Attn. D.C. Berserkers: Ripple to close June 24

D.C. Berserkers,

Sadly, one of our wine geek “centers of gravity” will be closing permanently in a couple weeks. I’ve enjoyed so many great meals and wine dinners with friends here over the years, and I never saw a drop in quality or service in all that time. What a shame.

Bill

Really? Seriously? A restaurant with good wine and it’s named Ripple? Can this be?
Maybe that explains the problem.
Phil Jones

Bill - sad news indeed. Ill be going back a few times to blow it out!

We all need to do our part to drink down their great wine list!

Dang. I guess I didn’t support enough!!

Big time bummer. Love this spot. While I didn’t see any drop off in quality, I definitely saw a drop off in customers. Really a shame.

Really?

The hard economics of fine restaurants.

this is a huge loss.

Very unfortunate because it’s better now than it’s ever been. Hope the chef lands somewhere else soon.

I thought it was ok, but the problem is that its not located in a destination area like 14th St, Georgetown, Dupont (less so now), U street and 7th st (just starting) . People who live there don’t go out as much, and its too for the younger DC and VA folks to goto. Also, I never felt it had an “identity”, which in DC’s competitive market, you have to have.

Am I the only one old enough to remember the cheap fortified wine Ripple of the 1960s and 70s?
Phil Jones

I’ve been there several times for offlines, but it isn’t someplace we think to go to for dinner otherwise. We do however love Bindaas on the same stretch, and we regularly went to Dean’s place when it was on the corner

No. The wines was the choice of street people in Philly.

It still lives on in ‘Sanford and Son’ reruns

I’ve never even heard of this! What is (was) their food like?

Excellent. The restaurant for many years had a very well regarded chef who did very well on top chef. Not too long ago, she left, but I thought the new chef was better. I will be very interested where he ends up

Though we’ll never know, I wonder if the outcome would have been different if Marjorie Meek-Bradley stayed. Cleveland Park is no longer a dining destination (Palena and Dino making the point) but Top Chef celebrity becomes a draw. Without her, it was just another decent restaurant in a no longer exciting part of town.

From the Post restaurant chat today:

Good news: The chef is currently in Europe (Paris followed by Madrid), researching restaurants for his next establishment, which is expected to open someplace downtown and offer a menu that will change daily, depending on what’s in the market. His aim, according to his spokeswoman, Maru Valdes: “Good food, minus the fuss.” Ratino is currently looking for investors and aims for a fall opening. Stay tuned.

Really sad to see Ripple close! Popped in last night with a friend and took advantage of their wine list. They’re offering 50 percent off bottles of $140 or more.

Had a really good meal hear a few years back…sounds like a loss for both the DC wine and DC food community.