Recently, I’ve visited our nation’s capital three times, and on each occasion, I’ve been stunned by the number of interesting restaurants the city boasts. In March I was in Washington for the annual meeting of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, a group of food lovers par excellence! A bonus of the conference was that the local DC members compiled a list for the attendees of their top 50 favorite eateries in the area. The restaurants sounded so varied and tempting that I found myself wishing for a longer stay. China Chilcano and Ripple, two places I tried, were definite winners!
My friend and Rizzoli editor, Caitlin Lefflel, picked China Chilcano—the two-month old brainchild of celebrated chef, José Andrés, whose restaurant empire started with Jaleo, a famous Washington tapas institution. China Chilcano, however, features Peruvian cuisine. We went for drinks and appetizers, and looking at the menu, I was amazed to learn that the dishes included both Chinese and Japanese accents, the result of settlers from those countries to Peru in the 19th century. Our group of three started with pisco sours, a divine drink made with a clear, grappa-type liquor, lime, egg whites, and bitters. We also sampled a variation infused with an essence of purple corn. Paper-thin fried plantain and taro root chips served with a sauce for dipping made a great accompaniment as did a beautiful Japanese-inspired potato creation topped with crab, tobiko (roe), spicy mayo, cucumber, and avocado. A stirfry of rice and noodles infused with vegetables was another temptation.
For dinner one night my spouse, a friend, and I tried Ripple, a 5-year old restaurant in the Cleveland Park area. Talented chef, Marjorie Meek-Bradley, a James Beard Award nominee this year, creates inventive and delicious fare in this warm and unpretentious setting. Among a host of delectable dishes, our favorites were the stuffed bone marrow (a split bone filled with brioche, bacon, and marrow scented with chimichurri and apple butter), the pan roasted stripped bass on a bed of barley/celery root risotto, and the butterscotch pots de crème with cinnamon whipped cream and toffee. The latter were so good that I spent the better part of last week trying to reproduce them.
So, the next time you’re in Washington, set aside time for a good meal, and keep these two restaurants in mind. Each is reasonably priced, has a warm and friendly wait staff, and, best of all, serves terrific food!
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Your postings on your blog are always superbly (and enthusiastically) written, with beautiful visuals and highly useful information for serious food lovers. You enhance our days! Thank you.
Thanks so much, Roger, for your kind comments! If you hit on any of the photos, you’ll get a slide show of the group!