Saturday night we returned to Restaurant Nora (2132 Florida Ave, NW Tel. 202-462-5143) after more than four years. I have found that the attention to the food is as fine as ever, each dish being carefully described and prepared with love. I also still find that NORA excels in many things, and falls flat in a few places.
We had a coupon for dinner purchased at a charity auction last year and had quite some difficulty clearing up the dining arrangements in advance. I must admit that once we arrived, Jack, the manager, took the most supreme care of us and did make sure we were happy every second of the evening. In that vein, we were most happy and truly pleased with his concern. He served us a glass of CHATEAU de FERE Brut Reserve Blanc de Blanc just as we were seated, and told us not to worry that everything was taken care of. He was right. We ordered as much as we could possibly, knowing that the salads here reign supreme, as Nora Pouillon prides herself on her organic cooking and preparations. I started with the MAINE JONAH CRAB SALAD with AVOCADO, ANCHO CHILI VINAIGRETTE, Crispy Tortillas, Fresh Citrus and Harissa. It was a crab salad to beat all others, a beautiful timbale loaded with chunks of crab and some tangy sauces to make them tingle. Will opted for the excellent ROASTED RED & GOLDEN BEET SALAD with Oranges, Grapefruit, Lazy Lady Goat Cheese, Beet Tuille and Microgreens. An amazing presentation with only the finest of quality vegetables. Our first wine was a CROZES HERMITAGES Blanc 2003 from ALBERT BELLE which had lots of mineral (esp limestone) aftertastes and really was so intense it called for food. These tangy vegetable and crab dishes went just fabulously with the wine as did our next set of appetizers (we couldn't resist). Will ordered what I started with, the JONAH CRAB SALAD and I went on to a magnificent MOREL MUSHTOOM & LEEK TART with GOAT CHEESE, Fresh Herbs Vinaigrette on Crunchy Cucumber Pea Shoot Salad. Again, the excellence of the ingredients and the care to prepare them made this a big hit.
For our red wine Jack suggested a FILI di SETA 2003 from Pertamali. I was not familiar with this Sangiovese Tuscan wine nor its maker, but like its name "Path of Silk" it was a silky smooth and easy going wine, despite its youth. An excellent choice for both my fish and Will's duck. The CIRSPY AMISH DUCK BREAST with Ginger Sweet Potato Puree (Will substituted plain since he doesn't like ginger), Snap Peas, Broccoli, Baby Carrots and Madeira Sauce was the one dish all night that did not even come close to the quality of the others. My ALASKAN WILD SABLEFISH with Fennel, White Beans, Spinach, Artichokes, Olives, Tomatoes, Romescu Sauce & Lemon Jus integrated all the wonderful organic veggies that Nora uses so well and peppered the superb fish up with that Romescu sauce which I only wish there were a bit more of. Despite this, I must say it is with the entrees, and particularly some of the meat ones we have had here and in the past, that Nora does not live up to its almost 30 year reputation.
For dessert, Nora was back on top again with excellent preparations of Will's RHUBARB PIE with Strawberry Ice Cream and Aged Balsamic and my KIWI LIME TART with VANILLA CREAM & MANGO SAUCE. We tried two different glasses of dessert wine and my DOMAINE DUMAZET "La Myriade" 2002 Condrieu from the Rhone was less sweet and hence for me, less exciting, than Will's GYSTER SPATBURGUNDER ROSE 2003 BEERENAUSLESE from Rheinhessen, Germany, a truly wonderful new find, if we can even find it!
So, go to Nora, enjoy, and order those fabulous salads, the appetizers and desserts, perhaps even the veggie tasting menu, or the fish, but shy away from the meat entrees unless you are sure of yourself.
