We here at DCist wonder why they schedule Restaurant Week immediately after the Thanksgiving-Hanukah- Christmas-Kwanzaa season of fat-assedness. It’s like D.C.’s restaurant community is our collective grandma: “Washington! My God, you look so gaunt! What in the world are they feeding you? It’s high time you started having three course dinners after three course lunches. I mean you’re rail thin! Look, your pants are hanging off of you.” No Grandma, the pants are saggy because we had to “upgrade” to the relaxed version from the husky section.
At any rate, we’re taking advantage of the week of cheap eats to get a taste of some of the best restaurants in town, and we hope you’re doing the same. After a casual survey of the staff, it looks like the dreaded “upcharges” are here again, and some that are pretty steep. Vidalia had an $8 upcharge for sirloin, which steered us to the Tuscarora Pork Charcuterie, which was good. They also tacked on $4.50 for their littleneck clam chowder, which we ordered anyway and found excellent. Mendocino had several upcharges too, but we had a very good dinner nonetheless. We especially liked their not-too-sweet goat cheesecake with sorbet.
Nage pleased us with fantastic food—albeit fun-size— like a warm brie and arugula salad and braised short ribs gremolata atop marscapone mascarpone and sundried cherry polenta. We were even surprised at good non-tapas sized food at Agua Ardiente. Newcomer D’Acqua seems to be finding its legs a little still, as it’s only been open a week, but the service was top-notch; probably because most of the staff came with general manager Raimondo Russo when he left Sette Osteria.
Have you found any hidden gems or big time stinkers? Let us know.
