Photo by Goran Foto.
By DCist Contributor Elizabeth Traynor
Living in the District, most of us are familiar with the culinary Mount Everest that is bottomless brunch—as a friend of mine is fond of saying, “brunch is not a meal. Brunch is a battle.”
But bottomless dinner? That seemed to be a whole different animal. And in the midst of training for a marathon (and being constantly hungry as a result), when Ambar (523 8th Street SE) invited me to check out its bottomless dinner ($49-$59, including drinks), it was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down. Below are five tips for making the most out of their all-you-can-eat dining experience.
1. Ask for advice.
At first glance, Ambar’s bottomless dinner menu is pretty daunting. The restaurant puts a modern twist on traditional dishes from the Balkan Peninsula and serves them up small plates-style. The expansive menu is broken into broad categories—vegetables, spreads, meat and poultry, etc. I had no idea where to start, so I just asked the waiter to bring out his favorite dishes. It proved to be a wise choice. Not only did that encourage me to order from areas of the menu I may have otherwise ignored (leeks are not usually first on my list), it ensured the description of each item was thorough and enthusiastic.
2. Don’t fill up on bread & spreads—as tempting as that may be.
We started with a selection from the spreads and kajmak bar, both of which came with house-made bread. The star was Ambar’s urnebes spread, a creamy aged cow cheese dip with a hint of smoky aftertaste. I loved it—but loading up on that and the bread proved to be a strategic mistake down the road. I’m not a regular bottomless brunch-er, but a quick scan of my friends that are tells me that this was an F in execution on my part.
3. Yes, it’s bottomless dinner. But make sure you try the drinks, too.
Ambar’s bottomless dinner menu also comes with a select group of bottomless drinks, and they shouldn’t be missed. We opted to try a few made with rakia, a popular fruit brandy of the Balkan region. The Sarajevo old fashioned, made with plum rakia, was a surprisingly refreshing and fruity take on the classic drink. The favorite at the table, hands down, was Ambar’s take on the G&T—grappa rakia proved to be the perfect complement to housemade tonic with a hint of lime.
4. Try something completely different—it’s not like it’s the only dish you’ll order.
Would I have ordered a leek croquette on my own? Probably not—I like my vegetables as uncomplicated as possible. And while I didn’t love the panko crust surrounding the leek—it was a little too heavy for my taste, making it hard to taste the sweetness of the vegetable—it was fun to branch out for a round, knowing I could always return to tried and true favorites.
5. Double down on a favorite.
Which brings me to my last tip—if something’s really good, order it more than once, especially if you’re splitting small plates. The best thing I ate at Ambar was the drunken mussels. I was nervous its cream-based sauce would be too heavy, but it was surprisingly light and didn’t mask the flavors of the seafood. Add in the bite that capers scattered through the dish provide, and I’d found my bottomless standout—a dish I would have ordered again, and this time refused to share.
Ambar’s bottomless dinner is available seven days a week. There are two menu options: unlimited small plates and bottomless drinks for $49 per person or unlimited small plates and Balkan specialties with bottomless drinks for $59 per person. Prices exclude tax and tip.
