D.C. Restaurant Week Returns Aug. 11-17
More than 25 new restaurants are participating in the summer Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week, Aug 11-17. Some restaurants are extending their specials through Aug. 24 to include Alexandria’s restaurant week. During the D.C. week, more than 200 restaurants in the DMV offer prix-fixe lunches for $20.14 and dinner for $35.14. A complete list of participating restaurants is available online.
We have a round up of restaurant week offerings below. Where available, links to the full online menus are highlighted in pink.
701 Restaurant, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW will offer lunch choices that include chilled corn soup with chili-lime sorbet, cherry tomatoes, bacon and cornbread streusel; shrimp ceviche with tomatillo-cilantro broth, watermelon, pickled Anaheim chiles, and beef carpaccio with bean sprouts, mint, Thai basil and black garlic aioli. Dinner choices include pork loin with corn puree, oyster mushrooms and green beans; salmon with quinoa, charred cucumber salsa and tomato-tamarind sauce, and pappardelle with duck ragout, fennel, parmesan and basil. For dessert, guests can choose chocolate bread pudding with vanilla anglaise; watermelon soup with fried pineapple wonton and summer melon; classic carrot cake with cream cheese icing and bourbon cream sauce, or a glazed doughnut with hazelnuts and caramel sauce. Restaurant Week http://701restaurant.com/dinner-menu/ specials will be served Aug. 11-24.
Agora, 1527 17th St. NW is offering a four-course lunch menu with a sampler of htipiti, roasted red peppers with feta, thyme and olive oil; cacık with strained yogurt, cucumber, mint, vinegar, garlic and olive oil, and hummus, a purée of chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and garlic topped with olive oil. For dinner, diners can order a five-course menu including imam bayildi, baby eggplant stuffed with onions, tomatoes, pine nuts, fresh oregano and garlic; chef’s börek, two crispy phyllo rolls filled with goat and kasar cheese, leeks and oregano or spinach, dill, feta cheese served with tomato marmalade; bruksel lahana, fried Brussels sprouts with white truffle crème fraiche and urfa pepper; kibbeh, fried ground beef and bulgur dumpling stuffed with ground beef, lamb, almonds and pine nuts served over yogurt sauce; swordfish kebap with grilled peppers and a grapefruit relish. Dessert options include kadayif, two layer shredded phyllo disks with vanilla milk pudding topped with orange blossom honey and pistachios; rice pudding topped with apricot, cinnamon and black currant; or pistachio baklava with phyllo dough, pistachios and orange blossom syrup.
Bastille, 1201 N. Royal St., Alexandria, is serving its special menu from Aug. 11-24 for both be Metropolitan Washington and Alexandria restaurant weeks. Bastille’s three-course lunch menu includes starters of soup du jour; shrimp beignets with corn, basil and rouille aioli; Caesar salad; fresh Burrata cheese and compressed melons with pistachios and olive oil; warm goat cheese cromesqui and baby arugula with local peaches and pecans; and a charcuterie plate of the day. Lunch entrees include the daily catch; mussels with harissa-ras el hanout broth, peppers, eggplant, onion and fennel; nicoise salad with Amish chicken confit; moullard duck confit with grilled Virginia peaches and a honey lavender gastrique, roasted fingerling potatoes and summer vegetables; grilled hangar steak in a cabernet-shallot sauce with pommes frites or side salad; or risotto with corn, roasted garlic and basil. Desserts include a choice of a trio of artisanal cheeses ($5 extra); Valrhona chocolate pot de crème with blueberry compote and Chantilly crème; vanilla bean crème brûlée; vanilla citrus panacotta with compressed cantaloupe, local blueberries, Greek yogurt ice cream and almond sable; lemon tart with Chantilly crème and local raspberries; or peach melba with almond streusel profiteroles and raspberries. Dinner includes choice of the above appetizers plus escargot in garlic basil pistou sauce with sweet garlic coulis and baguette or foie-gras (extra $5). Dinner entrees include a choice of the lunch entrees plus rosemary lemon Amish chicken with herb & sea salt roasted fingerling potatoes and summer vegetables; grilled lamb chops with merguez, Harissa yogurt, tajine of summer vegetables and couscous; and a beef burger topped with duck confit, foie gras caramelized onion marmelade, aioli, tomato and lettuce served with pommes frites. Dinner desserts include ricotta cheesecake with local blueberry compote, blueberry sorbet, graham cracker crumbles and candied orange, or cherry upside down cake with stewed cherries, pistachio-white chocolate ice cream and pistachio crumbles.
Central Michel Richard at 1001 Pennsylvania Ave. NW is offering a lunch menu of French onion soup or salad frisee with lardons and sautéed mushrooms; tartare of filet mignon with French fries or salmon with miso, eggplant and trumpet royale; and Michel’s chocolate bar or crème brulee. For dinner, the menu includes French onion soup, goat cheese Caesar salad or salad frisee with lardons and poached egg; mussels cooked in white wine and garlic with fries, Michel’s fried chicken and mashed potatoes or vegetarian pearl pasta risotto; and for dessert a choice of Michel’s chocolate bar, crème brulee or house-made ice cream or sorbet.
Cafe Dupont at the Dupont Circle Hotel, 1500 New Hampshire Ave. NW, is serving dinner only with a choice of starters that include black pepper infused watermelon gazpacho, yellow tomato carpaccio and goat cheese, pan seared scallops or roasted cauliflower with kimchi and salsa verde. Main course choices include pork belly and summer corn succotash with heirloom tomato and bacon, grilled Skuna Bay salmon with eggplant puree, fennel salad, raisins and toasted cashews. Dessert options are crème brûlée with almond sacristan or a chocolate bar with espresso mascarpone ice cream, salted caramel and pine nuts.
Härth, 7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean is offering a lunch menu of either wedge salad or summer gazpacho. Entrée options include the prosciutto and kalamata olive panini, or capellini and mussels with white wine, herb puree, tomato and roasted corn. Finish lunch with sweet corn ice cream with caramel corn for dessert. The dinner menu offers a choice of gazpacho or melon salad with basil, orange and crushed red pepper vinaigrette. Dinner entrées include a choice of seared cod with potato Lyonnaise, roasted red pepper sauce and smoked paprika; grilled flat iron steak with steak frites and kalamata olive and sundried tomato butter; or stuffed zucchini with summer vegetable stew and quinoa. Top it all off with a trio of lemon buttermilk panna cotta, chocolate delice and strawberry and red wine soup.
Legal Sea Foods is offering Restaurant Week specials at its Chinatown location, 704 7th St. NW. Lunch highlights include New England clam chowder; gazpacho; fish and chips served with French fries and coleslaw; or a salmon burger served on a brioche bun with roasted red pepper mayonnaise, French fries and coleslaw. Dinner choices include warm spinach and feta dip; Maryland cream of crab soup; fitto misto with shrimp, whitefish, calamari, pickled vegetables, onion strings, French fries and marinara; Legal’s signature crab cakes with mustard sauce and a seasonal salad, or grilled Faroe Island salmon with a choice of two sides. Dessert options include Boston cream pie or bananas foster.
Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, 750 15th St NW, Restaurant Week menu includes appetizer choice of chanterelle mushrooms with truffle butter, chioggia beets with Humbolt Fog goat cheese and Valencia oranges or fluke ceviche with grapefruit and nori crisp. Entrée options include pan seared royal sea bass with spaghetti squash, citrus vinaigrette and rosemary oil; marinated skirt steak with smashed potatoes and charred shishito vinaigrette, or roasted stuffed chicken with natural jus. To end the meal on a sweet note, guests may enjoy a slice of blueberry pie with lemon streusel.
Mio Restaurant, 1110 Vermont Ave. NW, is offering a sampling of new executive chef Roberto Hernandez’s Latin cuisine featuring a lunch menu of tropical ceviche with local fish, pineapple, honeydew, cantaloupe, local citrus and fresh cilantro, served with malanga chips; pigeon pea hummus served with pigeon pea escabeche and white corn tortilla chips; mojito pork tenderloin over root vegetable hash and blistered corn salsa; eggplant pionono with sweet plantain cake and guajillo tomato sauce topped with queso fresco, or cilantro pesto rainbow trout served over warm quinoa salad with seasonal vegetables. Dinner options include cod fish and pigeon pea croquets with mashed pigeon peas and salted cod fish croquets served over avocado mousse and topped with tomato compote; roasted beet salad with pears, dry papaya and goat cheese over young lettuce drizzled with brown butter balsamic vinaigrette; cornish hen stuffed with mofongo, blistered brussels sprouts and sweet plantain cream, or skirt steak and root vegetable hash with island green mojo. Dessert include the choice of Mio espresso granita over cheese whipped cream and orange zest or cheesecake empanada with glazed granny smith apples and drizzled with dulce de leche.
Nage Bistro, 1600 Rhode Island Ave. NW is offering a lunch menu that includes tuna tartare with watermelon, pickled habanero and cilantro; spinach, kale and artichoke dip served with house-made tortilla chips; local all natural angus burger with smoked onion, mushroom duxelle, Vermont cheddar and Nage frites; rainbow trout with a fricasse of summer vegetables and lemon vinaigrette; or summer vegetable stuffed vidalia with coconut curry. For dinner, guests can choose from dishes such as cajun gulf prawns with Creole spices, garlic and lemon; heirloom tomato salad with fresh mozzarella, basil and vin cotto; pan seared halibut with wild watercress, lime and watermelon sauce; pan roasted half chicken with chanterelles, asparagus and caramelized onions; grilled Berkshire pork chop with fresh mixed bean fricassee and chive dumplings; Chesapeake crabcake with corn and fava bean succotash and serrano ham; or steak frites, a 6-ounce bistro filet with caramelized onions, a green salad and Nage’s signature steak sauce. For dessert, guests can select from three featured desserts including the milk and cookies; campfire sundae with smoked vanilla ice cream, marshmallow ice cream, chocolate sauce, graham crackers and toasted marshmallows; or the vanilla bean crème brûlée. Restaurant Week will be featured at Nage from Aug. 11-24.
The Oval Room, 800 Connecticut Ave. NW, which just reopened following a million dollar renovation, will showcase a three-course meal from its new menu. Choose from appetizers including chilled corn soup with charred corn relish, cilantro, scallion, jalapeno, and Mexican cheese sorbet; buffalo mozzarella with shaved summer vegetable salad and a pickled chili vinaigrette; crudo of fluke with a coconut vinaigrette, radish, basil and Thai chili, or fried baby artichokes with lemon mustard mayonnaise and mint leaves. The entrée course offers charred jalapeno spaghetti with stewed heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella and basil; grilled flat iron steak with purple potato puree, poblano-mint salsa verde; crispy salmon with corn ravioli, soy-kaffir oil, fried garlic and ginger; steamed rockfish with a garlic broth, broccoli rabe and pickled peppers; or roast pork loin and crispy belly with green tomato jam and pickled mustard seed sauce. Dessert options include lemon sponge cake with a peach basil salad and peach ice cream; chocolate brownie with espresso mousse and caramel ice cream; cheesecake parfait with blueberry compote and toasted graham cracker crumbs; or yogurt panna cotta with macerated blackberries and lemon verbena syrup. The Oval Room’s Restaurant Week prix-frixe menu will be offered Aug. 11-24.
Ris at 2275 L St. NW is offering a menu of chilled cucumber soup with bourbon blueberries and mint, fried green tomatoes with watermelon and feta or blue cheese panzanella salad with candied walnuts and a balsamic glaze for an appetizer; braised pork belly (lunch) or griller Berkshire pork chop (dinner) served with grilled peaches and onions with bacon, buttermilk yogurt dressing, a corn cake and blackberry catsup’ fusilli pasta with summer squash, grilled marinated eggplant, pine nuts and raisins with tomato, basil, herbed fresh ricotta and black olive crostini’ or mustard crusted salmon with melted leeks, new potatoes with tarragon butter, market pole beans and beet vinaigrette for an entrée. Diners have a choice of peach melba trifle with coconut ice cream or crispy chocolate peanut butter bar with salted caramel ice cream.
Roofer’s Union, 2446 18th St. NW, will offer four courses for its Restaurant Week menu. Start with mixed greens, crispy pig ear salad with soft egg, yellow pepper gazpacho with mango or chicken wings with Sriracha honey glaze. Second course offerings include heirloom tomatoes with compressed watermelon, cauliflower with mint and pine nuts, chicken sausage with mild mushrooms, taleggio and pretzel, or a curry spiced pork loin skewer. For the main course, guests can choose between grilled flatbread with spring onion pesto, chevre and nectarines; grilled salmon with Israeli couscous, squash and corn; lemon & honey half smoked chicken with smashed potatoes, or Memphis ribs with baked beans and coleslaw. Dessert will be selected by Executive Chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley.
Vinifera Wine Bar & Bistro, 11750 Sunrise Valley Dr., Reston is offering starters of yellow tomato gazpacho, mixed baby greens salad with red beet vinaigrette and smoked buffalo mozzarella, or a diver sea scallop sandwich. For entrees, Vinifera will serve a Chilean sea bass with lemon tabbouleh, grilled pork tenderloin with apricot and peach chutney, or homemade fettuccine with fresh basil, sweet corn and grape tomatoes. For dessert, choose from white chocolate ice cream with raspberries and Grand Marnier chocolate sauce or fresh summer berries with raspberry or passion fruit sorbet and vanilla whipped cream.
Editor-in-Chief Mark Heckathorn is a journalist, movie buff and foodie. He oversees DC on Heels editorial operations as well as strategic planning and staff development. Reach him with story ideas or suggestions at dcoheditor (at) gmail (dot) com.