Another D.C. Restaurant Week has come and gone. As much as we like to complain about over-crowded restaurants with “dumbed down” menus, there is still a part of us that finds it alluring, so we still take the opportunity to see what restaurants have to offer. Among the places we ventured out to, there were some hits and a few misses. One place that really hit the right notes with us was Viridian in Logan Circle. Having never really considered this place, we decided to go on a friend’s recommendation. It turned about to be a relaxing and satisfying evening in what is normally a chaotic week for diners.

Viridian is located in the 1515 Arts building, which houses several art galleries on 14th and P Street in NW. Accordingly, the décor of the restaurant is essentially an on-going gallery. The food philosophy, however, is simple: local, seasonal, and organic. Every night from 5:30 pm-7:00pm they offer a pre-theater, three-course prix fixe menu for $32 plus tax and tip. Another special they offer is half-price wine every Sunday and Monday night.

The menu is diverse in its cuisine; Viridian describes it as “global,” which “allows the diner to experiment freely." They are more focused on flavors that will accentuate the ingredient rather than a specific cuisine genre, and we found that this was not such a bad idea. We were able to sample many different dishes including Scallops Romesco with Spicy Pepper Puree, Chilled Melon and Cucumber Soup, Chicken Under a Brick with spinach, homemade pickled onions and olive oil emulsion and Rack of Venison with a Gin and Juniper Jus, shaved fennel, almonds, and tarragon. We also tasted a fantastic vegetarian dish dubbed “Santa Fe Casserole” which was comprised of firm polenta, spinach, queso fresco and scallions in a spicy molé sauce.

A downfall to many restaurants during Restaurant Week is that sometimes the dishes come out looking like they have been pre-heated or were sitting under a heat lamp for an extended length of time. This was absolutely not the case here. All dishes came out in a timely manner (entrées were not served until everyone was finished with their appetizers) and were served at the perfect temperature. The scallops were not over-cooked or rubbery and the venison was served at a perfect medium-rare. For dessert we enjoyed Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Grilled Peaches and a Basil Crème Anglaise. This was surprisingly very light on the palate and a good way to end the meal.

The dish that really caught our eye (and we decided to feature) because of its simplicity, vibrant colors, and delicious flavor combination was the Beet Panzanella Salad -- a twist on a classic Italian Bread Salad. The original dish usually includes bread, tomatoes, basil, olive oil and vinegar as its base. But since it has been nick-named “left-over” salad, you can add any other ingredients you like to it. This particular version includes roasted beets, orange segments, niçoise olives, and goat cheese in addition to the bread. The restaurant serves it over a leaf of Boston Bibb Lettuce, but we used Romaine fresh from the garden. This recipe serves about 3-4 appetizer size portions.

Shopping List:
3-4 medium red beets
5 oz. goat cheese
3 medium oranges
½ cup niçoise olives
¼ bunch fresh basil
1 bunch Boston Bibb or Romaine Lettuce
2 cups cubed baguette (day-old bread if possible)
Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper

Recipe:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Trim the stems off of the beets and wrap each one in foil. Roast them for about 45 minutes or until tender through the center. If you want to save time you can peel and dice the beets raw and then boil them in water until they are tender.

2. While the beets are roasting, peel the oranges, ensuring to remove all of the pith (the white part in between the flesh and the skin). Using either a serrated or pairing knife carefully remove each segment. If possible do this over a bowl to reserve the juice. Squeeze the juice out of the remaining part of the orange.

3. If you prefer smaller pieces of olives, cut them in half. If your bread is day-old, simply cut it into medium size cubes. If it is fresh, cut it into cubes and lightly toast in the oven for about 10 minutes.

4. Cut the goat cheese into small pieces and put aside. Pull the basil leaves off the stems, rinse them in cold water and slice them into thin ribbons.

5. When the beets are cooked through, let them cool and then peel them. Cut them into medium sized cubes.

6. Whisk the juice of the 3 oranges with a pinch of salt and ground black pepper and ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil.

7. Toss the beets, orange segments, bread cubes, and basil with the orange vinaigrette. Wash a few pieces of lettuce and place them on the plate for an under liner. Place a portion of the beets on top of the lettuce and top with goat cheeses.