As we’ve told you already, it’s Restaurant Week here in Washington, which means those of us left in town can eat three course meals at some of the best restaurants around for $20.07 at lunch and $30.07 at dinner.
As a Restaurant Week proponent, I view this unofficial dining holiday as a chance to try out places I’ve never been, and think restaurateurs should use the time as an opportunity to reach out to people who don’t dine out all that often but need a regular “nice place” to take guests and whatnot. Some places do this successfully; others do not. To be fair, this week can be trying for restaurant staff, and some may be burnt out by Monday night. There is one thing certain, however: if you haven’t made reservations yet, you’re S.O.L for many places. Places like Bistro Bis, Café Atlantico, Equinox, Zola, Rasika, Corduroy, and Vidalia are booked Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights (at least according to OpenTable). Many others have no availability until 10:00 p.m. A few lucky souls may find a few tables reserved for over-the-phone reservations or walk-ins, but your odds for success are scant.
Having just crested Restaurant Week hill, we’re looking down into the valley of the shadow of fatness wondering where we’ll be Sunday. Who will be the standouts? My lunch at Oya today was superlative: chilled yellow tomato gazpacho with bluefin, seared scallops with a hen-of-the-woods mushroom jus and delicate soba noodles, and a trio—green apple, mango, and pineapple—of sorbet. Their menu was sizable with seven choices on both the appetizer and entrée lists, and they win kudos for no upcharges.
An active thread on DonRockwell.com is heating up computer screens all around town, with an interesting take on the economics of the promotion from a chef’s point of view, and the surprising (to me, at least) news that there is a $500 fee to participate. There are also a couple of reviews on the thread; Ardeo and The Oval Room both receive praise.
Most other DCists are kicking off their RW journeys tonight, so we’ll have more reports from the scene in our next update. In the meantime, use the comment section for your own postprandial musings.
Photo from Karon.
