Restaurant Week 2009: Lunch Picks
Another D.C. Restaurant Week is upon us. Three course lunches and dinners are on offer for $20.09 and $35.09, respectively. It’s an event that’s either loved or loathed by dining out enthusiasts. Restaurants cling to the promotion as way to get butts in seats during the peak of the slow season. Some diners are grateful for the bargains and excuse to try somewhere new, while RW haters out there feel rather strongly about their amateur hour complaints.
The dinner deal dropped significantly in value last year when the price point went up by $5; after tax and tip, you’re hovering around $50 a head, drinks not included. But that price jump only further highlighted the steal that can be a Restaurant Week lunch. I wrote this past winter about a string of in and out lunches around town. Don't worry about reservations. A solo or small party can almost always at least find space at the bar, and if you pick a nearby spot and grab dessert to go, you can be in, out, and back at your desk in an hour flat.
We've selected four downtown lunch picks for the week. Go ahead: embrace your inner-power luncher. Just get back to the office before your boss starts wondering where you've gone.
TenPenh
The Passion Food restaurants (which also include Acadiana, Ceiba, and DC Coast) are known for offering their full menu during RW, save for a crab cake or lobster upcharge. The relaxing, smart bar at TenPenh is my favorite of the four. A whole crispy catfish, fried with the head on, preceded by a spicy tuna roll and a slice of lemon marscapone cheesecake would be a $39 lunch any other time. Right now it’s $20.
Rasika
I was always one of the skeptics who couldn’t bring myself to pay fine dining prices for Indian no matter how good I heard it was. I can stuff myself at a good Indian buffet for $7.95! But that makes a meal here perfect for Restaurant Week. Menu selections are limited, but include their “infamous” palak chat, a crispy spinach dish with sweet yogurt, tamarind, and date chutney. None of their desserts - mostly ice creams and sorbets - are of the to go variety.
Poste
The menu might be very limited, but I could see myself really enjoying an heirloom tomato gazpacho with Dijon mustard ice cream and basil, softshell crab BLT, and blueberry sorbet in their courtyard.
PS 7’s
The Restaurant Week menu looks a whole lot like their regular menu. Well done! But that’s partly because PS 7's standard menu is fairly inexpensive to begin with. Get a market chopped salad and “Hot Brown” and basically all you’re getting for Restaurant Week is a free blueberry brown betty. But if you set your sights on the tomato and saffron-steamed PEI mussels as a starter followed by short ribs, you've hit on a $27 value before you even hit dessert. Bingo!
DC Summer Restaurant Week runs through August 30, though you can find several restaurants extending the deal through September 6 or longer.