Ever since Will left SAVEUR as their PR person years ago and the place closed subsequently, we were a bit sad. Last night, after almost two years in business, we took SAMUEL to TOWN HALL (www.townhalldc.com) at 2218 Wisconsin Ave, NW (in upper Geo'town) to find a pleasant and wonderful neighborhood replacement.
Named for the "town" in Georgetown as well as the neighborhood feel, and the "hall" in Hall Place (the neighboring surrounding street) one has a warm feel and neighborly charm with a bit of sport's bar thrown in. While the two flat screen TV's over the bar were quiet yesterday, you might prefer the back room for quieter dining on a busy bar night. The decor is almost more clubby with leather chairs and darker woods and banquettes. Perhaps only the B&W photos on the wall need improvement as they as so small, they can really not be seen from the tables. Add to this a Tuesday night 1/2 wine price policy and a Wednesday night 15% discount for those from the "neighborhood" (loosely defined, but I would think at least the same zip code (20007) would be a minimum requirement) and you really do have an attempt to bring in the locals.
Chef Paul MADRID has put together a varied menu of starters, salads, sandwiches and entrees giving everyone a wide choice. Samuel, of course, chose the SPAGHETTI with TOMATO Sauce which he gobbled up after the requisite Parmesan cheese was provided. We all adored the tasty OLIVE PESTO TAPENADE which comes with Baked Pita Chips instead of bread.
Ah. how nice not to have to pay 1 to 3 Euros for awful bread as a cover charge and to enjoy the bread or alternate as well!
We ordered a refreshing bottle of dry and crisp REGALEALI ROSE 2005 from Sicily. Will and I shared appetizers: GUACAMOLE & TUNA TARTARE with tasty WONTON CHIPS and SOY GINGER DRIZZLES which was also refreshing and while not novel, a hearty and tasty portion. The SPICY JERK BARBECUE "Alcides" WINGS with Mayo Ranch Dipping Sauce are named for one of the guys in the kitchen who came up with the bbq/jerk combo which is not too spicy but packs a nice quick spicy bite that does not linger too long. You will need a fresh napkin (luckily Will had Sam's wet wipes!) after you lick off the sauce from your fingers--it's YUMMY! The wings are meaty and there were about 10 pieces making for a large portion as well.
If you are in the mood for a tasty huge juicy burger, this is a great place to do the $10 BLACK ANGUS 8 ounce BURGER with any toppings you like. Will chose the CHEDDAR CHEESE, MUSHROOMS and BACON and got a huge burger piled high with tasty toppings and a huge plate of fries which were good and tasty, but I have had better. A glass of GNARLY HEAD ZIN from Lodi is a good burger pairing, but not a remarkable Red Zinfandel.
My entree was also a large portion and a truly wonderful combination of flavors and tastes: CORIANDER & BLACK PEPPER Crusted AHI TUNA came in a "bath" of PINEAPPLE RUM GASTRIQUE which was a nice foil of a sauce for the mild pepper on the tuna (I actually added a bit of ground pepper to the beautifully rare slices--that was exactly how I ordered them!). On the side was a COCONUT RISOTTO which was tasty and not really sweet; it reminded me of Asian sticky rice with coconut (perhaps sticky rice would be a good option to pair as well?) topped with Sauteed Spinach.
As you can imagine from the portion sizes we were too full for dessert, and we are really trying to watch our weight after the trip anyway! Believe it or not, at home it's salads and grilled meats, fish and veggies only! Sam gobbled up a scoop of Haagen Dazs Strawberry and we headed home very happy and feeling very welcome in a new (well, for us) neighborhood spot!
