DESTINATION: WASHINGTON DC

By Jane Baxter Lynn

Join us on a voyage of discovery!

Washington DC is synonymous with politics but there’s another side that visitors to the United States’ capital city should definitely explore. Jane Baxter Lynn uncovered some must try restaurants and spoke to the chefs about their philosophy on food. Join us in the first of her two part series.

On a recent visit to Washington DC, I decided to explore some of the locals’ favourite restaurants.  It turned into a real treat.  DC is a truly international city, in reality and for dining.  You can find five-star restaurants and dives alike featuring the cuisine of scores of countries, including one of the largest concentrations of Ethiopian and other African places to dine in the US; why exactly nobody could explain! 

If you haven’t been to DC recently, you’ll be amazed by the incredible revitalization of the city’s downtown area.  Just five or so years ago the historic Penn Quarter was a place to stay away from.  Restaurants were few and far between in what was a rundown area.  About the only place to dine was Jaleo’s Tapas restaurant, popular with DC locals, to which one took a cab and then left.  But now, a renaissance is unfolding, with all the buildings in the area being renovated.  Two Smithsonian museums – the National Portrait Gallery and the American Museum of Art – reopened in June, and many great restaurants have opened up alongside Jaleo’s.

One of these is Zola, which first caught my attention because it is housed in the same building as the International Spy Museum.  Yes, that’s right there’s a museum dedicated to spying!  If you’re into Intrigue, it’s a definite must when visiting DC (oh and by the way, if you say DC and not Washington, people will know you’re a visitor!  As I’m from the other Washington – the State – I’ll continue to call it DC).

Zola is one of DC’s hottest restaurants in the Penn Quarter. 

Zola has won awards for its ‘see and be seen’ bar scene and great food. (Photo: Theo Adamstein)

Zola’s simple fare has great presentation flare - artisinal ham and grilled cheese with tart greens and Florida saw palmetto honey. (Photo: Freddie Lieberman)

The best way to describe Zola’s is elegant and affordable with high marks for service and straightforward American Cuisine.  Its décor is all about spying, with artwork that includes blown up declassified text from the CIA.

  Zola’s Chef Frank Morales serves up adult versions of childhood favorites including this unique butterscotch pudding tasting paired with very grownup scotch. (Photo: Darko Zagar)

The restaurant is especially popular for its evening meals and its impressive bar, where celebrity spotting is a regular pasttime.   

It has won numerous awards for having the best bar scene in DC with great food.  Best selling cocktails are Zola and Passion, fashioned on the sexy Bond girls.  Zola’s non-alcoholic Lemonade with ginger is all the rage.  Its wine list is large, offering some wonderful vintages at surprisingly moderate prices.  Unusually, they will allow you to taste something first without charging.  

Zola is housed in an historic building adjacent to the intriguing International Spy Museum in the newly revitalized Penn Quarter in downtown DC.  (Photo: Washington, DC Convention & Tourism Corporation)

Executive Chef Frank Morales at Zola’s (Photo: Jim Johnson Photography)

Executive chef Frank Morales has a very simple philosophy, which is to showcase one or two ingredients and change the menu four or five times a year to express the seasons.  He starts with a beautiful piece of produce, preferably local or at least from the US, and then develops a dish from there.  He tends to work with small farmers, which can be a blessing and a curse for them, as sometimes the restaurant is so busy that the producers can’t keep up with the demand.

You can tell when listening to Frank that he is passionate about what he does.  Last year his “flight of fancy” - the main ingredient - was honey.  Until then, he thought it came in a bottle from the supermarket!  He now works with bee farmers around the country and believes that, when it comes to variety of taste and quality, honey is on a level with wine.  

When Frank explains his philosophy on desserts it is definitely not what one would expect from a trendy restaurant like Zola’s.  He creates them with his children (Sophie, six and Justin, three) in mind.  Each dessert is a grown up version of childhood favourites presented in a simple, fun way.  There’s the quintessential American creamsicle in orange and vanilla, a S’mores fondue, and a unique butterscotch pudding tasting, each one made with different vintages of scotch, accompanied by homemade cookies.  Scrumptious! 

John Carrol dining room at 1789 (Photo: Ron Blunt)

Next stop was 1789, a long time DC classic.  Located in a renovated two-story Federal townhouse in a quiet residential street in Georgetown, the restaurant is refined, but not stuffy.  Tables in the four separate dining rooms are set with Limoges and silver.  Yes, admittedly men do have to wear a jacket, but it’s a small price to pay for the comfortable setting, superb food and impeccable service.  

You ask anyone who enjoys dining out in DC if they’ve eaten at 1789 and without doubt they will have done so.  Gourmet magazine readers recently chose it as one of America's Top Tables.  According to our maitre d’ for the evening, Mark Kibbe, it is definitely the place where one can see (Nicole Kidman for example) and be seen.  However, he told us that if you see a celebrity, you definitely do not ask for an autograph.  It is just not done.  He assured us that everyone is treated as a VIP and after our wonderful evening, it seems to be true.

Taking over the role of executive chef at such an esteemed restaurant must have been quite daunting for recently hired Nathan Beauchamp, a relatively young upcoming star in the US chef scene.  However, it doesn’t seem to have dampened his spirit at all.  Listening to him talk about his new role, it was obvious that he is in seventh heaven about the opportunity he has to work there - the feeling that came to mind was that he was like a kid in a candy store! 

Like so many chefs in the US today, Nathan is committed to using local produce and creating local cuisine.  He credits Alice Waters with starting the trend 20 years ago.  

  Kurobuta Pork Chop with market carrots, house cured bacon, sorrel and Toigo Orchards honey one of Nathan Beauchamp's new dishes added to the menu at 1789 (Photo: Abby Greenawalt)
1789’s delicious Lemon Ice Cream Sandwich lemon ice cream, raspberry preserves meyer lemon sorbet and almond meringue (Photo: Abby Greenawalt)

“If you’re not using local cuisine, you’re not in the scene anymore,” he told me.  His 'keep it simple' philosophy allows the best quality ingredients to define the dish. 

Nathan believes that a direct relationship between a chef and farmers is important as “they know your needs”.  He said that farmers are humble people and want chefs to showcase their hard work as much as chefs want to create great dishes.  

Although Nathan brought in some of his own farmers to supply such things as sweet corn and tomatoes, he is continuing the restaurant’s relationships with farmers who have been supplying the restaurant for many years.  For example their lamb provider from Colorado has provided the meat for 1789’s signature rack of lamb for the last 20 years.

 Nathan goes down to the farmers’ market in Penn Quarter twice a week to get fresh produce. 

Although he hasn’t dramatically changed the menu, one of Nathan’s new innovations is his new five-course tasting menu which will reflect eight seasons instead of four, frequently changing to showcase the best produce in early then late spring, early then late summer, early and late autumn and the two phases of winter.

1789’s new and exciting Executive Chef Nathan Beauchamp 
(Photo: Marissa Rauch Photography)

Here are a few of the dishes Nathan prepared for us – carrot cream with jumbo lump crab and mango salsa “nibbleable” direct from the spoon; English pea soup; asparagus salad, and raviolini with fresh ricotta, fava beans and nepitella.

Travel writer Laura Powell, who came with me on this evening, can be a challenging guest for restaurants as she has some serious allergies.  We have to give 1789 top marks for the way they dealt with her special food requirements. 

1789 has a superb reasonably priced wine by the glass list, carefully chosen by William Watts, general manager and wine authority, who has been at the restaurant for over 20 years.

Chef Robert Weidmaier in his open plan kitchen at Marcel's with his outstanding cuisine and wait staff.

The highlight of my culinary tour of DC was Marcel’s on Pennsylvania Avenue I had one of the most exceptional culinary experiences of my life.  

By the time, my colleague Betsy O’Rourke, head of marketing and communications for the Travel Industry Association of America, and I reached the last course we had run out of superlatives!

The dining room is quietly elegant, the service was outstanding and the food mouthwatering.  Owner/ chef Robert Wiedmaier persuaded us to try the tasting menu.  

Each superbly presented dish brought a new and exciting combination of flavours and textures.  Extracting flavours is what he says he does well.  And we can vouch for that. 

From the first taste of the warm home-made sour dough bread through to the melt-in-your-mouth chocolate soufflé with homemade mandarin orange sorbet and crépe flambé topped with homemade vanilla ice-cream, it was a treat. 

Robert proudly informed us that the kitchen does not have a freezer, except for the sorbets and ice-creams.  He has fresh food delivered every day from local dairy and meat farms that practice organic sustainable farming.

Restaurant name sakes Marcel & Beck assist their Dad Chef Robert Weidmaier in the kitchen at Marcel’s.

One of Chef Robert Weidmeier’s signature dishes at Marcel’s include the very Belgian Boudin Blanc with onion confit, lardoons and a red wine reduction.

Robert describes the cuisine as French with a Flemish flair.  Born of a Belgian father and Californian mother, and brought up in Europe, he developed his style from years of cooking in the kitchen with his mother, Gini Wiedmaier.  He particularly enjoyed watching her make soups and stocks for her sauces.  Robert attended culinary school in the Netherlands, and subsequently worked in some of DC’s top hotel restaurants, where he achieved nationwide acclaim as one of America’s best hotel chefs.

 

Each superbly presented dish at Marcel’s brought a new and exciting combination of flavours – here he serves roasted diver scallops with pink grapefruit and ginger butter

 

 

His signature dishes include boudin blanc, sweetbreads, foie gras, skate and a variety of wild game in season.  Our favourites were the Hamachi wrapped blood orange segments with a blood orange emulsion and pea tendrils.  This was followed by his feather light boudin blanc with braised pork belly and puy lentils in a red winejus.  The clever blend of tastes and textures that we experienced with the Belgium batter soft shell crab with citrus reduction was incredible.  The pan-seared crispy skate wing with Vidalia onion marmalade drizzled with lemon caper butter was as good as the critics had said, as were the raviolis of duck comfit with sweet onion puree and poached plum.  There was more, but this gives you an idea.

All these specially crafted dishes were carefully paired with wines chosen by sommelier Ramón Narváez, who has developed a wine list including over 500 bottles.  Ramón travels regularly to Europe searching for wines and winemakers that he finds inspirational.  He looks especially for small and interesting appellations, particularly in France’s Burgundy region. 

Marcel’s is named after Robert and his wife Polly’s first-born son, as well as his father and grandfather.  As part of a trend in DC of going “down-market”, they will be opening a second more casual restaurant downtown in January 2007 called Beck’s, after their second son.  Robert told us that the fare will be an interpretation of brasserie cooking Belgian-style and will be less expensive than Marcel’s.

Top DC chef who is following this trend is internationally renowned culinary artist Michel Richard (of Michel Richard Citronelle at the Latham Hotel in Georgetown). 

 

  Citronelle’s kitchen is the envy of chefs everywhere and is open to customers for viewing.

Towards the end of 2006, he will open a second restaurant Central Michel Richard on Pennsylvania Avenue, so named because it’s between the White House and the Capitol.  He says it will offer “French-American bistro” cuisine at modest prices.  That’s good, because his flagship restaurant Citronelle is definitely not for those without significant travel allowances.  

Citronelle’s Chef/Owner Michel Richard testing a new dish.

I caught up with Michel at Citronelle one afternoon sitting at his chef’s table in the open plan exhibition kitchen with close friend and bread supplier Mark Furstenburg of Breadline, one of DC’s best bakeries.  He was working on a new recipe, which I had the honor of tasting.  However, he didn’t like it, so back it went to the kitchen for further development. 

If you’re visiting DC for a really special occasion with a group of six to eight friends, an evening at the Chef’s Table at Citronelle would be an unforgettable experience.

Larger than life in every way, Michel’s list of credentials reads like a book, with awards too numerous to mention.  He jokingly told me (with an element of truth) that if one cares about food, it is imperative to dine at Citronelle.  He describes his style as French-California and his cuisine as “light, fresh and intelligent, focusing on innovative combinations, witty presentations and always an element of texture.” 

For Michel the main ingredient is “Love”!  

Salade Niçoise Michel-style, one of the signature dishes on Citronelle’s exceptional menu.

He changes his menus frequently to reflect the seasonal ingredients and the weather.  For example, in autumn, he’ll take local apples and make sorbet with pieces of translucent apple tuiles.  He insisted I sampled one of his signature dishes, Salade Niçoise Michel-style with raw tuna, potato chip layers and a ginger vinaigrette.  It certainly did not look like a salad and was fabulous. 

Michel originally trained as a pastry chef.  As a result, his unusual desserts are pretty amazing.  I tried his most famous, called Breakfast at Citronelle, a sweet that looks like fried eggs with toast, bacon and hash browns (potato pancakes), but tastes nothing of the sort.

Across one whole wall of the elegant main dining room is a glass fronted wine cellar holding 8,000 bottles, all carefully looked after by sommelier Mark Slater.  Citronelle has a wine-by-the-glass program featuring vintages that other restaurants would not consider serving by the glass.  So if you are a real wine enthusiast this sounds like the place to go.

At 57, Michel is regarded as the leader of the DC chefs’ pack and he takes his role in the community very seriously, participating wherever he can.  Each year in March and April, when DC celebrates the National Cherry Blossom Festival, many top chefs like Michel prepare cuisine flavored with cherry in honor of the event.  The festival celebrates the 1912 gift of 30,000 cherry trees from the people of Japan to the people of Washington, DC with Japanese cultural activities, a parade, sushi and sake tastings just to mention a few. This year, Michel created a Foie Gras, sautéed, dried cherries and anise.

See DESTINATION: Seattle  & DESTINATION: Austin
Jane and her Texan husband Frank Lynn

Jane Baxter Lynn is principal of JBL Public Relations Strategies www.jblprstrategies.com, a marketing and communications business with an emphasis on the travel & tourism, wine and franchising industries internationally.  

 

See Part Two