Category Archives: $$$$

The Chesapeake Room

Posted on by Hungry in DC

Location: Eastern Market

Price: $$$$

Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary: A superb showcase of the area’s best seasonal flavors with minor mis-steps in execution 

As the blue crab season winds down, we were glad to have finally made our way to The Chesapeake Room, one of few restaurants we hadn’t sampled on Barrack’s Row. Usually when we’re on 8th St, we have a different restaurant in mind or look at the menu and opt for a cheaper option (there are plenty around). Yet, the open-aired seating at the bar and cozy atmosphere of the back patio complimented the night’s weather so well that we couldn’t resist. In hindsight, we can’t imagine why it took us so long to make the trip.

Before we had even started our dining experience, it was obvious that one of the highlights of The Chesapeake Room was the ambiance. The open air seating was lovely, the deep, atlantic blue walls and rich wood moulding offset by the candles. The atmosphere was casual, but refined. We sat on the patio, complete with ceiling fans and rolling upholstered arm chairs. Our server bent over backwards to find the right bottle of wine to match our first thoughts for entrees and sold us on more than one of our ultimate selections.

Our first order was the Cucumber soup, freshly pureed cucumber with sour cream and parsley. Crisp and light, the soup had a surprisingly full body for that with a cucumber-base. This was thanks in part to the addition of sour cream that also lent some pleasant tang without dominating the cucumber flavor. The aftertaste had a slight spice and brought out a great finish on the soup. If you usually don’t partake in sour cream, we recommend you simply ignore the fact that it’s there and enjoy the combination, only a slight tang from the cream catching on our tongues. Besides enjoying the soup itself, it was refreshing to have a chilled soup that didn’t have a tomato base and reminded us what we loved best about summer.

For our second order, we chose the Cream of crap soup, a creamy mix of lump crab and cayenne pepper. While there wasn’t a large amount of actual crab in the soup, the crustacean’s flavor shown through brightly and what crab we did enjoy was wonderfully delicate. WIth a full body that didn’t weigh down our palate, this was one of the better versions of this classic dish that we have encountered this summer.

With the name Chesapeake Room, we would have been remised not to have ordered the Maryland crab cakes, two cakes of lump crab topped with a small amount of whole grain mustard creme and served with a watercress salad, house slaw and house mac-n-cheese. The crab cakes had little filler and were bound by a a black pepper and mayo combination, allowing the succulent flavor of the  quality crab to boldly shine through without any extras getting in the way. The mustard creme topping the cakes complimented the crab well and thankfully the amount of sauce didn’t drown out the fresh crustacean.  Unfortunately, everything else of the plate seemed like a throw-away after thought, the mac-n-cheese having a grainy texture and very thin body. While we appreciated the attention given to the crab, too often restaurants follow this pattern of serving two crab cakes and leaving you with nothing else on the plate to look forward to.

For our final plate, we decided on the Eastern shore bourbon & honey glazed farmhouse chicken, served with a mix of jasmine rice, sautéed green apples, white raisins, arugula and topped with a honey curry sauce. Served bone-in, the chicken was tender and a joy to eat, the glazing on the skin highlighting the sweetness of the chicken with notes of honey. The honey curry sauce covering the bird seemed like a forced combination and, while the chicken tasted well enough with the it, each aspect of the sauce seemed to compete with each other. The jasmine rice mixed with small pieces of green apple and red onion gave the dish a soft, sweet/tart mixed character that we had seen attempted before, but not successfully executed until now.

The Chesapeake Room prides itself on bringing an organic, sustainable & free range dining experience while bringing to life the natural & fresh taste of each season. Everything we were served whole-heartily supported their boast and, combined with on of the most inviting atmospheres in the area, put it in our minds as one of the better restaurants available on Barracks row. Although some items on the plates could be improved or given more attention, the meal overall sold us on the idea of coming back again before the end of the blue crab season. It may not be the cheapest option on 8th St, but it’s hard to argue that you don’t get your money’s worth.

The Chesapeake Room on Urbanspoon

Obelisk

Posted on by Hungry in DC

Location: Dupont Circle

Price: $$$$

Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary: An intimate and impressive modern Italian experience

With only 37 seats in a single room, you will be hard pressed to find a more intimate or personable dining experience in the district than Obelisk. While we may not have had a chef or fireplace at our table, the family dining room atmosphere worked perfectly with the restaurant’s theme of classic Italian flavors with some modern twists. The menu itself is hand written and is a constantly changing line up of courses and dishes, one week’s list likely different from the next. Pair that creativity with a kitchen using only the best local ingredients and you get a dining experience that is executed to near perfection.

Our first course was actually a variety of antipasta dishes. Every dish had the feel of classic Italian flavors and traditional starter plates with a local twist or a creative technique. The burata was a plate of fantastically fresh cow cheese with a light salt, pepper, and olive oil drizzle. The squab liver pudding was an unusual addition, but the meat pate’s smoky flavor combined with the candied hazelnuts was divine. Although the sardines cooked in prosecco were tad on the salty side, the sweet wine and onions helped lighten and balance it out. The grapefruit and fennel salad served as not much more than a plate of fruit, but the blood oranges and beets were a nice combination. Our last anitpasta dish were balls of risotto and cheese, breaded and fried to perfection so the innards melted in our mouth. The variety of ingredients and different styles of these starters plates surpassed anything we had expected to be served for only an antipasta course, setting the expectations for the rest of our meal high.

Our first pasta selection was tagliolini with sea urchin, a bowl of long and thin noodles and freshly prepared sea urchin. Be it the natural flavor of the sea urchin or an addition by the kitchen, we tasted little else than the flavor of sea water, the salt overpowering anything we could hope to taste.

Next we were served the arugula ravioli and Virginia ham, tightly packed pasta of ricotta and arugula decorated with small cubes of cooked ham. Cooked al denti, the firm ravioli still broke apart easily to spill the succulent filling, the arugula and slight amount of melted ricotta combining seamlessly with the hint of garlic cream sauce that barely made notice of itself at first glance. The consistency of the ham was pitch perfect, cooked well enough to eliminate a raw texture, but still far from giving an incompatible crunch. While we would have enjoyed the pasta to have been cooked a touch more, it would be hard to say no to another helping with such proud flavors.

For our Secondi, we first chose the duck breast, served with stoved tongue-of-fire beans. Although our duck was served rarer than some may be used to, the meat was incredibly succulent and barely clung to the fat surrounding the tender bird. A tad on the salty side, the tongue-of-fire beans followed suit, absorbing the juice and broth of the duck while adding its own texture and profile.

Our second entree was the culotte with escarole and onion. Our server described our cut of meat as a domestic version of kobe beef and the flavor didn’t let us down. Tender and juicy, the steak was cooked immaculately and had a wonderful smoky undertone. The onions and escarole by themselves were either overly sweet or salty. Combining either with a cut of beef brought to light the thought behind the pairing. Yet, the meat rang most true by its lonesome, the quality of the meat not to be understated.

For our final course, we decided on the chocolate cake with caramel sauces, surprisingly light piece of cakes topped with powdered sugar and surrounded by a pool of two different melted caramels. Luckily, the rich chocolate taste wasn’t overpowered by the super sweet sauces, although we eventually felt as though we had ingested enough sugar to last two meals. We whole-heartily suggest a latte afterwards.

Our second dessert was the Blood orange panna cotta, a long plate of what looked like a deconstructed cake with a crust of homemade short bread, panna cotta, and blood oranges separated. Although the crust and panna cotta worked well together, the acidity and tang of the blood orange didn’t pair well with the creamy flavor or smooth texture of the panna cotta. While we can grasp where the concept behind it, the dish simply didn’t come together.

It would be hard not to recommend Obelisk to the average Washingtonian. This unassuming restaurant offered us some of the best Italian we have had in the District in an intimate atmosphere second to none. However, some of the dishes just didn’t perform as well as others or came off as not fully thought out. This inconsistency makes us second guess the price tag associated with the meal, as the $75 three course meal is the only option available, but those dishes that were executed well were near perfect and made the meal. If you’re looking for a new place for that special occasion, Obelisk is well worth your time. If you’re looking for to just satisfy that Italian craving, there are other, cheaper options available.

America Eats Tavern

Posted on by Hungry in DC

Location: Penn Quarter

Price: $$$$

Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary: A delicious journey through America’s culinary history, an experience too good to last

Entering America Eats Tavern was like entering a culinary Newseum, the former Café Atlántico transformed into a scene of old Uncle Sam ads and war time ration posters. The whole point of José Andrés’ temporary restaurant is to mirror the exhibit “What’s cooking, Uncle Sam?” showing at the nearby National Archives. Like the museum’s display, the decor and menu are inspired by the evolution of American cuisine through waves of immigrants, depressions and wars. As our culture has developed, so has what we’ve eaten. Andrés’ restaurant celebrates that growth and development by gathering original recipes of classic American dishes and letting that history become an integral part of the experience. Every item on the menu has an explanation for how it developed or was established as the American icon it is today. Luckily, Andrés has take a poetical license with the quality of the otherwise ordinary ingredients and re-imagined with modern techniques.

When our waitress arrives, she gives the background of Jose Andrés’ vision and explains that most of the items on are of small-plate portions. With the variety and amount of history on the menu, it would be easy to leave America Eats with a bill well above what you had intended to pay going in. Pacing ourselves, we decide on only a few appetizers and entrees, ignoring that voice inside us reminding us that the restaurant is around on only a temporary basis.

Our first dish of the night was Clinton’s Gazpacho, a chilled tomato soup with minced tomatoes, onions, garlic and sprinkles of cilantro. It bears the name of the former Democratic president because of its introduction to the White House in 1998, 160 years after one of the earliest America recipes for the classic soup. Jose Andre’s own version of the dish was one of the best versions we have ever enjoyed, the light and refreshing soup combining effortlessly working in the spice with the delicate flavors of the included vegetables. With a healthy portion at a restaurant billed for smaller portions, this soup is a must try for as long as it will linger on America Eats’s fall menu.

The second item we decided to start with was Peanut Soup, something that we’ve never heard of at any other restaurant. The restaurant’s chefs take crushed peanuts, peanut praline and mace to recreate a dish close to the recipe of Rufus Estes, a man born as a slave and rising to become executive chef of a Chicago restaurant. When first tasting from our bowl, we first needed to accept that fact that this was indeed a soup made from peanuts and the overwhelming flavor of the dish was in fact peanuts. While we were not fans immediately of the dish, the light and silky peanut liquid grew on us, appreciating the almost sour qualities of the soup and bold approach the restaurant kitchen took with the dish. Our admiration was short lived, the heavy hints of salt and grainy textures of the minced peanuts made us wish that the portion wasn’t as large as we had been served. A sprinkled line of nutmeg and smear of slated peanut butter compelled us to only consume more of our iced water, having ingested more than our fair share of sodium in such a short time. A dish like peanut soup is something that any devoted fan of peanut butter should try, even if it is only once.

Our third dish was the Chesapeake Crabcakes with Pickled Watermelon Salad, lump cakes of combined blue crab and crab caviar with diced cubes of pickled watermelon by a very small amount of green leaf salad. As with every other dish, the history provided on the menu is half the fun of ordering, America Eats informing us that the first known recipe of this classic Chesapeake dish was published by the landmark Lord Baltimore Hotel in 1932. The lump blue crab was full of flavor, mixed with roe and a very small amount of veg. A scrape of the provided lemon butter sauce complimented the crab naturally and breathed even more life into the cake. However, when taking a bite, the crab cake loses its form, mushing apart in your mouth instead of melting away. While it may not be awarded first place in any Chesapeake competition, all of the traditional flavors were still there. The paired pickled watermelon salad was a fantastic addition to the plate, allowing the diner to cleanse their palates between bites. The sugar and water from each cube of the melon allowed us a new opportunity to enjoy a bite of the crab cake fresh, almost like it was our first bite of the meal and contemplate anew the flavors of the lump shellfish. We onlyed wish the crab cake itself has become better with each bite.

When looking for a second entree, we voiced to our waitress some hesitation ordering the Mutton with Oysters, an uncertainty that quickly disappeared when she informed us that only young lamb was used for the dish. When it arrived at the table, we knew we had made the right decision. The round cut of lamb was covered with a thick, brown stock gravy and paired with lightly browned cubes of potato and four breaded, fried oysters. The referenced 1845 recipe called for hanging the mutton for “some days” then salting it for two more days. What we were served instead was an incredibly tender piece of lamb, beautifully medium rare and heightened by the brown gravy. The potato cubes were lightly crisped on the outside and flaky on the inside, like small portions of baked potatoes. The breaded oysters can only be described “kentucky fried oysters”, an interesting take that still complimented the overall dish. Small dabs of a butter lemon sauce accompanied the breaded oysters, an image that reminded us of chicken fingers with honey mustard. Although we were told that most of the dishes served at America Eats were small portioned plates, the Mutton with Oysters put a lot of small, heavy items together and filled us quickly with a harmony of rich flavors.

Even though we were stuffed at the end of our entrees, the list of desserts and the historical descriptions made them irresistible. Pineapple Upside Down Cake has always been something dear to our heart and it was hard to resist ordering it when saw it on the menu. Once again, our waitress sensed the doubt in our eyes of handling such a traditionally heavy desert at the end of a meal and let us know that Jose Andrés’ version was much lighter than Rombauer’s 1925 Joy of Cook recipe. A warm pineapple sauce covered the cake that is bordered by additional cubes of the tropical fruit and glob of heavy whipped cream. Cutting into the dessert confirmed again the knowledge of our server, the moist cake light and fluffy barely holding any weight on our fork, but packed the usual amount of flavor of the typical version. The whipped cream was also remarkably light, its vanilla flavor pairing just as well as regular ice cream without the heavy mass. The bottom of the cake was slightly burnt, but that is often the case with Pineapple Upside Down Cake. This was a great interpretation of the classic and perfect, light ending to our meal.

It’s a shame that America Eats Tavern is only a temporary feature in Washington. With a menu that naturally evolves with the seasons and even American holidays, the only limit is what we can learn about ourselves through food. Yet, part of the excitement of the restaurant is its short lifespan. The rich history and breadth of thought placed in the menu is only rivaled by the skill of the kitchen and the quality of the plates served. Not everything we had was the best interpretation that each dish we enjoyed, but the food was really only half of the experience. There were a dishes lot we didn’t have time or capacity to enjoy at America Eats (namely the drink menu) and will likely be back for more soon.