Toro Toro. Via Facebook.
It’s that time of the year again: Restaurant Week! Despite the chilly temperatures, it’s a popular time to check out either somewhere new or somewhere you don’t normally go (but definitely somewhere at a bargain price). It often seems like newer, big-name restaurants don’t take part in the promotion—at least not while they’re still basking in their opening buzz. Perhaps they’ll offer a bargain lunch, but the deal doesn’t usually apply for dinner.
But this year seems different. Scrolling through Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s participant list of usual suspects, a handful of freshman restaurants jump out. With a promotion of $20 lunches and $35 dinners (aside from ones that don’t open for lunch), this is a Restaurant Week to get stoked about. Here’s a sampling of places to visit during Winter Restaurant Week, which runs from January 19-25:
DBGB Kitchen and Bar
In preparation for his arrival to Washington’s culinary landscape, mega-chef Daniel Boulud ingratiated himself in with the city’s chefs with a “preemptive strike of hospitality.” Signing DBGB Kitchen and Bar up for Restaurant Week strikes me as a similar move; an outstretched arm handing a rose out to D.C. diners. With its exclusive CityCenterDC address and Boulud’s pedigree, the “French brasserie meets American tavern” would seem like a likely candidate to pass on Restaurant Week, but they’ve fully embraced it, offering a menu with a fair amount of choices and no up charges. Appetizers like a roasted squash soup, curried cauliflower, and grilled kale come from the regular menu. Entree’s aren’t exactly on the regular menu, but who cares when you can opt for trying The Frenchie—Boulud’s burger with confit pork belly, tomato-onion compote, and moriber cheese? (I normally goes for $19).
China Chilcano
A two-week turn around from soft opening chaos to Restaurant Week chaos is not an ordinary thing to do. But José Andrés, D.C.’s resident top celebrity chef, is no ordinary restaurateur. All of his ThinkFoodGroup dining rooms do Restaurant Week, so why shouldn’t his latest? The multicultural culinary culture of Peru that China Chilcano presents is like nothing else we’ve tasted around here. Chifa cuisine is a fusion of the foundations brought over by Chinese laborers with Peruvian ingredients, while Criollo weaves Spanish and West African influences. Nikkei speaks to the Japanese diaspora in South America, adding a Latin punch to Japanese cuisine. China Chilcano doesn’t even have a menu online yet, but for a restaurant this new, it’s certainly worth grabbing a reservation if you can. The restaurant is open for dinner only. Prime spots available through Yelp’s new reservation system are mostly all taken, so hurry to see what may still be available.
Toro Toro
D.C. has a new king of the lunch buffet in Toro Toro. The Pan-Latin churrasco-style steakhouse—another cog in the Richard Sandoval empire—beckons hearty appetites with its Exec Express Lunch. It’s an all-you-care-to-eat affair with bowls of ceviche, shrimp cocktail, avocado salad, and other signature side dishes accompanying a rotating selection of meats plucked off the grill. A juicy achiote chicken, chorizo, or picanha are always there for the taking with a different featured meat appearing each day of the week. The lunch is normally $28. Dinner is your standard three-course affair.
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House
Yes another chance for us mere mortals to dine in CityCenterDC for $20. We were told the Restaurant Week menu would be posted any day now though haven’t seen it yet. But the Del’s does normally offer a $25 two-course business lunch, which includes soup or their signature salad, plus a choice of filet medallions, Bay of Fundy salmon, or chicken picatta, so expect that for lunch with perhaps a slice of their six-layer lemon doberge cake or bread pudding thrown in.
Rural Society
This entry from yet another out-of-town celebrity chef, Philadelphia’s Jose Garces, was a favorite of ours last year. A request for the menu hasn’t been returned, so we’ll update when we have more information. Here’s hoping it starts with a rectangle of their Argentinian pizzas called fugazzis and offers a crack at their house-made chorizo, along with their surprisingly standout wood-fired vegetable creations.
Pinea
This is not as much a ‘blue chip’ as the others on this list, but it’s nonetheless worth your while. Tucked into the fancy W Hotel. Pinea provided the landing spot for local chef Barry Koslow after his departure from DGS Delicatessen. He’s traded pastrami and chicken fat for a slightly more delicate Southern European and Mediterranean menu at the downtown hotel restaurant. Pinea tells us they will be doing their full menu with some items subject to up-charges.
Hungry for a few more options? There’s Tony Chittum’s very tempting Iron Gate participating for lunch only. Dino’s Grotto is offering a five course dinner tasting menu for $35 into February. Alternatively, escape to the Palisades for lunch at BlackSalt, or tuck away into the Hotel Monaco for a meal with Chef Kyoo Eom at Poste.
So many options! If only a week was longer than seven days.
