DC Dining

At the beginning of this month I was in DC to take care of a bunch of personal stuff. I, of course, got together with friends and did some eating and drinking as well as some great shopping at the Leesburg Outlets. Yes, it was great to be in the land of American consumerism once again.

Locanda Cucine Meditalia
I started my restaurant crawl meeting my friend Katie and her soon to be husband Chris - a totally inspiring love can be magical couple - at Locanda on Capital Hill. The restaurant had opened shortly after the move to London and since it was in a location that had been several places I had really enjoyed eating over my years on the Hill, I was anxious to check it out.

The decor was cool, the place was loud and everything when you entered said fun. However, my first glance at the wine list told me this was going to be an uneven experience. The selection was good, but along with the prices, unnecessarily pretentious. This, as we immediately found out, went with the service, which on top of too much 'tude, was also way too in your face. We ordered some prosecco and turned our attention away from our insistent waiter toward the menu.

The peppers stuffed with goat cheese, raisins, olives and pine nuts were a lovely start and went wonderfully with the prosecco. Katie and I both had the ravioli of the day - sweet potato - and they were amazing. The pasta was perfection, the sweet potato flavor lovingly balanced with the light sauce. Unlike the wine prices, the menu prices are extremely reasonable for the level of cuisine.

Since we didn't want the conversation to end, a cheese plate was in order. The cheeses were good, but not wowing. If I'm on the Hill for dinner I will go back, but I won't be going out of my way to get there.

On a side note, Katie and I met at Sonoma before meeting Chris for dinner. I loved hanging out drinking and eating there when I lived on the Hill. One of my last great night's out in DC was there, but it's clearly way past its prime. I can't even recommend it for a glass of wine, let alone a meal. Perhaps the location is cursed, for over 20 years no restaurant has been able to make a real go of it there.

Grand Cru
This is an amazing hidden gem in the Ballston section of Arlington right near my office. I ate there several times this trip. The food is exceptional, and there are a range of dining options. The menu always features tapas and hearty vegetarian salad options with lunch time sandwiches exchanged for cheese and chocolate fondue as well as a wider range of entrees at dinner.

Additionally as a retail wine outlet, it has an extensive selection of wines by the bottle and a team of servers who are passionette about them. The wines by the glass list always includes a few flights to choose from or you can pick something off the shelf to have with your meal for a modest corkage fee. Make sure to say you want to be a member to get a discount on the fee.

The food and the service are consistently high quality and well-priced. The only thing I can't figure out is why more people don't eat there, but that means you never have to wait for a table.

Mio Reprised
If you've been following the blog, you know that last time I was in Washington my friend Suzanne and I had an amazing meal at Mio. Unfortunately the reprise with Janine and Martha was not as attentive or inspired.

All three of us ordered the chef's tasting menu with the wine pairings. The food was excellent, but it wasn't as exciting as it had been last time. I was particularly struck that the first and second courses both featured "smoke" flavor, which is heavy and weary on the palate for two courses on a tasting menu. I did really enjoy the first course which was sweet potato pudding with a smoked froth "topping".

The real problem was the service. We never seemed to be able to get anyone's attention. Our wine glasses remained empty for extended periods of time. When food arrived, it was as if they suddenly remembered the wine and rushed to get it in front of us and then just disappeared again.

I may go back, but only with one other person and only if I can sit at the chef's counter.