We will be in town for a weekend to visit my parents who live in NoVa. My mother is not well, and being with them all day will be trying. We want to have two nights that are fun and a treat. At first we were considering some of the fine dining tasting menu places, but I think now we’re leaning towards Rasika and Succotash, mentioned by @JohnMag That looks fun and relaxed and the space looks light and airy. Anyone know about corkage?
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I unfortunately don’t know the corkage policy at either. From recollection the list at Succotash was Ok but not exciting. However, they do have a surprisingly extensive whiskey list.
Thanks - no worries. I’ll call them. We are whisky drinkers, but not really whiskey drinkers; however, the cocktail program looks strong. Most important the food looks fun and comforting.
That’s a good description of the food. Try to get a table among the booths on the side of the dining room as they are quieter.
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Same for me, but I got a chance to try Whistle Pig Boss Hog IV The Black Prince, which I never expected to see on a restaurant menu.
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Maybe a late suggestion, but Lutece in Georgetown is a French neo bistro with excellent food and warm service. One of our favorites to go to when we want a relaxing but satisfying meal. The a la carte menu is the best way to enjoy things, since everything is small plates.
Food is classically rooted, but with some playful/modern twists. Sort of like Estela, but much better (IMO).
Corkage is $35/bottle, but we’ve often had it waived if you offer the somm a glass. Can be hard to get reservations last minute though!
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we like Lutece too, going there Friday. Might bring a bottle.
Rasika has $45 a bottle corkage, two bottle limit (sourced from the West End wine list).
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I will happily toss in Pirouette in Arlington,VA as a suggestion. Relatively young as a restaurant, it’s owned by a Frenchman who is plenty nerdy about wine. It’s not Michelin-star stuff, but the food is really, really creative and good, and the wine selection is wonderful, filled with a bunch of out-of-the-way/under-the-radar producers at good value. The restaurant integrates a wine shop into the nice, well-designed setting.
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Don’t know about corkage, because as I no longer live in the area, when I go I’m more interested to see what he has than I am in bringing my own. It’s a great place.
I’m sorry to hear about your mother as well, I hope things go okay while you’re there.
Thank you, that is very kind of you.
Re Raisika corkage, per the maitre d’ last night:
$45 per bottle
“We try to keep it to two bottles”
Don’t bring something on the list
He suggested that I let him know in advance (didn’t byo last night).
Everything was fabulous, especially the scallops balchau (fabulous quality bay scallops) along with great spicing.
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Went to both Rasika (Penn Quarter) and Bombay Club. Both excellent.
Slight edge to Rasika due to superior vs ordinary papadums at Bombay Club. Also Rasika allows things such as Dal Makhani to be ordered as sides, and it’s a fabulous Dal. (We often order it, but a full portion never gets even half eaten).
Reverie was really excellent, I asked for a pescatarian short tasting menu. The only course that wasn’t perfect was eel in a rice risotto like dashi, which only came with a spoon, but the eel required a knife and fork. If it had been served with those utensils I would have thought it perfect (eel skin is tough).
The food at Zatinya was great, only surpassed by the great company of a local WBer. I drank well thanks to him.
Food was great at Jaleo, but service was weak.
DC is a great restaurant town!
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Heading down tomorrow. We got into Omakase @ Barracks Row for tomorrow via Notify, and will bring a champagne and a sake. Then Rasika on Saturday, where we will drink beer (Jonthan) and gin (me). I just don’t care for any wine much with Indian food, but I quite enjoy a couple of G&Ts.
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Wow. Really bad meal at Rasika. Among the most disappointing meals I can recall.
We weren’t going to drink wine but I noted the stems are awful.
The only tonic they have is from the gun. No Fever Tree in a high end Indian is a mistake.
Ordered an equal parts cocktail so there could be no mistakes. It was terrible. They remade it for me after I pointed out it should be equal parts and it was better.
Ordered a cocktail off their list which was not worth finishing. It had none of the flavors it advertised.
Papadums and chutnies were good.
Lamb roll and crab masala were good, though the coconut condiment did nothing for the crab
Fried cauliflower tasteless and underseasoned.
Halbut Goan curry - fish way undercooked and underseasoned, sauce flavorless.
They brought us the wrong lamb dish first. Maybe ee should have kept it.
Lamb shank curry, one of the worst Indian sauces ever. A baseball bat of clove in the face, and otherwise without flavor. Lamb not just underseasoned, but unseasoned and very tough. If they hadnt taken it off the bill we would have refused to pay for it, it was so bad.
Nan - cold and tough. Inedible.
Dal and spinach sides, both good.
Place was packed, so I guess they don’t have to worry, but it was seriously bad and the problems were across the board, so I can’t imagine it was just an off night.
Ouch! So sorry, especially when you all were looking for comfort food and relaxation!
Which location was this?
Thanks - we will tell a funny story about it ultimately, and we had gin and fever tree and wine back in the room, so it was pretty comfy. It was the D St location.
Omakase the night before was a lot better, though a bit odd. I’ll write that up as well.
Wow, really unexpected. We had a very good meal at the west end site (admittedly, about 2 years ago). Sorry your experience did not match.
Like so many places, I suspect it suffers from its popularity. No restaurant doing that volume, plus takeout, can maintain quality unless they have a very strong and deep kitchen and are willing to spend/invest. The quality of stems and tonic may not matter to a lot of diners, but its a clue and a warning that the restaurant is not that interested in quality, and they are cutting corners. Jonathan said as much when we sat down - the cheap stems and fountain tonic make me hesitant to order the halibut.
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Sorry to hear it, our recent experience was the opposite (no cocktails involved however).