Anniversary Dinner on a Sunday

[ajay]

My girlfriend and I are going to be in Washington DC for a househunting trip on Sunday August 12, which happens to be our one year anniversary. I would like to have a great meal. Price is not necessarily an object for such a momentous occassion, but the meal need not be expensive.

Indeed, the two high end restaurants in DC that I am most hoping to try are closed on Sunday: Komi and Palena. If anyone else has other recommendations that would be comparable to these two, we would appreciate them.

But, I am assuming that these two restaurants may not be rivaled in Washington. Therefore, if you can suggest a place that has solid, well-executed food, a reasonable wine list and a romantic atmosphere that I have a chance of reserving between now and the 12th, I would be very much obliged.

I look forward to meeting fellow DC egulleteers once I move down to the District.

Thanks so much for your input.

[Busboy]

Marcel's. According the the Washingtonian Magazine (not that this is holy writ) Palena is the 4th best restaurant in DC, Komi is tenth and Marcel's...#9. A little more formal than either of the other two, but delightfully so and given the romantic nature of the evening, you'll appreciate that its service is (in my experience) noticeably better than that of its rivals. If you feel less formal, go to the lounge. The whole menu is available there, as well as a few very swell bar snacks if you want to save your money for better wine.

The boudin blanc will change your life.

[dinwiddie]

For high end restaurants with good wine lists, Marcel's is a good suggestion but their wine list is fairly expensive..

Citronelle is considered the best fine dining restaurant in DC and the wine list there can be very expensive, but there are plenty of choices for a reasonable price, ask Mark Slater for a recommendation, he is a fantastic sommelier.

Taberna del Alabardero can also be very romantic, has great food, and a very interesting list. It can be expensive however, but the by the glass selection is excellent and David Bueno will be glad to help you find a great bottle to go with your meal at a reasonable price.

I'd also suggest Corduroy for excellent food and a very good and well priced wine list.

While CityZen and Le Paradou might meet your food requirements, their wine lists are way overpriced and offer little that is reasonable.

[treznor]

Indeed, many of the nicer restaurants in DC are closed on Sunday and many on Monday as well. Hotel restaurants have a better chance of being open as they typically need some source of food anyway unless there's another restaurant in the hotel (such as CityZen being closed as the Mandarin Oriental has other restaurants). Citronelle is one of (or the, depending on who you talk to) the best restaurants in the city and is open on Sundays. It is quite expensive however and getting reservations can be difficult. opentable.com can also help to sort out what's open, though of course it doesn't have every restaurant.

[Busboy]

For high end restaurants with good wine lists, Marcel's is a good suggestion but their wine list is fairly expensive..

Citronelle is considered the best fine dining restaurant in DC and the wine list there can be very expensive, but there are plenty of choices for a reasonable price, ask Mark Slater for a recommendation, he is a fantastic sommelier.

Taberna del Alabardero can also be very romantic, has great food, and a very interesting list.  It can be expensive however, but the by the glass selection is excellent and David Bueno will be glad to help you find a great bottle to go with your meal at a reasonable price.

I'd also suggest Corduroy for excellent food and a very good and well priced wine list.

While CityZen and  Le Paradou might meet your food requirements, their wine lists are way overpriced and offer little that is reasonable.

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Agree with pretty much everything you said -- though I'm told that Marcel's is working on democratizing their wine list a bit and Paradou is inconsistent food-wise -- but the key to the request was "open Sunday' which I don't think most of these spots are.

While I'm here, I might through in a suggestion for one of our new trio of upscale bistros, Michel Richard Central, Brasserie Beck and Cafe du Parc. All are open Sundays. Which is "best" likely depends on one's mood, but I'd suggest that Park Cafe is the most romantic, Central the hippest and Beck the most fun in terms of decor and menu. A quick google should gather all their websites and reviews.

[treznor]

Is Corduroy open on Sunday? I was going to mention it but when I looked at their website it doesn't say they are open on Sunday.

[Busboy]

Is Corduroy open on Sunday?  I was going to mention it but when I looked at their website it doesn't say they are open on Sunday.

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I don't think so. Somewhere in the back of my mind was the idea that Marcel's was the only top-end restaurant open Sundays, though according to your post Citronelle is, as well. I do know that Sommelier Mark Slater is off Sundays, but I also know that his list is sufficiently well-chosen -- having won the Beard Award this year -- it's hard for even the least competent wine-orderer to go wrong.

[PatDC]

Vidalia is also open on Sundays, but that Sunday is the last day of Restaurant Week, so I imagine they're booked.

[jm chen]

In general I would echo Busboy's recommendation for one of the fun bistros, given the Sunday timeline. OpenTable shows openings for two at Cafe du Parc, Marcel's, and if you wanted another romantic option, 1789.

[Busboy]

My girlfriend and I are going to be in Washington DC for a househunting trip on Sunday August 12, which happens to be our one year anniversary.  I would like to have a great meal.  Price is not necessarily an object for such a momentous occassion, but the meal need not be expensive.

Indeed, the two high end restaurants in DC that I am most hoping to try are closed on Sunday: Komi and Palena.  If anyone else has other recommendations that would be comparable to these two, we would appreciate them.

But, I am assuming that these two restaurants may not be rivaled in Washington.  Therefore, if you can suggest a place that has solid, well-executed food, a reasonable wine list and a romantic atmosphere that I have a chance of reserving between now and the 12th, I would be very much obliged.

I look forward to meeting fellow DC egulleteers once I move down to the District.

Thanks so much for your input.

←

So, where'd you go?