Café 15

[Mark Sommelier]

Visited Café 15 in the new Sofitel Hotel with one of my Sunday night dining buddies. I have had several lunches there but this was my first dinner. We started with drinks in Le Bar off the lobby. Very comfortable space, nice furniture- chic and modern. The restaurant was not busy, which is puzzling as this was one of the best meals I have had in a long time. The consulting chef, as many of you know is Antoine Westermann, a 3 star chef from Alsace. We chose the 4 course tasting menu and added a foie gras course. Everything that was brought to our table was delicious and innovatively presented. I selected 2 Burgundies to accompany our meal: Chassagne-Montrachet "Morgeots" Domaine Ramonet 2000 and Corton-Renardes Grand Cru Domaine Pascal Maillard 1997. Both wines showed perfectly. The Ramonet with its power and the Maillard with its subtlety. The courses were as follows:

Amuse: Mousse of tomatoes with bread crackers

Foie Gras: served cool with port gelée and pear compote. This was a great dish. The chardonnay was not working with it so we asked for some Kientzler Pinot Blanc from Alsace. This was a nice match.

Seared Ahi: perfectly rare in the center with tomatoe concassé, the dish was delicious and refreshing.

Lobster tail: again, cooked perfectly to retain the slightly crunchy texture.

Colorado Lamb loin: tender, good flavor, nice vegetable accompaniments.

Dessert: chocolate ganache with crystallized pralines. I should have gobbled this delicious dessert down but I was stuffed at this point. After dessert came a stunning assortment of petits fours, all different.

The service was friendly, professional and unobtrusive. Most of the staff seems to have been French. Pierre, the maitre d' doted on us. This cooking is at a very high level- some of the best in Washington. The 3 star connection is apparent from the beginning. It is surprising this place isn't busier than it is.

Dinner with 2 tasting menus (@$85), 2 bottles of wine (@$105 & $125), 2 extra courses (@$24 each) came to $545. Expensive but worth it.

[tjaehnigen]

Mark, I know you probably hate to hear this, but do they allow corkage?

[vengroff]

Sounds like a great meal, Mark. You mentioned you have been there several times for lunch. Did you get a chance to try the signature frog leg dish?

[tjaehnigen]

Signature frog leg dish? Do tell! I had my first experience with this at Palena a week or so ago. Dee-lish!

Mark, understood. I certainly respect your position, but for me, corkage is the way to go most times. It's a helluva lot cheaper and it allows me to indulge in dining out (well) much more often as a result.

[Malawry]

They come with Alsatian raviolis. I was fortunate enough to be gifted with one when I ate there, from my friend's plate. Ohmy. Like little meaty glazed morsels on a stick (bone).

I also had the fun of doing some trimming on those puppies when I trailed there. They're remarkably satisfying to work with.

Mark, did you have Max as your server by any chance?

[Varmint]

BTW, "Max" is this waiter who has the most cherubic face you'll ever see. He's probably in his late 20s, but he looks 16. Oh, and he's sweet on me!

[Mark Sommelier]

Sounds like a great meal, Mark.  You mentioned you have been there several times for lunch.  Did you get a chance to try the signature frog leg dish?

Darren,

Yes! The frog legs were part of the tasting menu. I've had them there before, too. They were the high point of the meal. The raviolis that accompany them are stuffed with caramelized onions. Great dish.

Tj,

I understand your position. I occasionally bring wine to restaurants, too.

Varmint,

Pierre took care of us all night. The waiter was Mattheu - very gracious French guy.

[tjaehnigen]

Man sounds like I need to go here, if only for the Frog Legs even.

ribbit

[DCMark]

Does anyone have recent experience at Cafe 15 in the Sofitel? I have found a glowing review from Tom S. but its quite old. Is the chef the same? How about the 3-star consultant from France?

How does it compare to Nectar (trying to decide between the two).

Thanks

Mark

Edited May 24, 2004 by DCMark (log)

[Mark Sommelier]

Does anyone have recent experience at Cafe 15 in the Sofitel? I have found a glowing review from Tom S. but its quite old. Is the chef the same? How about the 3-star consultant from France?

How does it compare to Nectar (trying to decide between the two).

Thanks

Mark

I have had many good to great meals at Cafe 15, although none really recently. While I really like the place and the service and cuisine, it just isn't fun sitting in an empty room. I suggest you stop by Le Bar for a cocktail and peruse the menu and dining room. Yes, Antoine Westermann is still the consulting 3 star chef.

[laniloa]

I also really enjoy the bar. My office is down the block so when we want to go for "grown up drinks" or not run into the political crowd at Old Ebbitt, this is where we go. I've never been there for dinner but have really enjoyed the bar menu.

[DCMark]

I wonder if anyone else has recent experience there. It turns out I an old friend works for the hotel so we are going to be enjoying a wonderful room there for our 1-year anniversary. I am leaning towards staying in the same building.

Any other thoughts on Cafe 15 would be appreciated.

[Mark Sommelier]

I had a marvelous lunch yesterday at Cafe 15 in the Sofitel Hotel at 15th and H. The many times I've been there it is always quiet. The food was very good. The chef sent us a 4 course lunch. The amuse of lobster was tasty. The first course was the foie gras terrine with freshly made apricot confiture. Beautiful clean foie gras terrine. Next was pan roasted rockfish on a bed of leeks and potato cubes. The firs was cooked perfectly: crusty outside, pearly white-almost translucent inside. Main course of stuffed guinea hen breast was very satisfying. The dessert of brioche pain perdu with beer flavored ice cream was over the top. The service was discrete and flawless. Why don't more people know about this place?

[mnebergall]

Perhaps people generally eschew restaurants in chain hotels. Also, there are so many good places to eat, the Sofitel is not something that would come to mond. I think Rocks tried to suggest hitting their bar after work one time and I don't think he got any takers. Corduroy perhaps has a similar problem.

Edited October 19, 2004 by mnebergall (log)

[Mark Sommelier]

Perhaps people generally eschew restaurants in chain hotels.  Also, there are so many good places to eat, the Sofitel is not something that would come to mond.  I think Rocks tried to suggest hitting their bar after work one time and I don't think he got any takers.  Corduroy perhaps has a similar problem.

←

That may be true, but few if any chain hotels have a 3 star Michelin chef (Antoine Westermann) overseeing their restaurant operation and training their chefs.

[morela]

Mark, could it be the prices?

I've only heard positive things about the place, but it's true, not enough as of late (and very little in this forum).

Maybe the type of people who pass time on the Internet all day are the same kind sniffing around for "little plates" and nine dollar burgers ...and hours of happiness, I mean, happy hours.

I've seen the lunchtime receipts from there (without spirits), and they are large.

I've had cocktails in that elegant lounge and that's it.

[JennyUptown]

Mark - was the meal that the chef "sent" you what you think would be typical for an average diner? Were the dishes you received all on the menu?

Just curious.

[Mark Sommelier]

Mark - was the meal that the chef "sent" you what you think would be typical for an average diner?  Were the dishes you received all on the menu?

Just curious.

←

All the dishes were on the menu. Being force fed foie gras isn't bad. I was really craving the frogs legs that they have at dinner, but that didn't happen. There weren't more than 20 people there at lunch. I'm sure everyone had the same food that I had. I want everyone to think about this: Quality and Quiet. What is that worth to you? Lots, I think.

[DCMark]

I will bite. However, I am reluctant to go to far since I was treated very well by the hotel.

We went to Cafe 15 for our anniversary earlier this year. I was both excited by the pedigree of its chef and wary of the complete lack of buzz on this list. Tom S's review was good but a bit dated.

Sadly, I found it uninspiring. The setting is ok but the dining room was deadly quiet on a Saturday night. The lack of other patrons gave the place a tomb-like feeling and it made it difficult to relax.

The service stood out as quite mediocre. I did not feel the waiter understood the menu and he lacked any passion for the food. Most disturbingly, there was no sommellier that night and the waiter was not enthusiastic about recommendations.

It has been a long time so I do not remember the food, except to say it was good but not great. Nothing stands out in my mind which tells me something. Sorry I cannot offer more detail.

Certainly this restaurant has potential. But it needs a bit more passion in the front room and consistency in the kitchen. I have a feeling Philippe Piel was not working the night we were there.

Mark, I had considered Citronelle for that night too. So my expectations were quite high.

Edited October 20, 2004 by DCMark (log)

[Gary Tanigawa]

Antoine Westermann has been the "consulting chef" at Café 15 in the Sofitel Lafayette Square since its opening in 2002. Of course, he does not live in DC but the hotel's publicity promises that he visits several times a year (and the resident chef is supposed to have trained with Westermann). I have only had lunch there but would like to try dinner. Does anyone have any experience to share about dinner at Café 15?

I'm also on a mailing list for the restaurant. Antoine Westermann will be in the kitchen on June 28 and 29 to "personally prepare a spectacular dinner" so is there a significant difference when he is visiting? In any case, it looks like a good chance to sample the restaurant: $59 per person, excluding tax and gratuities.

Maine lobster gourmandise - cauliflower cream, vegetable tartar, crustacean jelly

roasted sea bass - gingerbread crust, spiced emulsion

Colorado lamb trilogy - chop and shoulder with braised rib stuffed tomato, eggplant confit, pearl onions

pistachio and coconut soft cake - strawberry and rhubarb au jus, sorbet

I'll let you know if I make it there.

[dinwiddie]

My wife and son took me out to dinner last month at Cafe 15 for my birthday. I made the reservation on OpenTable and there was no problem at all.

The room is small, probably only holds 50-60 max. but nicely set up and very soothing. Service was everything one could ask for, discrete, efficient and friendly. I took a 2002 Martinelli Sonoma Coast Charles Ranch Chard. and a 2002 WesMar Piner Ranch PN with me to dinner. The server opened both and put the Martinelli in an ice bucket next to the table.

The meal started with an amuse from the chef, a foie gras and fig soup. Startling flavor from the figs really set up the foie gras. Excellent, even my wife liked it (and she does not like foie gras)

For dinner, my son started with the warm spring vegetable casserole in basil olive oil. He then had the pan-seared sweetbread salad with green asparagus and a hazelnut vinaigrette. For his main course he ordered the rack of Colorado lamb and parmentier with fennel puree and minced lamb vegetable confit. All were delicious. He especially like the fenel puree with minced lamb, saying that the flavors married especially well. For dessert he had the signature dessert, a beer brioche with beer ice cream. Interesting to say the least, and very good.

My wife had the Chesapeake lump crab cake in spiced crust. It was served with a crunch vegetable tartar. No filler to be seen, perfectly cooked, and full of flavor. She then had the Maine lobster with ginger flavored onion ravioli in a kaffir lime sauce. This was the dish of the night. The lobster, steamed and served out of the shell was perfectly cooked and beautifully presented. The ravioli was delightful and the sauce perfectly complemented both. For dessert she had a spiced orange terrine with coconut icecream.

I started with the duck foie grass terrine with fig marmalade, port wine aspic and country bread. Smooth, rich and creamy, it was to die for. The fig marmalade was so rich it was sinful. I then had the risotto with woodland mushrooms, asparagus, and parsley puree with shaved Parmesan cheese. The risotto was very creamy, but a little too much parsley for my taste, however it was very good. I went on th the Black Angus tournedos with a tian of vegetables and sauteed fingerling potatoes. The beef was perfect, you could almost cut it with the fork. The tian of vegetables was beautifully set up, and the presentation perfect. I ended with three scoops of sorbet, two passon fruit and one of rasberry, served in a dark chocolate waffle basket. The sorbet was perfect. I love passon fruit sorbet and this was one of the best I've had, sweet yet puckeringly tart.

Coffee for me (French press) cappuccino for my wife and lemon herbal tea for my son ended the meal, so we thought. However they brought out a plate of chocolates and candies with three sinfully rich dark chocolate truffles. Then they brought out a plate with Happy Birthday written on it in chocolate with a square of tiramisu and a candle. They didn't sing than goodness. We left so full we could hardly move.

The wines were perfect with the meal. The Martinelli was delicious. Very concentrated, with flavors of pears, figs, honey and spicy citrus with just enought oak. Nice mouth feel and a long finish. The WesMar was out of this world. A nose of plums and caramel, it tasted of black plums, cherry, anise and coacoa. The mouthfeel was thick and smooth, overpowering the tastebuds at times. The finish was long and memorable. Powerful wine and very much a RRV PN.

They did not charge me a corkage fee, thought I don't know if it was because it was Sunday or my birthday. In any event, they said that they do not get many people who bring their own wine. I left a glass of the WesMar for the servers, who said they would be sure to drink it at the end of the night. Because it was also Mother's Day, they gave my wife a beautiful rose as we left. All in all, it was a very enjoyable experience and shows that hotel restaurants do not have to be boring.