behind a Northrop facility would be a good place to look for fine dining. And you’d be dead wrong. Located just off of 50, 2941 Restaurant has consistently been one of the DC area’s best eateries for a decade + now. Driving up it looks more like a Japanese Garden complete with Koi pond than the entrance to one of Washington’s best restaurants; but the deceiving looks that welcome you blend well with the modern and eclectic décor and atmosphere.
The bar features a top notch wines by the glass list and expertly made house cocktails to compliment one of the best Happy Hour menus in the area. Duck Burgers or Tuna Tartare anyone? But good looks and a nice bar only get a restaurant so far, you have to have the goods in the kitchen to excite diners and make top 10 lists. And believe me Chef Bertrand Chemel brings the goods from the back of the house with panache and in an artistic way that seems different and unique on each visit and will get every palette fired up for each successive course. Dishes are beyond creative and with each seasonal rotation of the menu seem to get increasingly more inventive… and delicious. Where else in the metro area are you going to find compressed watermelon with vanilla infused vodka and lemon thyme (which is outstanding and refreshing by the way)? Brilliantly prepared seafood options abound, like the Spiced Skuna Bay Salmon with orange-carrot glaze, shaved fennel, dried gooseberry and turmeric sauce. Mouthwatering yet? The more carnivorous diner will appreciate the ribeye and short ribs or lamb orecchiette and veg heads have no fear; 2941 has you covered as well.
While the fine dining here is top notch, don’t assume that means that 2941 is pretentious or doesn’t have options and prices to please everyone, again direct your attention to the bar menu or any of the range of entrees and options that don’t crush your life savings. The menu is outstanding, year round and the wine list is arguably even better. 2941 is well worth the short drive, you will not be disappointed nor will you find it easy to not return!
Lavagna
Recommended by Alexandra Benedetto
I cannot begin to explain how much I love Lavagna. Countless times I have recommended this restaurant to friends and family for anniversaries, birthdays, weekend and weeknight dinners, as well as frequented it myself numerous times for all the above mentioned reasoning! It encompasses everything I love in a restaurant – amazing food, caring staff and wonderful ambiance- with the added advantage of being my favorite cuisine, Italian (duh). Located in Eastern Market, right near the metro station, Lavagna is part of the now trending farm-to-table restaurant concept, but has carved a niche in doing so with Italian fare. A large chalkboard up on the wall gives diners detail on what meat came from which farms, ranging from Maryland and Virginia, all the way up to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. The space is not massive but gives off the vibe of a casual yet intimate atmosphere. It can tend to get noisier on a Thursday through Saturday evening, so if you’re looking for a bit more privacy (I did this when the parents’ visited), ask to be put in the section further back and the hostess is happy to oblige. The staff is amazing, attentive but not overly to the point of annoyance, while being very knowledgeable about the menu and extremely hospitable. As to the most important part of the whole experience, the food, the freshness and quality of the ingredients truly shows in the dishes, which include traditional Italian staples, such as Spaghetti and Meatballs, as well as mouthwatering dishes such as the Duck in port wine reduction (to die for). All of the pastas are hand-made from scratch, with my personal favorite and highly recommended dishes being the Fettuccine Bolognese with house meat sauce or the Rigatoni Pesto with spicy house Italian sausage. Yes, everything is made here. I highly recommend starting off your meal with a charcuterie plate of cheese and cured meats. Yes I know, you’re thinking, what is so special? The meats are well selected by the chef, offering unique options such as the Duck Prosciutto or Tasso Ham, while the impressive choice of tasty cheeses, including Basil Tomato Colby cheese and Earth Tome, are sourced from Milky Way Meadows Farm. And by no means is this a wimpy cheese plate, as diners receive ample samplings and bread to savor every bite to the fullest. And make sure to try out the wines, with local picks among the variety, as well as Lavagna’s craft cocktails with your meal. My personal favorites include the Essence of Flowers, local ambler gin, St. Germain and fresh lime juice, or the Rosa Bellini with house-made (surprise?) raspberry syrup and prosecco. After all of this, you definitely want to make sure to save room for the heavenly desserts – deconstructed tiramisu and flourless chocolate cake in particular.
Cityzen
Recommended by Chef Ryan Kowalski
photo credit: newyorksocialdiary.com
Cityzen located in the Mandarin Oriental in SW is one of the finest restaurants in the area, helmed by Chef Eric Ziebold, former chef de cuisine of the French Laundry in Napa. The restaurant serves three styles of menus a chef degustation, vegetarian and a four course pre-fixe option. If you are feeling non-celebratory, they also serve a menu in the bar/lounge for $50. The expansive dining room, open kitchen and high ceilings is one of the best in the city. Chef Ziebold serves hyper-local/seasonal French-American cuisine that constantly changes. Strange and hard to find seafood items, organ meats, heirloom grains and a cheese trolley with a selection of over 18 are reasons why I consider Cityzen one of the best in DC. If you go for a special occasion, and notify the reservationist, you will be presented with a card signed by the entire kitchen staff on your arrival. Another highlight is the signature Parker House rolls served in a cigar box that arrive with your main course. Since opening in 2004, Cityzen had consistently been ranked among the best in the region. I completely agree!
Neopol
Recommended by Zachary Graves
Union Market has been expanding to include a new CoCo Sala and late night weekend events, however one of the best parts of Union Market is one of its original vendors. Neopol Savory Smokery not only offers smoked fish, goat cheese, and even macaroni cheese, but also offers one of the best lox bagels in town. Driving in the bagels every weekend from Maryland, this Baltimore based smokery offers the best Sunday hangover cures in NoMa. Not only are the bagels perfectly chewy, but Neopol knows how to pull together a bagel with lox with all the fixings, including the all important capers and onions. Matched with an iced coffee from Peregrine Espresso next door, last night’s debauchery will be far behind you. For vegetarians, the smoked hummus and tofu are also great options. Neopol is also open for lunch during the week starting at 11 Wednesday through Friday. Get the smoked salmon BLT for a sandwich that’s anything but a sad desk lunch. Run by a mother and son team from the last twenty years from Belvedere Square, Neopol also stresses local produce, fish, and meats which definitely shows in the quality of the food. And this week you could win 2 lbs of smoked salmon in one of Union Market’s giveaways. One of the major complaints about DC is that it lacks a few really good kosher delicatessens, so until some Top Chef alum (not you Spike Mendelsohn) decides to bring one to DC, Neopol is a great place to get your smoked whitefish fix.
Little Serow
Recommended by Shawn Keeley
Inside an unassuming vanilla colored town house with no sign to be seen resides a truly unique dining experience offered by James Beard Award winning Chef Johnny Monis. Little Serow serves northeastern Thai cuisine in a family style format that is prix fixe. I know what you’re thinking… It’s prix fixe so it must be $100+ per person to eat there. Wrong! They served me seven courses for a meager $45.
Their food is really something special, particularly if you like spice. The theme of the first 6 dishes was definitely bright and pungent with a slow lingering heat. This is why they serve a tray of vegetables that are intended to cool your mouth down and cleanse your palate in between dishes. You can also utilize them as a wrapper or to scoop up food. A basket of sticky rice is also served with the meal and personally I like to ball up the rice so I could use it to soak up the sauces.
Some of my favorite dishes that night were Tom Kha Het and the Naem Khao Tod. The Tom Kha Het offered an explosion of Thai flavors and it merged salt and sweet flavors perfectly. There was some earthiness from the mushrooms and galangal. The nice delicate lemongrass flavor that you expect in Thai soups was present, but it was a refined flavor that Monis brought to the dish that made it extraordinary. The Naem Khao Tod had these little cubes of rice that were crunchy on the outside, but warm and tender on the inside. It was served with sour pork, onions and cilantro. The flavors were strong and aggressive and very enjoyable. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations so your only option is to show up early and wait. But don’t worry; in addition to being very affordable it is also well worth the wait.
No comments:
Post a Comment