Eric Ripert, lauded chef of Le Bernardin in NYC, just opened a new DC bistro the other month. (For any Top Chef fans, he is the often-recurring guest judge with the gray hair and the French accent.) He also uses only the best ingredients from local farms in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. As opposed to the elegant seafood he serves in New York, he recently said in an interview that West End Bistro is the more casual, hearty food that he himself likes to eat. Looks elegant though.
And although I could eat everything on that menu on a regular basis (unlike the fussy gourmet foods that are only good once in a while), they are far from ordinary. I think the key is simplicity. If the flavors and techniques are superb, why decorate them superfluously?
I'll review mine, but I tasted a bite from all of my parents' plates and they were spectacular too. I assure you, like when I read the menu, that the text representing these dishes will not do them justice. But I'll try my best.
My appetizer was calamari with remoulade sauce, alike something from Le Bernardin. Yes, very typical of many restaurants. Atypical was the perfect remoulade sauce (hard to find out of France and New Orleans) and the PERFECT calamari. They were cut into stamp sized squares rather than the usual rings, with a light and salted batter, and were tender... not the least bit rubbery like other squid.
I almost refrained from ordering a second course, but my parents having ordered a soup and salad respectively, I knew I would regret it if I didn't. The house salad was hearts of romaine with garlic vinaigrette. Yes. Exactly what it sounds like. Lettuce, garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, and quite likely one or two more things I didn't detect. But believe me when I say it was amazing. My mom tried a bite and was like "HOW DOES HE DO THAT?" He just takes everyday ingredients and makes them extraordinary.
Since Ripert's specialty is seafood (like the calamari), I almost ordered salmon with beurre blanc and broccoli rabe. But following the eager suggestion of my waiter, I got the night's special A medium rare lamb tenderloin atop white beans with a tomato-based sauce and some crushed olives. Everything was cooked to perfection. Even the beans were tender without being mushy.
For you other wine fans, I just had glasses of house white with the first two courses and trusted the waiter to pair a good red for the lamb. He brought a '04 Shiraz, which expectedly complemented the dish.
And if you know me well, you know I can't do appetizer without dessert. I took another suggestion from the waiter and got his favorite, the citrus-and-maple scented blueberry cobbler. Rather than a slice, it was a little pie about the size of a bagel served a la mode with their house vanilla ice cream, full of little vanilla specks. If you know me even better, you know I usually veer toward chocolate desserts, but this was a very worthy exception.
So, in conclusion, it's my favorite DC restaurant now. For serious.
And although I could eat everything on that menu on a regular basis (unlike the fussy gourmet foods that are only good once in a while), they are far from ordinary. I think the key is simplicity. If the flavors and techniques are superb, why decorate them superfluously?
I'll review mine, but I tasted a bite from all of my parents' plates and they were spectacular too. I assure you, like when I read the menu, that the text representing these dishes will not do them justice. But I'll try my best.
My appetizer was calamari with remoulade sauce, alike something from Le Bernardin. Yes, very typical of many restaurants. Atypical was the perfect remoulade sauce (hard to find out of France and New Orleans) and the PERFECT calamari. They were cut into stamp sized squares rather than the usual rings, with a light and salted batter, and were tender... not the least bit rubbery like other squid.
I almost refrained from ordering a second course, but my parents having ordered a soup and salad respectively, I knew I would regret it if I didn't. The house salad was hearts of romaine with garlic vinaigrette. Yes. Exactly what it sounds like. Lettuce, garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, and quite likely one or two more things I didn't detect. But believe me when I say it was amazing. My mom tried a bite and was like "HOW DOES HE DO THAT?" He just takes everyday ingredients and makes them extraordinary.
Since Ripert's specialty is seafood (like the calamari), I almost ordered salmon with beurre blanc and broccoli rabe. But following the eager suggestion of my waiter, I got the night's special A medium rare lamb tenderloin atop white beans with a tomato-based sauce and some crushed olives. Everything was cooked to perfection. Even the beans were tender without being mushy.
For you other wine fans, I just had glasses of house white with the first two courses and trusted the waiter to pair a good red for the lamb. He brought a '04 Shiraz, which expectedly complemented the dish.
And if you know me well, you know I can't do appetizer without dessert. I took another suggestion from the waiter and got his favorite, the citrus-and-maple scented blueberry cobbler. Rather than a slice, it was a little pie about the size of a bagel served a la mode with their house vanilla ice cream, full of little vanilla specks. If you know me even better, you know I usually veer toward chocolate desserts, but this was a very worthy exception.
So, in conclusion, it's my favorite DC restaurant now. For serious.
1190 22nd Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
202.974.4900
http://www.westendbistrodc.com
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