The $1,000 Dream Meal
October’s issue of Gourmet magazine asks six restaurant critics how they would spend a theoretical $1,000 on a meal for two in their home town. Tom Sietsema of the Washington Post is their go-to guy for the District. The spirit of the challenge would seem to be concocting a decadent meal or series of eating experiences that can fit into a reasonable evening and a reasonable stomach. Reasonably large, anyway. As do his peers, Sietsema takes liberties with the task, taking his theoretical companion—and readers—on a culinary tour of the city.
Sietsema starts out with tapas and sangria at Jaleo and moves onto appetizers, including a spicy duck kebab, at Bombay Club. We might still have some stomach space left. He reserves his big bucks for a $350 omakase dinner at Sushi Taro, declaring the revamped Dupont Circle joint one of the best restaurants in the city. We’d imagine being pretty full by this point. But a $400 meal at Obelisk is yet to come, and Tom even manages a shout out and a $50 check from Et Voila! along the way. And we’re spent.
The $1,000 question is a dream for your DCist’s food writers. While these critic’s meals are ones writers at big media outlets might actually get to enjoy on the company credit card, $1,000 spending sprees are not so much in our food and drink budget. But we can dream too, can’t we? Check out some of our staff's picks for our grand tours of the town. Commenters: what’s on your luxurious list?
Josh Novikoff:
I’m centering the night around CityZen and Eric Ziebold’s tasting menu, and of course I’m doing the wine pairings ($500). That’s sandwiched by aperitifs at Dino to whet the appetite and cognac Tabard Inn to get the stomach going again ($25 + $50). Transition to Old Ebbit’s Orca seafood tower with a few Rolling Rocks ($150) and I can burn some calories off by walking over to Co Co. Sala for a malted milk martini and a coffee or two to finish the evening ($50). But there’s still money to burn! Throw in all the vodka and caviar from Russia House that about $200+ can buy.
Jamie Liu:
About half of that amount would go to Komi - degustazione and wine pairing. Johnny Monis knows how to push my food happy buttons. Proof would be next on my list. Haidar Karoum's cooking fills my jones for Asian food, but with style and paired with darned good wine.
And I know that it's a spending spree, but I would still blow it on less pricey stuff and spread it out over a few days: Michel Patisserie macarons, banh mi from Banh Mi Sandwich DC, banh xeo at Ba Le, pho with soda chanh or iced coffee at Pho 75, falafel at Max's Kosher Cafe, drinks at The Gibson or Cork, burrata and prosciutto at Dino, gyros at Greek Deli, and trying everything on the menu at Bar Pilar. And of course to finish out any binge...$3 PBRs at Solly's followed by Ben's Chili Bowl.
Andrew Chriss:
I'd have to go to Komi and get their full on degustazione with a five-glass wine pairing. I'd also do an all-you-can-eat crab feast and beer either at Quarterdeck in Arlington or Captain Billy's in Popes Creek, Maryland (with some of the best hush-puppies you’ll ever have) and an arepa-fest at La Caraquena in Falls Church.
Can't forget dessert...the chocolate lava cake at Chart House and chocolate peanut-butter bombe at Buzz Bakery in Alexandria (they need to put that back on the menu), a tres leches cup from Castro Bakery in Seven Corners, and mango bubbles from anywhere in Eden Center.
If that doesn't cover it—not to lame out on the parameters of the question—I'd use the rest to bankroll my home meat-smoking operation, hitting up a real butcher like Let's Meat on the Avenue in Del Ray or the Springfield Butcher.
Eddie Kim:
Following the rules of the challenge, I'd share a modest meal and pre-dinner drinks at Tabard Inn. Their menu of seasonal yet crowd-pleasing favorites has always exemplified simple and anti-garish dining in D.C.
But $1,000 to feed a pair of mouths? By most any measures that would be excessive. Instead, I'd load a bus up of friends and family and tour the city. Softshell crabs at Mark's Duck House, pho or bahn mi at Eden Center, Korean blood sausage in Annandale, pizza at 2 Amy's, frites at Amsterdam Falafel, tacos at Tacqueria Distrito Federal, cupcakes at Baked and Wired, Cuban-style coffees at Open City, and anything fresh at the Maine Ave. fish market.
Though, better yet, the most mouths could be fed with a donation to one or several of our local food charities, such as Capital Area Food Bank and Food & Friends.