As we all know Restaurant Week can be hit or miss, but the brand new Restaurant K by Alison Swope (1700 K St, NW Washington tel 202-974-6545) is a sure hit. They are offering up not only 90% of the large superb menu for the special $30.08 three course deal, but also have 4 white and 5 red wines at the same price which are a steal. Add this to the fact that Alison Swope has always been a success here in DC from her opening of New Heights thru Santa Fe East and most recently for many years at Andale in the Penn Quarter. The dining room is quite large with a large bar area as well, but was never noisy. The decor is unremarkable, but cozy with lots of roomy booths and earthy tones.
Even on Restaurant Week the amuse comes out and ours was a tiny but tasty GORGONZOLA & WALNUT SHORTBREAD with Housemade FIG JELLY. The cheese was not overpowering at all in the "bread" slice and indeed had just the right amount of flavor. Our amazing $30.08 bottle of TORII MOR Pinot Noir 2006 from the Willamette Valley in Oregon was a perfect match for just about anything on the menu; big full-bodied and loaded with fruit, this is a can't miss wine, especially at this price!
My dining companion (Will needed a stay at home night after a full week of Restaurant Week lunches working at Kinkead's!) and I decided to share our courses, so we wisely ordered different options and shared plates. Our server William was a genius in giving us ideas and options from the large menu.
We started with the LAMB SAUSAGE on PLANTAIN "Tostones" with Goat Cheese and Parsley Pistou. There were three large slices of slightly spicy and very tasty sausage and the small round plantain tostones were soft and a nice foil with the soft runny goat cheese. The parsley pistou was a vibrant green, but parsley always seems to have virtually no taste for me; besides, everything else on the plate was so tasty, it was perfect. The WILD MUSHROOM BAKLAVA is really more of a Napoleon with PIPE DREAMS FRAM GOAT CHEESE, Balsamic Reduction and Roasted Sweet Pepper Puree. It was another large, tasty and filling, if slightly rich dish, and my only suggestion is to increase the layering of the phyllo so that there is more pastry that does not get absorbed into what should be more "baklava-like."
We rested and contemplated the regular menu deciding we must return for the LOBSTER SHEPHERD's PIE one day soon! Our entrees were amazing, two huge portions with loads of flavors and tastes all around. The CHICKEN TWO WAYS uses Bell & Evans Organic BREAST which is grilled and marinated, while the whole LEG & THIGH is braised witrh DATES, APPLEWOOD SMOKED BACON & OLIVES. The dish comes with thick papardelle-like BUCKWHEAT NOODLES which could have used a bit more separattion, but worked great with the sauce. The PORK OSSO BUCO could become a signature dish here with hints of spice from the Pasilla Chiles all in a RED WINE Sauce with a whole half Braised Green Cabbage and a tasty LEMON-THYME POPOVER, which here is more like a Yorkshire Pudding due to the rich gravy-like wine sauce.
When it comes to Chef Swope, I dream back to her first plate of signature cheesecake (that believe it or not, the Washingtonian trashed, and I immediately canceled my subscription!) at New Heights twenty-something years ago. Today she has tweaked the cake and it is an excellent creamy tasty WHITE CHOCOLATE version with COCONUT CRUST and Berry Sauce. The CORNBREAD & APPLE PUDDING with Fresh Goat Milk CARAMEL and Fresh (Straw) Berries is another treat. The best way to describe this is to think Cornbread Flan with slight hints of apple, although the delicious berries do overpower the apples if included in a bite-no matter.
We both left very full and very happy and it was even more of a miracle that the total bill (without tip) with wine and tax was just $100!
