Brasserie Beck

[Busboy]

Mon dieu -- another informal French restaurant springing forth fully formed from the head of the chef-gods, in this case chef Robert Wiedmaier of the excellent Marcel's. Apparently in an effort to avoid sibling rivalry (Marcel's is named after his first child) Wiedmaier has opened Brasserie Beck, christened for child number two (who was lunching with dad and mom when I walked in the other day), in what remains for the moment a relatively unfashionable area of downtown. As far as Beck is concerned the incomplete revitalization of this last nook of SoMa will likely have little impact on Beck, which is alread packed, save that you'll be able to get good parking for now.

Wiedmayer is Belgian, brasseries are Alsatian by way of Paris, exposed ducts are SoHo by way of every hip restaurant or condo for the last 20 years, but the restaurant to blends the various influences in a way that evoke both traditional and modern influences without feeling forced or cute. Immense windows along one wall, 20 foot ceilings (with those exposed ducts and an open layout give the place an open, airy feel, while the classically inspired lamps, wooden booths, classic clocks and and hectares of tile and glazed brick feel quite continental. It all works very well. (Some interior shots, here)

My daughter's meal was determinedly mediocre. The egg on the frisee salad was perilously close to hard-boiled, and so did not ooze with the required aplomb over the greens and bacon, and the steak-frites -- while pretty as a picture and served with three types of mayo for the fries -- did not inspire.

One the other hand, the brandade -- a salt cod dish that remains in short supply, despite the growing number of bistros/brasseries/cafes in town -- was inspiring indeed. Chef David Ashwell ladles out immense portions of this peasanty combination of fish, garlic, oil and cream; it looked as though I was being served a bowl of cream-o-wheat on a snowy morning. It is surely enough for two. Interestingly, it was not served with toast rounds, meaning that I've been eating it wrong all these years or perhaps that the portion is so large that they don't want you spoiling your appetite with carbs. Whichever, I spread much of it on the excellent bread served with the meal.

A not-unhealthy serving of skate, plated atop a lovely buerre blanc and garnished with garlic spinach was quite tasty as well, hot, crisp on the outside moist withing. By the time I finished it, I was like the Georges Banks (he said ironically) too overfished for dessert.

My wife had a tasty potato-leek soup, served with a bit of flourish as a pitcher of soup was poured around a small garnish of boiled (?, I just tasted the broth) potatoes and a delightful, cylindrically-composed salad of shrimp, avocado and hearts of palm with, mayonnaise & ketchup sauce on the side.

In the run up to the opening there was much chatter about Beck offering 50 wines for less than fifty dollars, which I somewhat uncharitably (if not uncharacteristically) sneered at, saying that I would be impressed if, given their brasserie status, they offered 25 wines for less than $25. So, I was impressed when, by my count, I found 26 for under $26 on the list, with bottles from new world and old, including a quite decent Roussanne/Viogner VdP from Gard for $24. Nice work and a pleasant change from other casual French spots around town.

There are a number of Belgian beers available, I hope someone with more background than I in this area will around to tasting a few and reporting back. And, probably because it was quite warm, lunchtime and we'd had a trying morning, we stuck with the lighter Frenchie stuff rather than digging into the heavier and more Belgian offerings, including chicken waterzooie, rabbit stewed in beer, coque au vin, and thier take on the defining brasserie dish, choucroute en croute. Given that steak frites are now almost as readily available as a slice of pepperoni, in Washington, it may these dishes (and that brandade and those beers) that truly set Brasserie Beck apart. More research is surely needed.

I volunteer.

Brasserie Beck

1101 K Street NW

Washington DC 2005

202.408.1717

Lunch for three, with a bottle and 2 glasses of low end-wine, tax, tip, no dessert: $175.

If you're visiting in the next few weeks: not surprisingly, there are a couple of kinks to be worked out in the otherwise friendly and knowledgeable service. Be patient; it's worth it.

[hjshorter]

I'd happily volunteer to explore every nook and cranny on the beer list. The tap beer selection is very good, and the bottle selection excellent. I had a refreshing Bavik the other day at lunch and could have cheerfully downed five more had I not had errands to run.