Central Michel Richard: Deep Fried de Tocqueville
Written by DCist Contributor Gayle S. Putrich
It’s springtime in D.C. and apparently, if you’re a rock star chef, that means it’s time to open a moderately priced, bistro/brasserie/kinda casual place. Thanks to this little trend, I’ve managed to score some seriously good eats without going broke. But if you haven’t got the cash or the time to take the Tour of Bistros right now, stick with one of many reasonably priced delectable dishes at Central Michel Richard.
There’s a lot of homey Southern comfort food to be had at Central (pronounced cen-TRAHL), between the fried chicken, brussels sprouts and apple pandowdy, and its all handed over with a little French twist (Or it is really just a Michel Richard twist?).
Usually this goes well. Hangar steak is perfectly done and the oil/butter combo they’re cooking the fries in is so good they should put it in stores. The “Central steak sauce” on the 72-hour spareribs is superb; whatever it is, I'd like to roll around in it. But, there are times when the approach falls short, as with the dijonnaise that was served in a gravy boat alongside the perfectly fried chicken. The sauce was memorable only for how overbearing and out of place it seemed on the juicy chicken’s fluffy herbed crust.
As good as most of the entrees are, it’s the appetizers that will keep me coming back to Central. Chunks of whatever looks good that day in the walk-in meat locker make for a delicious and ever-changing charcuterie plate. For my friend and me, though, it was the paté that was to die for–chicken liver spiked with 20 percent foie gras and topped with a delicate geleé. If someone had kept the paté and the piles of warm, fluffy, cheesy gougeres coming, we probably would have attempted to move in. Richard continues to work magic with chicken livers in the “faux gras” terrine and duck rillettes appetizer. I guess only a Frenchman could make asparagus be all it can be with only a simple vinaigrette, and while I still haven’t had one of my own, I totally coveted the crab cake on a neighboring table.
Mad props have to go out to Central's staff, particularly our waiter Gustavo, whom we unintentionally tortured by lingering too long over the menu (read: being gabby girls instead of figuring out what we wanted to eat), refusing to part with our paté (he tried to take it away at least three times), and ordering a totally inappropriate bottle of wine. I thought that the disapproving look he shot me when I pointed at the 2005 pinot noir was because he thought we had had enough. It was actually because the bottle was way, way too young. We swirled. A lot. But Gustavo, he knew what was up. I wonder what the heck that bottle was doing on the wine list in the first place, but this is a place where you should trust your waiter when it comes to wine.
We were stuffed, but how could we come to a Michel Richard outpost without having his take on the Kit Kat bar? My friend proclaimed the chocolate-hazelnut goodness “an entire tour of southern France,” but even splitting it, we couldn’t make it all the way through. Nor could we manage more than a couple of bites each from the wee cup of refreshing frozen custard that sidled up to it.
Obviously, Central is not going to set you back as much as Citronelle. Entrees run between $12 and $25, and you can punch those up with spit-able $7 sides, like a mac-and-cheese that will have you licking the plate. But with wine—and some high priced items like a $15 burger—you can still break $100 for two. It’s informal dining, but this is not Stoney’s, people, even if Budweiser is on the beer list.
Of 19 wines by the glass, few of them cheap – most are $10 or over, with the lowest going for $7. Reasonable prices on bottles, mostly from California and France, make it worth it to commit to if you’re not dining solo.
If you are going it alone, the bar is a welcoming spot for you. I took a couple of cracks at it, thought I had mixed results; it seems head chef Cedric Maupillier is still working out a few kinks in the beautiful open kitchen. On my last visit—an early dinner at the bar on a blustery weekend—the chicken pot pie looked like something that would hit the spot, but I would have been happier at home with Marie Callender. Plus, the French onion soup was just… fine. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
The sweet and flaky lobster burger, however, did not fail to impress and satisfy, even at $28 (the most expensive item on the menu). I have visions of myself in the near future, shaking off a stressful day at Central’s bar with that burger and a glass of crisp white wine… I’ll be the one attempting to steal from your plate of charcuterie.
Central Michel Richard
1001 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
202.626.0015
Metro: Metro Center, Federal Triangle, or Archives/Navy Memorial