Help needed for restaurant crawl ideas for DC

[naxos]

Husbands big birthday and have been thinking about inviting friends to a meals of "best ofs" in DC. Happy hour, then mains and then to place for dessert.

Thiniking POSTE outdoor bar and maybe Citronelle bar for dessert. But suggestiones welcome and transportation ideas as well.

Or just do tasting at Eve ???

[anunez]

No sense in running all over the city when there are so many neighborhoods stacked with options. Maybe do Chinatown area - wine and cheese at Proof, dinner at Cafe Atlantico or Rasika and then dessert at that new place Coco Sala.

[DCDOLL]

You might consider Cleveland Park -- there are enough good places to eat up there you could do a several course feast, each one at a different place! Maybe wine and cheese on the roof at Bardeo, or at the bar at Dino, some Greek apps outside at Yanni, stroll over to the front room at Palena for a main course, and to the new Tapas place (i forget the name...) or Ardeo for dessert. I liek the fact that you can valet park your car for $5 right outside Bardeo and not worry about it til you leave. Everything else you can walk to.

[crackers]

Since naxos will be with a party of six, Dino's bar might not even be big enough to accommodate them all. Ditto for Palena's cafe - since they don't take reservations they could be stuck standing on the sidewalk for quite some time.

Another DC-centric crawl might be drinks and apps at Citronelle lounge, dinner at Mendocino, and then one of Heather Chittum's desserts at Hook. (though Citronelle lounge has some of the best desserts around too.)

[ktmoomau]

Have you ever actually eaten a good dessert at Hook? I have yet to like any of them. The whoppie pie is nothing like a real whoppie pie and if you have ever had a real one you will be sorely disapointed. I have tried the chocolate cake with cashews that was really dense and heavy and not appealing. I have tried 2 other desserts there and have just decided to give up on desserts there, as I absolutely love their first and second courses. But if you switched and did drinks and first courses, or mains at Hook, desserts at Citronelle it could be a very good idea.

[crackers]

Chef Chittum is the former pastry chef at Citronelle, and one of this city's best. I would not have recommended Heather Chittums desserts if I didn't enjoy them! Neither of the two desserts you mentioned are on the menus that I recall, but try any of her seasonal inventions - the strawberry-rhubarb cobbler, for instace, or a fruit pie. I love banana cream pie, and Chef Chittum makes hers with caramelized bananas, topped with a bittersweet chocolate sauce and a small scoop of malted milk chocolate ice cream.

[ktmoomau]

Oh yes, I actually have had those two, as well, they were the other two I couldn't think of. We love Hook for the starters and entrees so we go a lot and I keep trying to get a dessert I really like because I love dessert. The banana cream pie was the best of them all, but I still thought it wasn't amazing, not near as good as desserts I have had at Citronelle or Central which is odd? I thought the cobbler's crunch section was too crunchy and didn't go well with other textures, it almost didn't even mix. Maybe it is that she seems to be going for country comfort food items, but the nouveau take on them isn't as good as the real thing???

[crackers]

Last night, Heather Chittum was named the 2008 Pastry Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. And ironically, Barton Seaver was awarded a RAMMY as "Rising Culinary Star of the Year" for his work at Hook. Congrats to both - well deserved!

[slwh]

I agree -- we've only been there once but no one in my party of 4 was blown away by the dessert (the rest of the meal was fantastic). I had the tic tac toe (the one that includes the whoopee pie) -- not good.

[naxos]

Thanks for all the responses. Still up int he air-- Our group of 6 does eliminate alot of crawling activites-

Currently considering the new Corduroy- we can bring some special wine.. any feedback on that choice?

[MrsWheatie]

YUM!!! Corduroy has a pretty good wine list and some nice spaces for your group. We have found them to be quite flexible so give them a call and explain what you are doing. They will probably require a corkage fee as will many other resturants.

[naxos]

Thanks- have not been to the new space- they do have a corkage fee- we have some special wine to bring- but I am thinking the space may be right and the desserts are always great. I am hoping for some new menu items as I think we have tried almost all the the selections on the old menu over the years. And we could have a bigger party if we choose Corduroy over Eve.

[ktmoomau]

And after Eve and PX if you want more dessert, the fried candy bars at Eammons are awesome. I had some drinks at PX they other night... oooh my. Everytime I go I have tog et new things.

[dcfoodie13]

If you haven't been to Eve I would definitely recommend doing the tasting room there. You'll get the best of everything as their cocktails are delicious and all the food is excellent!

[naxos]

We have not been to Eve yet- would you recommend the 5 or 9 course meal? we will be 6 for dinner as they do not seem to permit larger tables without using the private dining room?

Do you think there is a difference in quality of service or of offerings between a weekday night or weekend?

[crackers]

mini-crawl:

Apéritifs at the bar at Eve, dinner at the Tasting Room, and after-dinner drinks up King Street at the swanky speakeasy - PX! Have the hostess at Eve call PX for reservations if you can't get them yourself.

http://www.restauranteve.com/eamonns/...

You will get top-notch service no matter what night you go, though weekends tend to be busier. I like the full-blown 9 courses, but it's a long meal with many smaller "tastes."

[dcfoodie13]

I personally like the 5 course menu better because you have about 4 to 5 choices per course which ensures that everyone in your party gets something they really enjoy. Also, you end up getting about 4 complimentary courses throughout the evening as well, which brings it up to about 9 courses anyway.

I'm pretty sure I have seen a party of six in the tasting room, but you will have to check (I was last there with 4). I've been there on both weekend and weeknight and had phenomenal service and food every time. (I've also eaten in the bistro and service/food was just as good there, but I enjoy the multi course tasting more).

Also, I love PX as well and would recommend it for after dinner drinks too. I find it a bit on the romantic side, so if your party of six consists of 3 couples it would be perfect!