If you’re not familiar with Taberna del Alabardero (1776 I Street NW), it may be because of your age. An old-school Spanish restaurant located about a block from the White House, Taberna is like a ship in a bottle, sealed away from time and memorializing an era that a younger generation would be at a loss to recognize.
During the evening’s six-course pre-fix meal, which I am attending as part of a media preview, the average age appears to be between 50 and 70. The diners have that distinct “Beltway Mogul” air to them, and I imagine them returning to a well-appointed home in Bethesda or Chevy Chase. They definitely did not take Metro to the restaurant, and they are much better dressed than I am.
These stark differences between the younger clientele and the older regulars are something that Taberna has come to recognize. A quick tour through the temperature-controlled wine cellar reveals a collection of Spanish brandy, as well as a growing number of sherry bottles. These are something Taberna hopes to develop into a fully-fledged program to rival places like Mockingbird Hill and draw additional customers.
The wine dinner appears to be popular, and I can see why. Before the first course has even arrived my glass has been filled three times with a very nice 2014 Hiruzta, a light white wine that originates just minutes from the northern coast of Spain. Less than an hour into the meal, the crowd becomes rowdy enough that it begins to disregard Howard Friedman, the wine importer who helped to organize and supply the wines being consumed. Soon after, the table immediately across from us begins to sing loud, drunken renditions of an opera that my table was at a loss to identify. It’s fun, in that “your drunk uncle is embarrassing himself at Thanksgiving” kind of way.
The food, like the restaurant, is also a bit of a throwback to the glory days of European culinary supremacy. An appetizer of grilled octopus mounted on a marinated yucca brochette is wonderful and consumed with gusto. At the same time, a filet of steak over a turnip-celery emulsion with chocolate and Spanish dried pepper sauce looks gorgeous but is slightly overcooked. The same goes for Andean marinated hen with sweet potato puree and crunchy corn, a lovely dish that has been sauced too early and arrives with a flaccid skin. Complaints are minor though: Oxtail stewed in red wine with cinnamon and balsamic vinegar is beautifully seasoned, and a dessert of firm pistachio panna cotta with a wine-macerated fruit parfait and creme anglaise shines at the end of the meal.
Taberna, which seeks to be more competitive in D.C.’s burgeoning food scene, appears a bit stuck: trapped between the old ways of doing things for an older crowd and trying new things for customers who could bring in new money but might be less loyal. The food was not without some minor problems, perhaps because dishes were being prepared catering-style and served in one wave. The same can be said for the wine, a varied and tasty selection that suffered from brusque and disengaged service. At $100 per person (tax and gratuity included) the monthly wine dinner at Taberna isn’t cheap, but for the volume served, and particularly if you go with friends, a great evening is definitely possible.
Taberna’s next monthly wine dinner will be held on February 25. Tickets may be purchased by calling 202-429-2200.
