Charlie Palmer Steak

[Mark Sommelier]

Wow, Tom really ripped them up. We had similar experiences with the service. All the waiters wear the same kind of "coolie" outfit. Hard to tell who is in charge.

[John W.]

Donrocks and I went last night for some meat. Sat at the bar. After the roasting they took about service, we did discuss it, suffice it to say there was no issues. The bar staff did a very good job of juggling the business with our wine service and subsequent "wine salvos" launched at us and back by the gentleman further down the bar. The bar was packed with staffers, lobbyists and wine reps. Probably exactly what they envisioned when designing the place.

Wine: Drank a Hamacher Chard, and since we were quite pleased with our choice, Keith poured us a glass of Hamacher's excellent rose of pinot noir. For the red, Rocks brought an old bottle of Beaucastel ('81), which went quite well with the steaks.

Apps: Prawns with pea greens and summer truffle risotto and romaine with pancetta and a dressing that tasted of creamy italian but was addictingly good. The prawn dish was excellent, my salad was as well.

Main event: I had a braised veal cheek/sirloin combo simply garnished with spinach and veal stock reduction. Rocks had a bone-in NY that resembled something out of the Flintstones. Both dishes were of very high quality ingredients, done simply and well. The crunch of fleur de sel really brought out the carnivore in us.

We had a bunch of sides: rapini, cannelini beans and butter held together with a little Yukon Gold potato.

I've seen the Keystone Kops service routine, but it looks like it's settled down. We had a great time, and apparently so did the other million people there last night.

I think we paid $25 for the corkage on the Beaucastel.

I really have no desire to go to Morton's et al, but someting about this place appeals to me. It will never be a regular spot, simply because it's not cheap and I tend to not eat 5 pounds of beef in one sitting, but it's pretty damn good.

[Mark Sommelier]

I've grown to really like this place. I've been 5 or 6 times now. It doesn't hurt to be friends with the chef. Bryan Voltaggio is very talented and has been most generous. Now, if I could only meet the elusive Keith............

Edited September 25, 2003 by Mark Sommelier (log)

[John W.]

I have been tasked with the meeting. I should have given you the damn phone when he called last night. Ever see Charlie's Angels, Mark? Keith is Charlie.

Yes I am friends with Bryan and Keith. But I am certain that Bryan didn't cook my steak any different than the other ones, or wine service was any better because of that.

[DonRocks]

This was the second time I've been, and I thought it was spot-on. I was particularly impressed by the sides this time around. I hate to admit my limitations, but the New York Shell Steak Bone-in (medium-rare) may have been the best steak I've ever eaten. They were out of the ribeye, and I'm glad they were. Keith was just great.

[Mark Sommelier]

This was the second time I've been, and I thought it was spot-on.  I was particularly impressed by the sides this time around.  I hate to admit my limitations, but the New York Shell Steak Bone-in (medium-rare) may have been the best steak I've ever eaten.  They were out of the ribeye, and I'm glad they were.  Keith was just great.

Wrong. It was the third time. Once with me, once with Wabeck. You've lost your mind, dude. Must be too much sake.

[John W.]

Sake? Did rocks go to the hospital to have the glass removed from his tongue?

[DonRocks]

Wrong. It was the third time. Once with me, once with Wabeck. You've lost your mind, dude. Must be too much sake.

Sorry for the confusion, but I was posting about the time I went with Wabeck. Gee, you must think I eat out a lot or something, Mark.

(Refrigerator inventory: one stick butter, jar clementine preserves, one carton milk from before the hurricane).

[Mark Sommelier]

Wrong. It was the third time. Once with me, once with Wabeck. You've lost your mind, dude. Must be too much sake.

Sorry for the confusion, but I was posting about the time I went with Wabeck. Gee, you must think I eat out a lot or something, Mark.

(Refrigerator inventory: one stick butter, jar clementine preserves, one carton milk from before the hurricane).

Yum. Clementine jelly soup for dinner!

[JennyUptown]

I'm resurrecting this topic to see who has been to CPS recently and what they thought.

I have a former business associate friend coming to town and am trying to figure out where to take him (on HIS expense account, not mine). He used to live in DC, but doesn't have any must-revisit places in mind. Said choosing the restaurant is up to me.

[Mark Sommelier]

I'm resurrecting this topic to see who has been to CPS recently and what they thought.

I have a former business associate friend coming to town and am trying to figure out where to take him (on HIS expense account, not mine). He used to live in DC, but doesn't have any must-revisit places in mind. Said choosing the restaurant is up to me.

I was there for lunch last week and it was as good as ever. Fine service. Brian, the chef, made us a tasty and thankfully short tasting menu finishing with the excellent onglet steak. Try to snag one of the window alcove tables.

[John W.]

And be sure to drink as much wine as you can. Especially with some else's dime.

[cjsadler]

I was there for lunch last week and it was as good as ever. Fine service. Brian, the chef, made us a tasty and thankfully short tasting menu finishing with the excellent onglet steak. Try to snag one of the window alcove tables.

I was there this past Restaurant Week for lunch and they said the RW lunch special was likely going to be available all year. It included the excellent onglet that I'd like to have again. Is it the RW carry-over menu you had? Or was it a "grizzled restaurant veteran" special tasting menu?

[Mark Sommelier]

I was there for lunch last week and it was as good as ever. Fine service. Brian, the chef, made us a tasty and thankfully short tasting menu finishing with the excellent onglet steak. Try to snag one of the window alcove tables.

I was there this past Restaurant Week for lunch and they said the RW lunch special was likely going to be available all year. It included the excellent onglet that I'd like to have again. Is it the RW carry-over menu you had? Or was it a "grizzled restaurant veteran" special tasting menu?

It was the latter.

[Gary Tanigawa]

Went to CP Steak for a late dinner last night. First time there but not hard to find as the surrounding buildings are closed in the evenings (isn't La Colline nearby?). Valet parking ($5) probably necessary because the number of legal on-street spots looks to be limited.

As others have mentioned, the dining room is impressive. Must be great to sit next to the floor-to-ceiling glass exterior wall when the Capitol is lit. Noise level is high (not annoyingly so) and recorded jazz was played as the crowd thinned. (Is the same designer hired to do the restrooms in all of the recently opened restaurants in DC? At least water does not splatter out of the basin here.) No service issues but most of the crowd was leaving by the time I arrived.

Had the romaine salad; the "crisp pancetta" (bacon strips) complemented the blue cheese in the dressing. Grilled marinated hangar steak had a great texture and flavor (sprinkled with fleur de sel?). I enjoyed both dishes. Do not think others have mentioned it, but the portions are large. Side of hen-of-the-woods was okay; it seemed a bit dry. Dessert was bread pudding, which I cannot describe in detail because it is missing from the web site's menu , topped with a raspberry (?) sorbet. Nice contrasting textures: cake and custard, not too sweet.

Corkage policy (see above) is set out explicitly. Is the eWinebook still being used? I did not see it.

Looking forward to returning for the dry-aged ribeye and the cheese plate!

[bbq4meanytime]

As expected the location makes for good deal making and politiking. Nice digs.

Not my choice but the table ordered the mixed seafood platter (supersized for 6) for the appetizer. The oysters were nice because they were fresh shucked but the seafood (crab, lobster and shrimp) was stale, you could taste "walk-in" infused in the meat. But then again, its a steakhouse and I wouldn't have chosen the seafood platter for an appetizer.

For my entree, I ordered the 18oz NY bone-on strip, medium rare. It came Medium to MW. Damn it, I hate overcooked steaks, especially at a steakhouse. I didn't send it back because I was with clients, but I wasn't happy.

We did kill a couple of bottles 97 Shafer Hillside Select, good juice.

[cjsadler]

If there's a better lunch deal than the $20 three course prix-fixe at CP Steak, I don't know what it is. The hanger steak is one of the entree options and it was fantastic-- tender and flavorful atop a potato gratin with demi-glace. Had a rich celery root soup to start, which had plenty of duck confit, gnocchi and wild mushrooms in it. The caramel mousse for dessert was excellent as well.

I brought along a bottle of Ch. Souverain Cabernet, for which there was no corkage charge. We felt like super-skinflints, but what a deal.... We walked out into the sun completely happy and totally unready for an afternoon of work. Free up your afternoon schedule and get there before this deal ends (I don't know if they'll continue it next year or not-- it's been on for all of 2004).

[bilrus]

This is probably of slightly limited interest, but is actually a pretty good deal as I see it. A local golf magazine - Pros and Hackers - has a deal for $99 that includes two free rounds of golf at two courses, 5 $20 gift certificates for 5 other courses, a $50 gift certificate to a spa in Georgetown and (back to food) a $50 gift certificate to Charlie Palmer Steak good through the end of 2005.

I don't see any limitations listed on the offer for the restaurant. If you play golf (I already know everyone here eats) it should be pretty easy to get your money's worth.

We could even have an eGullet golf and steak event in the spring.

Edited December 24, 2004 by bilrus (log)

[bilrus]

Jenrus and I used the gift certificate I mentioned in the previous post and had an excellent dinner.

As mentioned the room is very cool - modern while maintaining a certain level of comfort. The views of the Capitol are magnificent and remind me of one of the reasons I love living in this city. This is my new answer for the question of where to take an out of town visitor for a "DC" experience (as long as your visitor is willing to drop a few bucks).

We started with salads (the appetizer portion of the menu is a little weak) but both salads were good, especially mine - a spinach and frisee salad with a smoked bacon dressing, poached egg and marinated mushrooms.

Actually we were really started with an amuse of a consomme with basil oil and a shrimp. I alsways like seeing an amuse come out - it just seems to make the meal jump up a notch.

I had the hanger steak that came with fried oysters (these were a little heavy on the breading - nothing like the versions at Firefly or Blacksalt - I guess I've been spoiled on fried oysters lately) and a dijon/mayonnaise sauce. Jen had the Filet with butter poached lobster. We had three sides - goat chees tubetti (a delicious take on mac n' cheese), chanterelles and an impressive looking plate of fries. The fries had nice flavor with their chipotle mayo dipping sauce, but weren't quite a crisp as they looked on the plate. Other than that slight misstep, everything was excellent. Even though it is a whimpy cut - the filet was great - more flavorful than a filet should be.

Desserts were a glass of icewine, a sampler of six sorbets and ice creams and hot chocotalte made tableside with house-made marshmallows. Two large chunks of chocolate in a glass and a pot of hot milk/cream. Hot chocolate for dessert is another one of those things I've been seeing more and more at restaurants - I must like it because I order it every time I see it, but is this becoming the mini-burger of the dessert world?

Service was fine, although courses did come out pretty quickly although we never were conscious of feeling rushed.

All in all, a very good meal with few issues - and surpisingly, even without taking the gift certificate into account, we got out of there for about $200 even with a few glasses of wine.

[JennyUptown]

I'm heading to Charlie Palmer Steak for dinner this week. Even better, I am not paying.

Has anyone other than bilrus (great report, by the way!) been there lately?

[Diner Girl]

Just a quick note to say I had dinner at Charlie Palmer Steak on Friday night and had a fantastic meal. We started with the tuna tartare and kampachi, then had the duck and scallops with sides of mashed potatoes, hen-of-the-woods mushrooms (really made it feel like fall!), and frites. It sort of feels sacrilegious to eat there and *not* order steak, but the duck and the scallops just sounded so good! I hadn't eaten there in a really long time, but was in the area for meetings all day, so I thought I'd give it a go. I remember some of the service and food issues of years past, and I think that's why they fell off the radar for me, but I was really happy with our dinner, and our servers were great. I think I'm going to add them back into the Friday night rotation for two apps and a drink at the bar before heading home -- especially over fall and winter, which seems like the right time to indulge my cravings for mashies, mushrooms and red meat, no?