Central or Brasserie Beck or Proof?
I have a big birthday dinner coming up in a few weeks, and I'm trying to decide where to splurge. These are all places I've wondered about for a while. Any thoughts on this decision or particular menu rec's?
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So we ended up choosing Central and thoroughly enjoyed our meal last night.
Crusty bread - yum.
French onion soup - yum. This won over my boyfriend, who had never tried this dish before anywhere.
Sea bass served with mushrooms and arugula - yum. Though some citrus or a sauce would have been nice. The serving was HUGE - I took half of it home with me.
Lemon burger - double yum.
Chocolate bar dessert - yum.It was indeed quite loud, but we found it a little less obnoxiously so than at Rasika, perhaps because we got a seat in the center of the restaurant rather than along the sides crowded with other diners.
I was particularly happy because I think the food was simple enough and there were enough approachable dishes to not freak out my slightly-less-adventurous boyfriend. (This is ultimately why I decided against Proof.) I see why Central is recommended so often.
Next time, I hope to try the lamb shank, fried chicken, burger, or mac and cheese.
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re: hamster
Glad you liked it! My own complaint with Central is that the prices of the entrees and the prices of the appetizers run into each other. Call me old fashioned, but I think there's something wrong with paying more for an appetizer than an entree.
Their portions are gigantic - I once ordered the skate and they brought me 2 full wings.
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re: hamster
The combination appetizer of faux gras and rillettes are really and truly a MUST. It is rich, so this is defintely for at least two people. I come from a family with a lot of 'food fears,' but they were still won over. This is almost certainly a good dish if your BF wants to dip his toe in the water.
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re: a1234
a1234 has made a separate post about his beefs w/ Beck, but for those who don't want to wade through it: he went there once (despite apparently not thinking that relatively uncommon imported Belgian beers could ever be worth the amount that they tend to sell for), felt he was unfairly directed to the bar because he was a singleton, felt the bartender was rude and may have overcharged him for what he viewed as an already-overpriced product, and sneers at the clientele.
Others have had different experiences there. I've been there I think 4 times since they opened, and have been content with it every time: it's not cheap, but it's perfectly in line with similar establishments both in terms of price point for the location and price point for the product; the moules and frites are both fine; the staff has always been friendly to me, even once when I was there with friends who brought a small child (which most waitstaff find at least as trying as seating a singleton); and they have a very good selection of beer if you do in fact like Belgian beer.
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re: DanielK
This is what I mean - they list a beer for $10, you pay $5 at happy hour and think it's a bargain.
As far as a dinner of pork belly (yuk) and potato au gratin go, $12 sounds about right. It certainly would be filling, as in "I had enough".
Finally, I KNOW I was directed to the bar because I was a singleton, since it was at dinner opening, the seats were completely empty and most tellingly, they were about to seat me until I told them I was alone.
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re: jkosnett
woodleyparkhound
Feb 6, 2010 12:04 PM
I too have had great service and pleasant conversation at the bar at Beck's when I was there alone. On that occasion, I got their delicious sausage and lentils, which made an inexpensive (for that area) and delicious dinner.
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Proof is currently my favorite restaurant in DC, and it would be perfect for a group, large or small. The food can easily be shared amongst the table or ordered separately, or both, since the menu is equally divided up into large and small plates. The staff is also very pleasant and accommodating, and full of excellent wine suggestions. You can get wine by the glass in tasting portions, so it's easy to try 4-6 wines over the evening, which is nice.
I haven't been to Central, but I was not impressed with Brasserie Beck (service was somewhat absent, not particularly helpful, and a little, well, snobby), and it would, IMO, be a less fun, more traditional restaurant experience.
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Like everyone else said, I don't think you can go wrong between Beck and Central (haven't been to Proof), and Central has one of the single best dishes I've ever had (faux gras). When making your decision I would consider your guest count. If it's just you and your significant other, I'd pick Central as it's a bit smaller and jewelbox-like (although no too much so). If a larger party, Beck is better able to accommodate that and the space is just bigger and I wouldn't feel as uncomfortable getting a bit raucous with a bigger group at Beck.
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DanielK
Jan 16, 2010 12:52 PM
Note that the dining areas of Central and Beck are much much louder than Proof. So if that matters to you, then Proof is the choice.
Otherwise, they all are great choices. Central for modern cuisine from Michel Richard on a budget, Beck for Belgian classics with a spectacular beer list, and Proof for great modern American cuisine and a fabulous wine list.
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I haven't been to Proof, but I'd go with Central over Beck as my last meal at Beck the sauce on my rabbit was incredibly salty. Like, as soon as I took a bite I had to drink water salty.
I've been to Central a half a dozen times and the food has never been less than stellar. Really though, either is great. I'd just give Central a minute edge over Beck.
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