Posts Tagged ‘restaurant week’

Restaurant Week: February 16-22, 2009

This year’s Restaurant Week led me to the Oval Room, per Todd Kliman’s suggestion. The space is lovely: light and airy with a warm minimalist vibe. Service was decent, though when we asked our waiter to describe menu items (example: “Can you tell me about the braised pineapple dessert?”), he was rather unhelpful (example: “It is a braised pineapple.” End.) The food was nice, and certainly worth the $20 charge for a three-course meal. The standout item was my main entrée, the slow-baked salmon with black beans, avocado, and sake dressing (pictured above). The soft fish and crunchy beans, paired with the tangy sauce, worked wonders together. I wasn’t too keen on the lukewarm cauliflower soup: the pickled apricots were pretty, but tasted funky with the creamy cheese soup. The menu:

Having done this D.C. Restaurant Week thing for 3 years now, here’s my running list of best to worst experiences:

1. The Prime Rib (a slab of juicy prime rib and the creamiest of creamy creamed spinach. ‘Nough said.)
2. Vidalia
3. Corduroy
4. Charlie Palmer Steak
5. The Oval Room
6. IndeBleu (terrible! don’t do it!)

1. Visit the Corcoran. After a four month run, Richard Avedon’s “Portraits of Power” closes Sunday. Take a friend to capitalize on January’s 2-for-1 special. [district, schmistrict]

2. Watch The Wrestler. Watch the washed-up Mickey Rourke make his best-actor comeback at Landmark E Street Theater. The $10 matinée price is hefty for us small-town girls, but I have a feeling this movie will be worth it. Showtimes: 1:45, 4:30, 7:30, or 10:05.

3. Make a reservation for Restaurant Week. Book your table ASAP at Vidalia or the Prime Rib (my two favorite RW options) at Open Table. Then, call to invite me. The three-course meals are $20.09 for lunch, and $35.09 for dinner; the citywide special runs from February 16-22, 2009. If you choose the right restaurant, this is a spectacular deal—especially if you go for lunch.