Cafe Deluxe is one of those restaurants that you've been to many times because it's there; a neighborhood joint, not quite a "destination"......well at least it used to be so........
When it opened in Cleveland Park (more like Cathedral Heights) back in early 2000 (I think), it was "the" place to go in the neighborhood. Touted as having a French Bistro feel, it serves mostly american comfort fare. The location it currently resides on Wisconsin Ave, NW, just a block from the National Cathedral used to reside a Thai restaurant, which name escapes me. The decor is geared to look like a Parisian Bistro; dark wood bar, booth tables with white table cloth and covered with white butcher paper; the servers all wear white Dress shirt and tie with long bistro aprons.......classy. Cafe Deluxe also offers outside seating with red umbrellas. The ambience........really just a neighborhood joint that offers a slightly fancier look and offerings. Within the last year or so this particular location has expanded; the consignment next door to them closed and Cafe Deluxe took it over and now offers seating up to 160-200, and the opportunity to have private functions.
The prices are very reasonable, most of the featured wines cost under $10, main courses $12-20. Starters ranging from Asian inspired crispy chicken spring rolls and Ahi Tuna to Roasted beet salad; Main courses contain your typical items: Steak, Fish and Chicken and a lamb shank that is decently prepared.....not always.
They also have hot sandwiches, but unfortunately, I usually pass on sandwiches......especially the cold ones, although the burger follows the trend of using a Brioche roll. On one occasion I tried the lump crab cake with corn and asparagus, while decent and well prepared....it is so outdated. I remember preparing a similar dish during my stint as a chef back in 1999. The grilled meatloaf should be passed on......while novel when it first opened, it wasn't very well prepared then, it still taste the same now, never mind the grilled description.
Skip the salmon, it has yet to evolve in the way it's prepared. FYI, farmed salmon should be avoided as much as possible, they're not environmentally sustainable and taste watered down compared to its wild brethren.....enough of my salmon rant......
Just last night I went with a good friend for a pre-concert dinner; we shared the roast beet salad (typical these days to have this on the menu) which was good, but not different than what Matchbox offers. We also shared the herb roasted chicken and the special of the evening: grilled grouper fillet with corn sauce, tomato relish and risotto cake.The grouper was good, nicely prepared, not dry or overcooked and perfectly seasoned; the corn sauce, a nice sweet compliment to the fish..........BUT again that is so '00 and passe.....
We also shared the herb roasted chicken, served with mashed red potatoes and asparagus......now you've probably heard me saying that I almost always pass the chicken on the menu, however, this time I was surprised by the flavorful of the preparation. It was a half chicken, semi bone-in, roasted with a dry-rub; most likely thyme, tarragon, oregano.....but there was this sweetness that is hard to describe. It was a perfect combination of earthy, savory and sweet. The garlic mashed red potatoes is probably an instant pre-prepared product; unfortunately the asparagus was slightly overcooked.
Dessert choices are pretty much a pass, but if you need to get one.......rule of thumb, almost always get the Creme Brulee if offered on the menu.
In summary, Cafe Deluxe passes for a fancy neighborhood bistro with reasonably priced gourmet-like food preparations in need of reinventing itself at some point.
Cafe Deluxe, Cleveland park
3238 Wisconsin Ave, NW
Washington DC 20016
Cafedeluxe.com
Prices: $20-30/pp, appetizer w/ main course and a glass of wine, tax and tips not included
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Sticky Rice
Sticky Rice is a cool Asian hangout in the middle of "Capitol Hood", as I call it, just a few doors down from Granville Moore.
They offer reasonably priced and cheap popular Asian offerings with a little bit of a twist.
The location is within reach of a few popular neighborhood watering hole such as The Red and the Black, Palace of Wonders, The Pug and Granville Moore. Once you walk in the space looks larger than it is: a bar to the right; about 8 tables and a couple of tall tables by the window. To the far left stairs to the upstairs sushi bar and more seating.
The decor is Asian with mostly red hues on the wall. I always sit at the bar.......in fact I've never actually sat at a table.
There's a sushi item called Godzirra, which is a variation of a california roll made with shrimp, avocado, tempura crunchies, cream cheese and tobiko (flying fish roe).......now I'm not quite a sushi person but this is very good. I'm not sure if it's because of the cream cheese that made it creamy or the combination of the crunchiness and the sushi-like consistencies that made it very appealing and yummy. The Godzirra itself is a meal so, it's good to share. I also tried the Mongolian Beef noodles.....it's pretty much a stir fried noodle in a Hoisin-like sauce.....messy and very good. The other noodle offerings are soup-like and hearty and yummy. The crispy tofu chunks are also great; I grew up eating these with Indonesian sweet soy, so this is a welcome surprise to see it on a bar menu.
I need to visit Sticky Rice mor often as they don't break your bank; you can have a beer or two and have a satisfying meal and go home without shelling out more than $25. And that's rare these days.
Sticky Rice
1224 H Street, NE
Washington DC 20002
www.stickyricedc.com
Pricing: $20-25/pp excluding tax and tips.
They offer reasonably priced and cheap popular Asian offerings with a little bit of a twist.
The location is within reach of a few popular neighborhood watering hole such as The Red and the Black, Palace of Wonders, The Pug and Granville Moore. Once you walk in the space looks larger than it is: a bar to the right; about 8 tables and a couple of tall tables by the window. To the far left stairs to the upstairs sushi bar and more seating.
The decor is Asian with mostly red hues on the wall. I always sit at the bar.......in fact I've never actually sat at a table.
There's a sushi item called Godzirra, which is a variation of a california roll made with shrimp, avocado, tempura crunchies, cream cheese and tobiko (flying fish roe).......now I'm not quite a sushi person but this is very good. I'm not sure if it's because of the cream cheese that made it creamy or the combination of the crunchiness and the sushi-like consistencies that made it very appealing and yummy. The Godzirra itself is a meal so, it's good to share. I also tried the Mongolian Beef noodles.....it's pretty much a stir fried noodle in a Hoisin-like sauce.....messy and very good. The other noodle offerings are soup-like and hearty and yummy. The crispy tofu chunks are also great; I grew up eating these with Indonesian sweet soy, so this is a welcome surprise to see it on a bar menu.
I need to visit Sticky Rice mor often as they don't break your bank; you can have a beer or two and have a satisfying meal and go home without shelling out more than $25. And that's rare these days.
Sticky Rice
1224 H Street, NE
Washington DC 20002
www.stickyricedc.com
Pricing: $20-25/pp excluding tax and tips.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Granville Moore
Granville Moore opened in the summer of 2007. Upon arriving one would never notice where the place is.....no signage showing the name except for a very small plaque on the entrance that says Dr. Granville Moore. The location itself has some history to the neighborhood; Dr. Moore was a local physician who would perform pro-bono work for the locals who were less fortunate.
According to the bartenders at Granville, some locals who patron the restaurant would share stories of the doctor. Though not the first, Granville was probably the first popular full service restaurant in the H Street, NE corridor. The H Street corridor has been going through a revitalization in the last 7yrs or so. I moved in to that neighborhood in the summer of 2004, with my then wife. Back then there were no places to go to except for several Wings, fast food and fish fry places. Until Suddenly the summer of 2005 when things turned around when a few bars opened that included Argonaut, Palace of Wonders followed by the Red and The Black, H Street Martini Lounge to name a few. Granville Moore now resides on the same block with the Pug, Martini Lounge, Red and the Black, Palace of Wonders and Sticky Rice. Quite a change from a couple of years ago.
Granville Moore is one of several Gastropubs that has been popping up around DC as of late that included Commonwealth, Elephant and Castle, Bar Pilar, H Street Country Club, etc. Although, BricksKeller probably started the trend before it was a trend and has been around as long as I have been in DC......25yrs.
Anyway, when entering you wouldn't know that Granville is more than just a divey looking bar. There are, maybe, 5 tables of 4 on the first floor against the wall to the left and a bar that seats maybe 10-12 to the right. The decor is mostly wooden and forgettable and the ambience is dark. Further back, a stairwell is located to the upstairs bar and dining area. There is also a patio for outside seating in the back that, kinda, faces the alley.
The decor and ambience may be forgettable, but the food and beverage offering is not. When looking at the menu one would think that this is another Belgian restaurant; it offers 8 kinds of mussel preparations that included ones made with a belgian beer, pomme frites hot sandwiches and steak and frites.
The menu may be small but very well executed. The Mussels are very well prepared; I prefer the classic white wine and garlic, although the morrocan mussel prepared with belgian beer and lamb sausage is excellent.
I've also had their scallops wrapped in bacon in a bed of squash puree; a very good combination of seafood savory and autumn-like creamy and sweet. The pomme frites (Belgian fries) are homemade....at least last I was there. The potatoes are cut and blanched in house and 8 different dipping sauce is made that included: chipotle mayo, homemade hot sauce, curry mayo and mornay sauce (tomatoes in Hollandaise sauce). The beer selection is plentiful for a small restaurant, mostly Belgian selections. They also have a decent high end single batch bourbon selection such as Elmer T. Lee, Elijah Craig and Bulleit.
Granville Moore provides reasonably priced offerings posing as a neighborhood watering hole when it's actually a great Gastropub with more than just a typical local grill menu. Unfortunately, perhaps fortunately for them, they're only open for dinner only Monday - Sunday.
This one's a can't miss, hope they thrive for years to come.
According to the bartenders at Granville, some locals who patron the restaurant would share stories of the doctor. Though not the first, Granville was probably the first popular full service restaurant in the H Street, NE corridor. The H Street corridor has been going through a revitalization in the last 7yrs or so. I moved in to that neighborhood in the summer of 2004, with my then wife. Back then there were no places to go to except for several Wings, fast food and fish fry places. Until Suddenly the summer of 2005 when things turned around when a few bars opened that included Argonaut, Palace of Wonders followed by the Red and The Black, H Street Martini Lounge to name a few. Granville Moore now resides on the same block with the Pug, Martini Lounge, Red and the Black, Palace of Wonders and Sticky Rice. Quite a change from a couple of years ago.
Granville Moore is one of several Gastropubs that has been popping up around DC as of late that included Commonwealth, Elephant and Castle, Bar Pilar, H Street Country Club, etc. Although, BricksKeller probably started the trend before it was a trend and has been around as long as I have been in DC......25yrs.
Anyway, when entering you wouldn't know that Granville is more than just a divey looking bar. There are, maybe, 5 tables of 4 on the first floor against the wall to the left and a bar that seats maybe 10-12 to the right. The decor is mostly wooden and forgettable and the ambience is dark. Further back, a stairwell is located to the upstairs bar and dining area. There is also a patio for outside seating in the back that, kinda, faces the alley.
The decor and ambience may be forgettable, but the food and beverage offering is not. When looking at the menu one would think that this is another Belgian restaurant; it offers 8 kinds of mussel preparations that included ones made with a belgian beer, pomme frites hot sandwiches and steak and frites.
The menu may be small but very well executed. The Mussels are very well prepared; I prefer the classic white wine and garlic, although the morrocan mussel prepared with belgian beer and lamb sausage is excellent.
I've also had their scallops wrapped in bacon in a bed of squash puree; a very good combination of seafood savory and autumn-like creamy and sweet. The pomme frites (Belgian fries) are homemade....at least last I was there. The potatoes are cut and blanched in house and 8 different dipping sauce is made that included: chipotle mayo, homemade hot sauce, curry mayo and mornay sauce (tomatoes in Hollandaise sauce). The beer selection is plentiful for a small restaurant, mostly Belgian selections. They also have a decent high end single batch bourbon selection such as Elmer T. Lee, Elijah Craig and Bulleit.
Granville Moore provides reasonably priced offerings posing as a neighborhood watering hole when it's actually a great Gastropub with more than just a typical local grill menu. Unfortunately, perhaps fortunately for them, they're only open for dinner only Monday - Sunday.
This one's a can't miss, hope they thrive for years to come.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Alliance Tavern
This space used to be occupied by Enology, a chic and trendy wine bar. Apparently after just a little over 1 year the owners decided that concept does not work for the location. In the beginning, it was bustling with younger customers, mostly SINKS (single income no kids). As the menu is not quite family friendly, it wasn't able to tap the neighborhood's main population: families.
As its competition; Cactus Cantina, Cafe Deluxe, 2 Amy's and Sushi Sushi, thrive on that particular demographic, it became obvious for Enology to change its Philosophy of its offerings. The change literally happened overnight, with the main difference being the warmer colors on its wall and no change in set-up. Alliance Tavern seats about 60-70 inside with, maybe, 20 at the bar....an additional 20 is possible on its deck outside. Several flat screen TVs adorn its bar as well as the dining area.
Previously the menu revolves around its wine menu: cheeses, charcuterie, light fare and plenty of "wine-flight" pairings. Currently, the menu is definitely geared for neighborhood and family friendly atmosphere. Its small menu is most likely due to its small kitchen, so being able to focus on the items that they can do very well. They offer 2 types of salads and soups, a few starters, a handful of main courses and a few sandwiches; there is even a small section of kid's menu. The wine selection is pretty extensive, ranging from decent American selections, South American, some European and Australian selections. The previous wine selection at Enology was by far a better collection. The pricing? Probably its best attribute; below $15 for main courses; all the wines are below $10/glass. In addition, their beer selection is pretty good with plenty of imported and microbrewery selections for the beer-phile. They also offer daily happy hour specials everynight until 7pm.
I opted for the Cioppino on my first visit; it's an italian version of the Bouillabaise: fish, shellfish, scallops and shrimp served in a tomato broth with garlic toasted country bread. A very simple preparation and presented very well. The taste? Good and refreshingly light. I also tried their Fish n Chips on another night; breaded pollock deep-fried and served with Tavern fries.
It's not very fishy in taste, light and filling. A friend who joined me for dinner had the chicken tenders served on a bed of Mac 'n' cheese. The chicken tenders were homemade; lightly breaded and not too greasy. The Mac 'n' cheese, however, though creamy, lacks taste.
Alliance Tavern offers a perfect blend of decent wine and beer selections and food just enough for it to be a neighborhood destination which it will need to thrive on.
As its competition; Cactus Cantina, Cafe Deluxe, 2 Amy's and Sushi Sushi, thrive on that particular demographic, it became obvious for Enology to change its Philosophy of its offerings. The change literally happened overnight, with the main difference being the warmer colors on its wall and no change in set-up. Alliance Tavern seats about 60-70 inside with, maybe, 20 at the bar....an additional 20 is possible on its deck outside. Several flat screen TVs adorn its bar as well as the dining area.
Previously the menu revolves around its wine menu: cheeses, charcuterie, light fare and plenty of "wine-flight" pairings. Currently, the menu is definitely geared for neighborhood and family friendly atmosphere. Its small menu is most likely due to its small kitchen, so being able to focus on the items that they can do very well. They offer 2 types of salads and soups, a few starters, a handful of main courses and a few sandwiches; there is even a small section of kid's menu. The wine selection is pretty extensive, ranging from decent American selections, South American, some European and Australian selections. The previous wine selection at Enology was by far a better collection. The pricing? Probably its best attribute; below $15 for main courses; all the wines are below $10/glass. In addition, their beer selection is pretty good with plenty of imported and microbrewery selections for the beer-phile. They also offer daily happy hour specials everynight until 7pm.
I opted for the Cioppino on my first visit; it's an italian version of the Bouillabaise: fish, shellfish, scallops and shrimp served in a tomato broth with garlic toasted country bread. A very simple preparation and presented very well. The taste? Good and refreshingly light. I also tried their Fish n Chips on another night; breaded pollock deep-fried and served with Tavern fries.
It's not very fishy in taste, light and filling. A friend who joined me for dinner had the chicken tenders served on a bed of Mac 'n' cheese. The chicken tenders were homemade; lightly breaded and not too greasy. The Mac 'n' cheese, however, though creamy, lacks taste.
Alliance Tavern offers a perfect blend of decent wine and beer selections and food just enough for it to be a neighborhood destination which it will need to thrive on.
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