[Sca-cooks] OOP: Two restaurants in D.C.

[Christiane]

I just got back from a conference in D.C. While there, my boss took us all out to eat both nights. I would recommend both of these restaurants very highly if you've got the cash!

The first was Marcel's, at 2401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. French cuisine with a Flemish flair, we were told, but it was a little more continental and avant garde. The chef cooked in an open kitchen. He sent us out little samples of chestnut soup with maple syrup, before we ordered; it was delicious. I wound up having that chestnut soup, with duck confit, as an appetizer. The waiter came out with the tureen to ladle it. The osso buco came out in ceramic dish with a tall cone-like cover. I'm told the osso buco was wonderful (I didn't have it)) and the waiter said Marcel's was the only place in D.C. serving it. I had the salmon, which was in a light caper-butter sauce and served on top of sauteed baby spinach and it was all on top of a slightly crisped potato cake. It was very good, the salmon was charred just the right touch on the outside and very tender inside. We were all too full for dessert, but the chef sent out a plate with little tiny dense chocolate truffles, quince-jelly candies, and little meringue cookies, which we took with us. 

The second was I Ricchi, at 1220 19th St. NW, and this was by far our favorite. The cuisine was Florentine/Tuscan. The menu was arranged in the typical Italian fashion of antipasti, first course, second course, and desserts. We ordered an antipasto selection for the table (fresh mozarella and tomato with basil, roasted red peppers, and sauteed woodland mushrooms). For the first course, we ordered to share among us, taglietelle con coniglio (tagliatelle with rabbit in a light red sauce), risotto with shrimp and mushrooms, and a type of ravioli with a mixture of veal, ricotta, and spinach. All of the pasta was homemade and just melted in the mouth. For the second course, three of us, myself included, had the lamb, which had been marinated in lemon, olive oil, rosemary, and garlic, and grilled over a wood fire. All I can say is, wow. For dessert I succumbed and had chocolate gelato. We drank a $100 Brunello that was worth every penny, and I've never said that about wine before!!!

Here's the Website: http://www.iricchi.net/ And there's a recipe of the month posted there for risotto with butternut squash and shrimp. Mmmmmmmmm!

Gianotta