On April 1, J&G Steakhouse (515 15th Street NW) will launch a “Sips & Bites Menu” at their downstairs wine bar. During their new happy hour — Monday through Friday, 4-7 p.m. — patrons can order from a menu of 9 of Chef Philippe Reininger’s small plates, each complemented by a half pour of wine, selectively matched by J&G’s sommelier. Three pairings can be had for $20, or just one pair for $8.
The restaurant invited us food blogger types last week to preview the pairings, which are by and large downsized versions of items from J&G’s existing menu. It’s been said before that steak is not the star of this steakhouse, and there’s only one “steaky” option on the small plates menu: a plate of three Hanger Steak Crostini, served with an house-made steak sauce and served with the Topiary blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot from Boxwood Winery of Middleburg, Virginia. The other meat dishes are a J&G Slider, which is generously portioned but forgettable, and a Lamb Chop with a not-too-spicy smoked chili glaze which stands out as the best of the red-blooded bunch. You’ll want to put down the knife and pick up the bone to make sure you don’t miss a morsel. The chop is paired with a bold and well-balanced Spanish Tempranillo, Triton ‘Old Vines.’
The other 6 food options are of the seafood variety, and the pairing of the Bacon Wrapped Gulf Shrimp and Kali-Hart by Talbot Chardonnay is my top pick. There’s just one shrimp on the plate — but there’s at least four bites worth of of the jumbo guy and the wine it comes with builds an intensity of flavor as it washes over the smokiness of the bacon. Salmon Tartare is wonderfully fresh and light, tarted up slightly by a ginger dressing and a White Knight Viognier. A pair of oysters on the half shell are worth ordering, if just to sample the perfectly matched, citrusy, mineral heavy Weinbach Pinot Blanc from Alsace. Bites of Crispy Calamari are large, like a bowl of squid nuggets, and a Seared Scallop with a slice of caramelized cauliflower and creative caper-raisin emulsion is worth a try.
Plates are indeed small, but it’s sips and bites, not bite, so you’ll get a little bit of mileage per dish. In terms of value, looking at the regular dinner menu, a full appetizer order of the calamari is $13 and the gulf shrimp are $16. The lamb chop is normally a rack of lamb that goes as an entree and costs $39. The Sips & Bites menu offers a taste, a chop of the rack, a smaller bowl, and one shrimp where there might have been four. Most of the wine offerings normally cost for $9-$12 for a full glass. At happy hour, that half-glass and the small plate go for $6.67 total (if you opt for the 3 for $20 deal). So order in threes.
If I had to pick three selections, I’d go with the shrimp, oysters and lamb chop — though I wouldn’t want to pass on the tartare and others were in love with the crostini, the pinot blanc with the fresh oysters is just too good to pass up. How do you avoid spending the full $8 for an additional pairing? Just bring a friend and pick six.
