Nectar

[Mark Sommelier]

Any specific standout recommendations? And any wines by the glass you thought were exceptional?

I very much liked the Auxerrois from Josmeyer. Order the tuna appetizer, the soft shells and the pea soup. All of the main courses I tried were exceptional. Don't forget the cheese course!!

[hjshorter]

I just made a reservation at Nectar through www.opentable.com for 7/12. What a great service. Vengroff, is there any real value in becoming an opentable member?

[sara]

Yes--if you become an opentable member, then you accumulate points and earn gift certificates. For example, I have 1100 points (for making and keeping maybe 6 reservations) and now get a $10 gift certificate to use at an open table restaurant.

[vengroff]

I've got the opentable certificate points too, but I haven't used them yet. I thought you had to join to use the service. Either I was mistaken, or they have changed their policy.

[hjshorter]

Becoming a member was optional when I made my reservation today.

Edited to add that while Darren's review was great, it was actually Mark's line about the cheese that made me want to go.

This cheese was so pungent, I had visions of bacteria line dancing on my tongue.

Edited June 25, 2003 by hjshorter (log)

[sara]

Had a lovely meal at Nectar tonite. So impressive--this is what DC's needed for a long time IMO.

Mom and I enjoyed the pea soup (OUTSTANDING, even tho it was hot, which was unexpected on such a hot day), softshells (good, even tho we don't love tempura on those delicate creatures), veal cheeks (AWESOME dish, period), and the peach cake w/ bourbon ice cream. Dessert was the most impressive--that dish knocked my socks off. I would eat 3 of those a day if I could.

I had a nice glass of red wine from Baja (name escapes me at the moment). Jared (I think it was Jared) came over several times, said Mark and Vengroff had been there alot, he's very excited about the Egullet reviews, very nice guy. All of our servers were knowledgeable, well-spoken and exceedingly polite. (Oh, the bread was good too. Up there w/ 2941 IMO).

Mom has promised to take me back there everytime I make the trip from Philly. What an incentive to endure I-95....

[saycheese]

I'm impressed by all the glowing reviews. My husband and I thought about going to Nectar one night recently after the movies. It was around 9:55 on a weeknight when we walked in the door, and asked for a table. The maitre d' said "we're closed." Not even, "I'm sorry, we're closed." We looked around and saw about half of the tables were occupied. The maitre d', seeing our puzzled expressions, said that they stop seating people at 9:45, and that next time we should make a reservation -- 2 weeks in advance. Although the menu looked great, the demeanor of the maitre d' was pretty unfriendly. We went to Dish instead, and had a really good meal -- a different kind of cooking than Nectar, but really well executed, and the service was excellent, and friendly! Plus, they stay open until 11:00. I'm sure we'll try Nectar, but certainly will prefer Dish for a spontaneous post-cinema meal.

[Steve Klc]

Initial glowing reviews aside, it still comes down to one on one interactions--with unknown diners--a whole slew of them built up over time. It never ceases to amaze me how good people skills, a gentle smile, an empathetic tone will always trump policy and procedure, whether an establishment uses OpenTable or not and whatever the reservation policy is, it always always comes back to people skills. How a phone call is answered, how one is greeted at the door, makes a lasting impression. Thanks for sharing that report saycheese, my guess is it was the end of a frustrating night for that guy. I hope it proves to be an aberration. Plus, just after a review hits is a stressful time for a restaurant.

[bilrus]

Wife and I went last night.

Everything was very good, from the bread (which I thought was even better than 2941 especially the pain de campagne and the asiago) to the desserts.

There were a few changes to the menu - unfortunately both things I wanted to order, but the replacements weere both very good. In place of the pea soup (they said it was too hot) they have added a cucumber gazpacho with beets, dill, basil oil and buffalo yogurt. If that sounds like a lot happening in the bowl - it was, but in a "flavors exploding in your mouth" sort of way. The bread and butter pudding with chocolate milkshake has been replaced with a small muffin like cake in a crock with six of the best white cherries I have ever eaten served alongside a White Russian milkshake. They seem to put a lot of thought into their desserts which is a nice change from many other restaurants as Steve Klc and others have mentioned on other threads. The only mishit of the night was the bourbon ice cream which was a little harsh, a bit like a shot of Jim Beam in a bowl.

As for the wines - my wife and I can barely be classified as beginners in drinking wine. But the sommelier pared wines with our dishes and all were good. We didn't think to ask about the prices before ordering the service, so we were pleasantly surprised to find that his choices were in the affordable end of the range.

All in all a good evening in a nice, cozy spot.

Edited July 13, 2003 by bilrus (log)

[saycheese]

Last night my husband and I went to Nectar, and now I'd like to join the ranks of those singing Nectar's praises. Jared was in charge of the front of the house and was very hospitable. He even spent about an hour with us after dinner discussing the previous service issue that I had posted here about a week or two ago. Our server (Bryce) was knowledgeable and engaging, without overdoing it. The food was really delicious and attractively presented -- the crystal and china are what you would expect in higher end restaurants -- wine glasses that are the right shape and size for what you're drinking, and that feel good in the hand, gleaming white plates of different shapes and sizes that really suit the presentation of the food.

Here's what we ate:

Him: cold cucumber gazpacho with beets, ginger and basil

Her: Soft shell crab in a light tempura batter

Him: Pheasant with pureed potatoes, morels, and black truffle

Her: Scallops with chorizo, subtly coated with a curry-flavored sauce

Shared: Baked alaska with prune/armagnac ice cream and an armagnac/citrus sauce

The wine list is definitely interesting, and we thought it had some good values. With the first course we had a glass of non-vintage sparkling wine (him) and a glass of the Josmeyer Auxerrois (her), and then we had a bottle of Salice with the main course -- all were delicious. Ditto the comments by others about the excellent bread -- 3 kinds were being served (Asiago, Semolina and Raisin/Walnut).

I only wish there had been one or two more scallops on my plate -- they were so tasty.

Nectar seems to be in very good hands. We hope they continue to maintain this level of quality. The Foggy Bottom/Kennedy Center area really needs more good restaurants like this.

[vengroff]

Jared was in charge of the front of the house and was very hospitable.  He even spent about an hour with us after dinner discussing the previous service issue that I had posted here about a week or two ago.

Sometimes the best way to judge the quality of service is by how management reacts to the problems that do come up. I'm glad to hear Jared addressed your concerns. Gordon Ramsay would be proud.

[New2DC]

My wife and I just moved here from Atlanta, and a friend of ours there recomended this site to us as a way to find out where and what to eat. After all the great talk about Nectar we decided to make it our first major dining experience in DC, and boy did it pay off. My wife and I both started with the cold cucumber soup with baby beets and yogurt. Wonderful. She then had the seared tuna with carrots and sweet onions. (I didn't even get a taste) I had duck done two ways as my entree. My server described the little presentation of pulled duck leg and parsnip on one side of the plate as "a little shepard's pie." The presentation was amazing, and the dish was cooked perfectly. For dessert we had the peach upside down cake and the cherry cafloutis. Both were amazingly prepared and fresh out of the oven. We loved the wine list as well, and tried several new things. Thanks for the great recomendation, everyone.

[bilrus]

Glad you enjoyed it. Welcome to DC.

[sara]

Had yet another lovely experience at Nectar last night. Good friend and I stopped by for a glass of wine before our dinner reservation at Kinkeads (OY, more on that later) to celebrate his 40th bday. We arrived to an empty bar and very friendly bartender, who proceeded to dazzle us with many tastes from their white wine list..we eventually ended up with a glass of the Torrontes from Uruguay (me) and the pinot gris from Oregon (him). Delicious way to start the evening. Even more fun for us was the opportunity to spend nearly an hour chatting with Jared, Jamie, and the super-funny bartender. The wonderful wine, sparkling conversation, and fantastic gazpacho we were treated to was a great way to start the birthday evening.

We should never have left...

Kinkeads was AWFUL. Jared warned us, we should've listen. Oh well, live and learn. (I'd rather not get into the whole negative review, but suffice it to say most everything was bad--the fumbling hostess, inept server, mediocre clams, horrific oversauced entrees--monkfish & scallops with watery vegs, the bday candle in a mug...Saving grace was a great Turley Zinfandel.)

What a study in contrasts--everyplace that Kinkeads fails, Nectar succeeds.

Which is why we'll be going back to Nectar, time and time again.

Edited August 8, 2003 by sara (log)

[mazman]

As "him" I concur completely with the previous posting...both times I have been to Nectar (without "her") have been teriffic...

One addition, the Pinot Gris was from Bergstrom Winery, either a 2000 or 01, and was amazing...well worth going out of your way to try.

[John W.]

Finally made it on Monday night. Kat (Slater's assistant sommelier) joined us. Food was very, very focused and very, very tight. None of the "look at me" ego food either. From memory:

Gazpacho of horseradish and dill with goat's yogurt (done tableside)

Roasted halibut with spring pea sauce and lime leaf emulsion

Tuna carpaccio with pine nuts (awesome presentation)

Garam masala braised veal cheeks with golden lentil-squash puree, goat's yogurt and baby cilantro(with all due respect paid to other restaurants, one of the best dishes I've eaten this year)

One of us had the scallops with chorizo, which was equally good

Cheese - 5, great variety, especially the epoisses that was served in a bowl due to inherent runniness

Desserts Baked Alaska with prune? ice cream and armagnac sauce, cherry clafoutis with some kind of warm shake thing, and some chocolate thing (I have an allergy to chocolate) I didn't taste. Was getting a touch foggy at this stage, so apologies for the dessert innacurracies.

Wines where paired by Mr. Slipp, all quite nice and appropriate, but escape memory.

Yes these guys are my friends, but even so, I left quite impressed.

[DonRocks]

Okay, so Jarad and Jamie are two people I now consider as friends as well, and yet I have never seen them outside of being a diner in their restaurant. So what does that tell you about how comfortable they make me feel in their fine establishment?

These guys have welcome all over them. It's such a wonderful place to eat. Let's scrutinize that last sentence: "it's such a wonderful place to eat." It is! Basically, a couple of guys doing the best they can with a relatively modest budget and space, and oh did I mention they manage to have THE best cheese course in the city? And one of the best dessert selections? And one of the hippest wine lists? And that their veal cheeks rock you into oblivion (even though the occasional pastachiao nut is extraneous)? And that their tuna tartare really rocks? And that their halibut with peeled cherry tomatos just kills, and only perhaps lacks a touch of coarse salt? And the their Hudson Valley foie gras goes really well now with their caramelized bananas (a dish I initially complained about several months ago)? Plus it's offered with two very cool tasting wines. If you weren't a baller before you hit this place, you'll leave a baller, my friend.

Nectar makes me happy, happy to be getting to know the staff, proud to know two young men who are intent on kicking some ass, and comfortable that I can walk in this place and be welcome, and have a killer meal at a price that won't break the bank. I'm thankful for Jameson and Jarad because they're making an effort to do it right. They have my respect and admiration, and they'll also have my repeat business.

Rocks

-------

P.S written at 10:50 AM the next day - Hoo boy, nothing like coming home toasted and typing an overly gushing posting on your laptop at a 45-degree angle. Oh well, I'll leave it as is. Nice spelling, Don.

Edited August 26, 2003 by DonRocks (log)

[John W.]

Anybody that serves beer as a food/beverage pairing must be the man. I think it was the beer that put me over the top.

Anyone that greets you at the door as "here comes the ballers" is worthy of several Michelin stars.

Lat night, we were, in fact, ballers.

[Mark Sommelier]

Anybody that serves beer as a food/beverage pairing must be the man. I think it was the beer that put me over the top.

Anyone that greets you at the door as "here comes the ballers" is worthy of several Michelin stars.

Lat night, we were, in fact, ballers.

Damn, Wabeck, I keep forgetting how young you are! The peach beer from Belgium was the coolest part of the dinner we had.

[mazman]

I think this thread is right on, went back to Nectar a few days after my last post with friends for dinner...meal was consistently excellent, lost all the details (written down) somewhere in Massachussetts, but the Sea Bass was stellar, in my mind more impressive even that the (impressive) Veal Cheeks. But what wins me over about Nectar is the attitude--Jared, Jamie and others are nice people who care deeply about food and wine and the restaurant experience...and can deliver the goods. This is a quality that is missing in alot of DC restuantants (for whatever reason) and one I have experienced in many smaller restuantant NY, San Fran, Philly etc. In short, good folks, who know and care a lot, at a small scale, with high quality results...hope this is a sign of things to come

[Gastro Gnome]

Thanks for the great recomendation, guys. This is possibly the best meal I've had in DC, and well worth the trip from Potomac. I wish a place this good would open up in Maryland.

-GG

[morela]

Nectar does Rock!

Foodwise everything is treasurey, but be sure to try tuna app, duck and scallops at some point. You'll like all of it, I promise. mmm good wine by glass and exceptional service at the bar.

You can even watch MAD TV with closed captions on Saturdays.

Four stars!

Edited October 2, 2003 by meaghanfitzgerald (log)

[morela]

http://www.foodandwine.com/printerready.cf...616CC8700AEE5CF

Food & Wine mag online could do without so many cruise ads.

Sorry no art attached to the link...

[Tweaked]

Can anyone help me out with an approximate price range and/or a website for Nectar with a sample menu...thanks

[vengroff]

Can anyone help me out with an approximate price range and/or a website for Nectar with a sample menu...thanks

Here are the goods.