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5 Nights in DC in June

awbrig

By awbrig
in D.C. & DelMarVa: Dining

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awbrig

awbrig

Posted
Posted (edited)

We are also travelling to DC in June and would like a recommendation for a very nice dinner - something like a Charlie Trotters - the only restaurant Ive been recommended to is Galilieo...can anyone offer other insights..

Also, any eG DCers that want to meet up for lunch or Dinner...let me know!

Your suggestions will influence our Dinner so thank you in advance!

Edited by awbrig (log)
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awbrig

awbrig

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What is the highest rated restaurant in D.C.? Zagat or otherwise...?

We are staying in the city - but havent gotten the Hotel figured out yet. And yes it will be Allison, myself and our 2 kids - altho the kids wont be joining us for our one night out alone...

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Steve Klc

Steve Klc

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Zagat?

It's easy if you want the tourist foodie high-end dining rundown. Brig, knowing you're coming from Chicago and have Trotter and Trio under your belt, put Citronelle and Maestro #1 and #2 as your top two glam prestige foodie spots, followed by Laboratorio (NOT Galileo) in third and skip the Inn, which isn't quite on the same radar food-wise. You almost certainly would find it pleasant but boring.

Here's a link to a recent nice article on Michel Richard by Judith Weinraub:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...-2003May13.html

Steve Klc

Pastry chef-Restaurant Consultant

Oyamel : Zaytinya : Cafe Atlantico : Jaleo

chef@pastryarts.com

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Steve Klc

Steve Klc

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The thing is, you can't not eat at Citronelle at least once. I last ate there in November, they have a newish pastry chef (Suzanne Imaz) and I'll be looking forward to your assessment of her work. I have "heard" she may be leaving and moving to Chicago.

Obelisk is a very strong recommendation, and a bargain for the price, $58 I believe these days, and not directly comparable to Citronelle or Maestro. Now that you've settled on Citronelle--though I'd still recommend Maestro--Obelisk would be a good choice in that small restaurant category for some very personal and not pretentious cooking--consider Obelisk or Palena, and both would be easy from your downtown hotel. Sietsema just praised the new little plates of Palena, all under 9 bucks. Seems the mezze and tapas idea continues to catch on all over the place. Obelisk and Palena are probably the closest DC comes to a Blue Hill or Django (Philly).

Steve Klc

Pastry chef-Restaurant Consultant

Oyamel : Zaytinya : Cafe Atlantico : Jaleo

chef@pastryarts.com

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awbrig

awbrig

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Ive rec'd some pms recommending Maestro as a closer comparison to CT's cuisine...altho Gourmets 100 Best U.S. restaurants doesnt include Maestro but rather Citronelle , the Inn and Obelisk. Im torn between Citronelle and Maestro, Steve, where should I go? I want elegant, formal, high end cuisine with professional service...also if they have seared foie gras the better! :smile:

Edited by awbrig (log)
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Steve Klc

Steve Klc

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Too bad all those people PM'ing you with their comments aren't posting publicly, we'd have a nice thread going. I'm not prepared to say Citronelle or Maestro is "closer" to Trotter cuisine (I'd hate to compare Michel or Fabio that way) but I never assumed you were looking for Trotter East. I think more people in the position to know would probably consider Michel to be the better chef and Michel's food the better food of the three--but I don't want to divert this, and a "restaurant experience" is much more than who is the better chef anyway. The Gourmet list--you mean the old one of two years or so ago? That ranking was, well, problematic for many of us eGulleteers at the time. (It wasn't as specious as the UK-based Restaurant Magazine list, though.) Do you remember if Kinkeads was on that list as well from DC? Remember which restaurant was voted #1? Chez Panisse, if it's the one I'm thinking of, and that should tell you all you need to know.

Maestro was too new to be included, but really, unless you go to both while you are here you will be missing out in some respect--Citronelle has reigned longer, but Maestro has made a strong impression with modern, interesting food in a very short time and has made a substantial commitment to wine and wine service. I don't know that you could make a decision either way that you aren't going to regret or second-guess somehow. I'd probably steer you toward Citronelle, even though I have never had the consummate, professional level of service at Citronelle, except when I sat at the chef's table, that I think a restaurant in that class and at that price point should provide day in and day out. Genius that Michel is in the kitchen, I've had inconsistent, aloof or indifferent service too often there--I've also had one of the handful of best meals in my life there when seated at the chef's table, which is in the kitchen. Not that any of this is any guarantee for you.

Steve Klc

Pastry chef-Restaurant Consultant

Oyamel : Zaytinya : Cafe Atlantico : Jaleo

chef@pastryarts.com

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awbrig

awbrig

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Ugh, now you steer me toward Citronelle when now I think Maestro...!

I am thinking Maestro from the research Ive read about it and I think it matches the style that I prefer in upscale cuisine...altho the lab at galileo would have been pretty cool!

Sorry, the ratings wasnt Gourmet, but the Epicurious standings...sorry...anyway...

http://eat.epicurious.com/gourmet/restaurant_reviews/

PS...you're right anyway...it is Gourmet and Chez Panisse is on top..this is old!

Edited by awbrig (log)
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vengroff

vengroff

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Since you are asking where to go for one, and only one meal, I think you have to look at the whole package.

Citronelle, at its best, can probably serve you a better meal than any place in the area. The question is whether you can show up completely unknown to the establishment, sit in the regular dining room, and have that meal. To me, it's not clear that you can. Steve is not the first person I've heard say that there are different levels of service for different guests.

Personally, I would probably choose Maestro, but part of that is a matter of my personal taste, which runs a bit more towards the kind of work that Fabio does.

With those two choices, though, I don't think you can really go wrong. I would happily dine at either one. Perhaps you should try to have them fax their menus to you, and then choose based on who is offering dishes most to your liking.

Chief Scientist / Amateur Cook

MadVal, Seattle, WA

Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code

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John W.

John W.

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I was at Citronelle just last night. Went to meet a friend and ended up having dinner on the terrace. Oyster shooters with rainbow flavor (?) was great, and then had a presentation of squab (3 ways, breast a la minute steak with truffle sauce, a timbale of macaroni and liver, and leg confit). Pretty good. My friend had a filet with vegetables and potato napoleon. Great time. Without having been to Maestro, I can certainly recommend Citronelle.

Firefly Restaurant

Washington, DC

Not the body of a man from earth, not the face of the one you love

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awbrig

awbrig

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Come on, go ahead & do both & then do a comparison for us (I'd love to live vicariously). Space the dinners one night apart & then do a critique.

If you get a babysitter for our 2 kids!

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LBNoble

LBNoble

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I'll babysit for you-we're not quite in DC, about 20-30 minutes (non peak hours) down the GW Parkway at Ft. Belvoir, the army post south of town. I've got a 4 yr. old & a 7 yr old., live next to 2 hoppin' playgrounds, & come summer, the ice cream truck comes through almost every night...

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Zeb A

Zeb A

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thx steve, citronelle it is...

how is obelisk?

If you are considering Oblesik v. Galileo for one of your meals, I much prefer Obelisk. I think the food is better, and the restaurant has an atmosphere I prefer. Galileo always seems stuffy, and I find the food underwhelming (at an overwhelming price).

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vengroff

vengroff

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I haven't been to either Galileo or Laboratorio, but I have been to a couple of the Roberto Donna places that come in at a lower price point, namely Il Raddichio and Vivo. In neither case did I feel that they did anything that set them apart from others in their price range. In the case of Raddichio, it was downright awful.

The comments I hear about Galileo lead me to believe that it comes from the same mold--underwhelming compared to what can be done it the market segment it occupies.

All this makes me wonder what is going on that can make Laboratorio so great. Does Donna himself just not give a shit about the other places? Does he just allow them to languish in mediocrity while he concentrates on his flagship? Do they use his name, but not his talent? Or is the Lab not so great either?

If there's anyone who has some insight, I'd love to hear it.

Chief Scientist / Amateur Cook

MadVal, Seattle, WA

Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code

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guajolote

guajolote

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I'll babysit for you-we're not quite in DC, about 20-30 minutes (non peak hours) down the GW Parkway at Ft. Belvoir, the army post south of town.  I've got a 4 yr. old & a 7 yr old., live next to 2 hoppin' playgrounds, & come summer, the ice cream truck comes through almost every night...

You've never met Awbrig's kids :raz:

Just kidding, they are both extremely nice and well-behaved. That is a tremendous offer, though. I may have to make a trip to DC just so you can take care of my kids.

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awbrig

awbrig

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I'll babysit for you-we're not quite in DC, about 20-30 minutes (non peak hours) down the GW Parkway at Ft. Belvoir, the army post south of town. I've got a 4 yr. old & a 7 yr old., live next to 2 hoppin' playgrounds, & come summer, the ice cream truck comes through almost every night...

Thanks for the offer! However, we are just going out one night without the little guys and Ive decided, with the help of you DCers, to dine at Maestro.

If anyone wants to join us please let me know so I can make the appropriate reservation.

Also, if you have any further ideas of lunch and dinner ideas that you can bring 2 well behaved children to, please let me know - Im very interested...

I cant wait to see D.C. again...I havent been there since I was 12 or something. I loved it!

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vengroff

vengroff

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From the pics I've seen, the young brigs can hold their own at a lot higher class of place than most. Plenty of kids their ages don't know that the words restaurant and McDonalds aren't synonyms.

Chief Scientist / Amateur Cook

MadVal, Seattle, WA

Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code

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vengroff

vengroff

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Also, if you have any further ideas of lunch and dinner ideas that you can bring 2 well behaved children to, please let me know - Im very interested...

If you're doing the tourist thing and you find yourself in the White House/Washington Monument area around lunch or snack time, try the Sky Terrace on the roof of the Hotel Washington. The food is pretty standard, but the view is outstanding and they make a mean kiddie cocktail. A visiting young friend of ours reported that his tasted like, "a popsicle you can drink."

Chief Scientist / Amateur Cook

MadVal, Seattle, WA

Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code

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