First Look: The Majestic
Post by DCist staff writer Gayle Putrich
It’s great to see the paper removed from the huge plate glass window of Old Town’s landmark Majestic Café, and even better to walk through the door and still get that welcoming, neighborhood diner vibe. And while I had a great time at my visit back to the un-fussy institution, I fear I may have jumped the gun a little in showing up so soon after opening.
Cathal and Meshelle Armstrong’s new baby is still getting its feet under itself. Lunch, originally set for a May 15 launch, has been pushed back to mid-June. Service is friendly, but shaky at times, especially when busy. We were charged for food we didn't get; we got food we didn't order. All was eventually straightened out, but it did take away from the experience, not to mention took time out of the evening. When our (very funny, very knowledgeable and very personable) waitress asked, with genuine concern, if there was something wrong with my cake or if I just didn’t like it, I felt a little bad telling her that the bent fork she had taken away 15 minutes before hadn’t been replaced.
Word on the street is that they’re having a tough time rounding up sufficiently experienced servers so far, and there’s still a lot of training going on in the dining room. This is heartening for the future of the eatery's service, even if it makes things a little bumpy at present. Our party agreed, though, that the wrinkles can be ironed out with a little more time and that the food from Chef Shannon Overmiller mostly transcends everything else; and food's the main reason we go out to eat, right?
We kicked off with fried green tomatoes with ricotta saltata, preserved lemon and a warm tomato ragu. The breading on the tomatoes might be a little heavy, but it’s tasty; tasty enough that we ordered another round (although it never showed up).
Tableside Caesar salad looked pretty authentic, but we were preoccupied with the basketful of “little bites of carb heaven,” which include wee corn muffins, baby baguettes and chive cheddar mini-biscuits you’ll have to fight me for. Who needs salad when there’s warm bread?
My chicken was roasted to perfection, achieving that crispy skin/juicy meat balance I never seem quite to be able to reproduce at home. The herbed pan sauce, however, really put me over the moon; I only wish there had been more of it. Similarly, the perfectly-cooked steak, which was doused in an herb-and-spice “Majestic butter,” came with fries so good my friend refused to share. That is some serious steak frites, especially for a non-steakhouse.
Whole roasted fish means whole roasted fish, people: it will still have the head on, so if you don’t like your dinner lookin’ at ya, this is not a good plan. On the night in question it was a delectable branzino – properly cooked and all, but didn’t really have anything going on that knocked our socks off. Or maybe it was just that we had to work too hard to pick out the bones after all the pre-order imbibing we had done.
In addition to the standard bar drinks, the Majestic also offers eight Todd Thrasher cocktails, from classics like mint juleps and Tom Collins, to previously unheard of aperitif concoctions like the Prohibition (gin, Lillet, brandy, orange juice and Sprite). They're all $9 each and worth every damn penny. I don’t even really like gin, but I will drink it all night if it comes in a Thrasher-approved cocktail.
Though my friends weren’t entirely sold on the green beans with shallots and bacon, there was nothing left in the dish but a couple scraps of pork fat by the time dinner was over. Other sides, particularly house-made orecchiette, sounded tasty – especially at $3.75 for a pretty healthy portion. But I could do without the cutesy Rachel Ray influence: baby spinach with e.v.o.o.? Will you also be serving “sammies” at lunch instead of sandwiches, Cathal?
Also on the menu, a rare Washington find: egg creams ($4 each); make a mental note for when lunch service begins. Milkshakes and warm cookies are a home run for dessert, as was the berry-filled, lemon-curd-doused cake du jour (once I got my fork).
The food was solid bordering great, though we agreed that the drinks–of which we sampled quite a few–and the atmosphere really made the evening.
For now, dinner is served daily, Tuesdays through Saturdays, 5:30 to 10 p.m. Lunch service is expected to begin June 4. Starting June 10, the allure of the family-style Nana’s Sunday Dinner will certainly draw the crowds. Selections will change monthly, but round one will be whole roasted chicken with pan gravy, mashed potatoes, cauliflower and cheese, salad and a whole apple pie with vanilla ice cream for $68. Served family-style, there will be enough food for four; or two with a boatload of leftovers.
Brunch is expected to begin in mid-July. The kitchen is taking time to perfect what was a Majestic mainstay in its previous life.
“We know brunch is going to be very popular,” said manager Maria Chicas “We want to get it right from the beginning.”
The Majestic
911 King St.
703.837.9117
Metro: King Street