An Evening at Komi

Photo courtesy of Renaissance Hotels website

An evening at Komi is everything you expect a four-course, $135-per-person, James-Beard-awarded, impossible-to-get-into restaurant to be. My husband and I went recently to celebrate our anniversary, and the service and the food captured the essence of a “special occasion.” The only thing I wished for was a dance break between the courses (more on that below). You can’t take pictures at Komi, so you’ll just have to read about our experience at this magical restaurant:

The Setting

Eleven-year-old Komi is located in a row house on stretch of 17th Street ripe with bars and restaurants, almost directly between Dupont Circle and Logan Circle. The dining room is simple, low-lit and intimate, which made for a fun contrast with what was going on outside its large front window on the night we were there: The High Heel Drag Race. Inside, we were couples and foursomes (you can’t make reservations for more than four) enjoying candlelit meals; outside decked-out beauties in heels paraded down the street. Komi’s small dining room provides a simple jewel box for a special occasion; it also provides plenty of room to feel urban, youthful and fun.

The Atmosphere

Komi’s announcement on its website – “No pictures, please” – had me concerned that a certain level of pretension would accompany our meal. I was 100 percent wrong. The wait staff was warm, funny and friendly. Even their “uniform” was approachable – the women wore 50s-style shirtdresses and the men wear sharp suits and colorful ties. Nothing could have tested the pretension factor better than my friend who wandered in looking for me: He’d participated in the High Heel Drag Race and was in full regalia, wearing a wig, spooky contacts, a dress and heels. And then he whipped out a camera. What did a passing waiter do when he saw us grinning into the phone for a selfie? Offer to take our picture for us.  

The Food

When I made reservations, the hostess asked if we had any food allergies or preferences. Komi is a no-menu restaurant, and I knew their contemporary Greek-inspired offerings were sometimes exotic, so I specified that my husband was not a fan of raw fish or meats. At our table, a waitress asked for more specifics about his likes and dislikes and then discussed substitutes. Although the hubby was a little self-conscious, she asked questions with kindness and a complete lack of judgment. I really respected their willingness to make sure us both of us enjoyed our meals.

The meal began with three one-bite plates served one at a time: a brioche topped with roe; a tiny, delicate scallop; and fried, crispy sweet breads. Next we were served two pastas. The main was pork served with bread and sides. I think we had two desserts. I’m sorry I don’t have more details -- I couldn’t take pictures, we had no menu, and, most importantly, I was actually spending the evening enjoying my husband’s company. I am NOT a trained food critic, so I won’t even attempt to go into the intricacies of the food we were served. What I can tell you is this:

• Each bite caused us to stop, savor and think. Not one plate was boring or even just plain good.
• The presentations of the food were beautiful but not overwrought. The simplicity of the plating, décor and staff shines the light on the food.
• Each serving was small. We were still stuffed by the end of the night. Come to Komi starving.

The Wine

Because it was a special occasion (and because my parents had provided a gift certificate for the meal as a birthday present – thanks Mom and Clay!!), we decided to splurge and get the $70-per-person wine pairing to go with our meal. And while the meal without the wine pairing would have been wonderful, the variety and uniqueness of the wines we were introduced to put it over the top.

Our sommelier was the best sommelier I have ever encountered. With every new wine he brought, he painted a picture. Rather than focusing on “notes of this, that and the other” (I can find my own notes, thank you), he told a story: an interesting tale about the French grower, a bit of history about a Countess, what makes the grapes of Lebanon unique. We had wine from France, Germany, Spain, Lebanon, a sour beer from I can’t remember where, a cider from Vermont. Some were great on their own, but all were perfect with the food they were paired with.

The wine pairing and the storytelling truly transformed the meal into an experience. We were shocked when, near the end of our meal, we realized three hours had passed. I mentioned to my husband that all the night was missing was an activity. What if they took a break after the first course, had a live band play beginning-of-the-night music you could dance to, a little Donny Hathaway or young Stevie Wonder? Then another break after the main course, slow music to help you digest progressing into a stuff a little harder, maybe a little James Brown? And then at the end of the night, the band breaks out into a full-on Prince-Aretha-Marvin "Let's Get It On" dance party?

I'm sorry. Dinner at Komi makes me wax rhapsodic. I've had some wonderful meals, but it's rare that a meal turns into such a transportive event.

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Komi

1509 17th Street NW (between P & Q Streets)Washington DC 20036

Open Tuesday-Saturday for dinner; Call (202) 332-9200 for reservations. 

 

In-Between Tip: The only difficult part of the Komi experience is getting the chance to step through the door. You have to call to make reservations, the reservation line is only open from 12-4 pm, Tuesday through Saturday, and you can only call a month in advance. I was on hold for at least 30 minutes each time I called. I called at noon on the dot in an attempt to get a Saturday reservation a month away -- forget about it. Folks wiser than me had already filled the spots by the time they answered my call. So how did we get in? We chose the path of least resistance and went on a Tuesday.

Cursing Ben's Chili Bowl in Virginia

Oh…damn you Ben’s Chili Bowl. You’re evil is what you are. My taste buds were thrilled and my waistline was terrified when I discovered that there would be a branch of the famous D.C. diner opening in Arlington, on my side of the Potomac. How would I resist the thick, spicy half-smokes smothered in Ben's chili when I no longer had close-to-impossible parking or a two-train Metro ride separating me from them?

When I visited the restaurant at 1725 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon a few weeks ago, it was even worse than I feared:

• The store is bright and clean and welcoming, a spruced up version of its U Street forefather.
• They take credit cards. No more squinting at the ancient ATM machine at the original, cash-only Ben's OR forgoing the chili cheese fries because I don't have enough cash. 
• The Arlington branch has lots of indoor and outdoor seating and you can sit wherever you'd like, unlike the bizarre hierarchy of seating that will get you charmingly yelled at if you sit at the wrong place at the original spot.
• No one yells at you in Arlington.
• The parking lot of the Colonial Village Shopping Center with its many popular restaurants can get a little crowded during prime dining hours, but there is a lot of accessible on-street parking nearby.

Worst of all, I discovered that the one-of-a-kind half smokes and the spicy, condiment-like chili were just as delectable on this side of the river. The shakes were just as spoon-standing thick and the chili-cheese fries were just as deliciously gluttonous. What have you done to me, Ben's Chili Bowl? My waistline may never forgive you.

Ben's Chili Bowl in Arlington

Ben's Wall of Fame

All the Charm of the Original Ben's

The Famous Half-Smoke

Coney Dog and Chili-Cheese Fries

Welcome to Ben's

Restaurant Review: G by Mike Isabella

My life is crammed with decision-making situations so when other people want to make decisions for me, I am happy to let them. I was thrilled last week when our friend Eric asked if we wanted to go to dinner with him and his amazing wife, Colleen (yes!). We could begin the night with a drink at their place? Of course! He'd made reservations at G by Mike Isabella.

Excellent!!

The sandwich shop on upper 14th St., NW transforms into a comfy-casual trattoria on Wednesday through Sunday nights that serves a weekly-changing, four-course Italian tasting menu that does all the work for you. With few options but all of them outstanding, dinner at G was the lazy cherry on my takin'-it-easy cake.

I haven't gotten to enjoy Mr. Top Chef's food since he was executive chef at Zaytinya, so I was looking forward to G, which has been open since the summer of 2013. There's a laid-back sense when you walk into the small dining room: low lights, wooden booths and a food mural reminiscent of the parading snack-bar food advertisement they used to show at drive-ins. There was nothing laid back about the staff -- only two guys seemed to be working the full room on a busy Saturday night and they were personable, knowledgable and there when we needed them.

The only decision we had to make that had a myriad of options came at the beginning of the meal -- we were handed the drink book. We flipped through wines, beers, cocktails as well as cocktails from Kapnos next door, Mike Isabella's upscale Greek restaurant. As often happens with a practiced decision maker like myself, my choice won. The rum-and-green-tea Wandering Gypsy looked like a Christmas ornament, heaped with glittering ice in a gleaming mint julep cup.

Our exhaustion over our drink choices was balanced by the complete lack of choices we had to make for the antipasti platter. Pre-selected for us was an incredible platter of veggies and meats and fried morsels -- cauliflower balls that tasted reminiscent of Fruit Loops in a romesco sauce, proscuitto, buffalo mozzarella, frittata, pea bruschetta. 

If only all the decisions we were forced into were this delicious.

The primi and secondi courses offered two selections for each. For the primi, we chose between the zucchini-and-mint pasta or the lamb ragu. Both were rich and interesting. The secondi course offered a roasted striped bass with grilled grapes or pork crepinette, which were like sausage chunks without the casing. I really wish I could name a favorite, but each dish had its own distinct flavor and sensibility. The only way you wouldn't like it is if you inherently disliked one of the primary ingredients.

(Left) Roasted striped bass; (right) Pork crépinette

Dessert offered three options -- gasp! -- but the real treat was the cost. The tasting menu is always $40, excluding drinks, taxes and gratuity. Don't go for broke with the cocktails like we did, and two of you could get out of there for right around $100.

Take it easy and place yourself in Mike Isabella's competent hands. You won't be disappointed. 

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G by Mike Isabella

2201 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

The four-course Italian tasting menu changes weekly. Check online for that week's options.

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Restaurant Review: Rural Society

Right now, with kids at home and college saving plans needing attention, wrangling a reservation at the “it” restaurant isn’t a huge priority for me. But when I read the words “Argentinean steak house” in connection with Jose Garces’ new restaurant Rural Society, it quickly became a priority. There was nothing about the description that didn’t appeal: Argentinean – sexy; steak – yum; house – comfort.

I was able to nab an 8:45 reservation on Saturday, and the long, sexy restaurant in the Loews Madison Hotel in Logan Circle was worth the hype.

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Friends in our semi-private dining nook at Rural Society

The dining room offers a variety of atmospheres: You can sit in the hustle and bustle of it all near the front at wooden tables with a view of the grill fire, or go for a more intimate seat in the back surrounded by long, white curtains. Our party of four was shown to an enclosed, semi-private nook a few steps above the main dining room, equipped with our own bar (you can access that liquor with a word with your waiter. They’ll even bring you Manhattan fixings.) The nook was fantastic, like having our own comfy dining room in the middle of a posh restaurant.

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Rural Society is filled with gentleman waiters who put on a show for you. Our waiter was a handsome Uruguayan with 18 years of experience working at French and Italian restaurants in D.C. He introduced us to the story of Rural Society when he came to our table – a summation of Argentinean food, recommendations from the menu, suggestions of how much to order. Different servers brought food to our table throughout the night, and each did it with charm and flourish. One of my favorite moments was when I asked for directions to the ladies room. A waiter offered his arm and strolled me in the right direction.

The menu offers a mélange of charcuteries, pastas, pizzas and sausages. And steak. Delicious, delicious steak. We took our waiter’s recommendation and ordered family style -- four starters, two steaks and a few sides. Of the starters, the Provoleta and the Sorrentino were my favorite. The Provoleta was aged provolone, served bubbling in its own tiny cast iron skillet, which you scoop up and serve over arugula. The salty, salty cheese with the peppery bite of arugula was fantastic. The ham-and-cheese ravioli of the Sorrentino were light pillows served in a Reggianito cream sauce.

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The Sorrentino, ham-and-cheese ravioli in a Reggianito cream

The Washington Post’s Tom Sietsma said to order the ribeye, so we ordered the ribeye (Bife de Chorizo), and we enjoyed the ribeye. But oh, the rump. The Pichana, or domestic Snake River Wagyu rump, had a charred, flavor-filled crust and a melt-in-your-mouth interior. We had knife fights over that rump.

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The delicious Pichana, domestic Snake River Wagyu rump, at Rural Society

It would be easy to break the bank at Rural Society, which is one of the biggest compaints I’ve noticed on Yelp. We didn’t order cocktails or dessert. But we ordered a good $50 bottle of Malbec and more than enough food, and left the Rural Society completely satisfied at about $80 per person.

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Rural Society

1177 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005

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Clockwise from top left: Chorizo Gaucho, beef and pork sausage; Choclo, corn cream, crab, roasted peppers and asiago; Esparragos, charred asparagus, bagna caudal; Bife de Chorizo, Uruguayan ribeye

Restaurant Review: Rose's Luxury

The sign says: "awesome."

I intensely dislike the no-reservation trend at popular new restaurants. I know that many restaurants complain about the money/time/effort wasted on no-shows, but I never did that. I was the good girl, the one who stressed about getting to the restaurant in time, the one who always canceled a reservation if I wasn’t able to make it. Why should I be punished for the screw-ups?

So when my husband and I walked into the no-reservation restaurant Rose’s Luxury on Barracks Row Saturday night and were gently informed that it would be a two-and-a-half hour wait, I reacted with an eye roll and a, “You’ve got to be out of your…” My vastly more-patient husband slid in front of me and said, “That will be fine.”

The wait, he’d guessed, was not going to be as long as they'd estimated. He was right. Damn him.

After an hour-and-a-tad, his phone received the text that our table was ready. Once we sat down in this fairyland-like restaurant with its playful food and deep-down-to-the-root-of-my-taste-buds flavors, I knew even a longer wait would have been worth it.

Rose’s Luxury has embraced that nostalgia-for-a-simpler-time look of exposed brick-and-concrete walls, garden lights strung indoors and a quirky ‘50s refrigerator behind the bar. But there was something more fanciful and unexpected than many of the chalkboard-infested restaurants – Rose’s gives you a high, Spanish iron window to look out from the second floor and offers you your silver dinnerware from a beautiful polished wooden box. Servers announce each plate with mouth-watering detail, and gold leaf decorated our rice.

The cocktail menu was interesting but we were unfortunately unimpressed with the two we ordered. The White Manhattan was almost oily with a heavy eucalyptus flavor; my husband’s drink was cloyingly sweet. Would we give it another go? Based on how impressed we were by the food, definitely.

Potato bread and potato-skin butter

Rose’s offers small plates and a couple family-style entrees. When our meal began with a small, Potato brioche loaf – crackly, crisp crust and a soft, steaming interior – with a side of potato-skin butter, we began to really look forward to the rest of the food we’d ordered. The Jonah crab claws were tasty yet unmemorable. But the grilled asparagus with pineapple aioli and the strawberry tomato pasta – I can still taste them. I wish I was tasting them. Right now. The grilled asparagus, sprinkled with bright bits of pineapple, crispy fried jalapenos and a neon-green chive oil, was the answer to that question: “If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life?” The strawberry tomato pasta was as appealing as the name is unappealing. A sweet pasta? The sweetness balanced the heat and spice from black pepper and red onion.

Smoked brisket = meat butter

For our family-style entrée, we ordered the smoked brisket, which came on a silver platter with slabs of charred Texas toast. The brisket was like butter, rich and smoky and spreadable on the bread. The sides – horseradish and cole slaw – were delicious, but I really didn’t want anything to intrude with my meat butter.

Seating is sprinkled throughout Rose’s Luxury – outdoors, upstairs, along two bars and fronting the kitchen, at two-tops lined up side-by-side and at four-tops with a little more elbow room. We were at a two-top and, unfortunately, the more the threesome to the right of us drank, the more they were certain their jokes were entertaining the rest of the restaurant. By that point, however, I’d lost the bad attitude I’d begun the night with. Rose’s Luxury had imparted its fairy dust of conviviality, and I laughed right along.

A bit of whimsy at Rose's Luxury: Gold-leaf in the rice, my excellent dinner date, the bathroom mirror, fun receipt

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Rose's Luxury

Mon.-Thurs.: 5:30-10 p.m.

Friday and Saturday: 5-11 p.m.

They don't take reservations; don't ask. But they're really nice.