New
Restaurants in Washington D.C.
January 2006
By Chris & Pat VandenHeuvel
Zengo
“Mexican-Asian”
looks likes a misprint. Given the plethora of failed fusion
efforts over the past couple of decades, we expected another
confused attempt to capture a culinary space that doesn’t
exist for a reason.
But
Chef Richard Sandoval artfully combines the much-loved
characteristics of both regions into a racy new cuisine
at his second outpost of Zengo, in the growing Penn Quarter
section of Washington, DC. Born in Mexico City, Sandoval
is well known for restaurants in New York, Denver and
San Francisco and recently branched out to Las Vegas and
DC.
Click
on Images for Captions
Apparently
“Zengo” means "give and take” in
Japanese, and the menu induces diners to pass dishes back
and force. Little inducement is required since nearly
all dishes are attractively presented.
The
appetizer menu careens from coconut milk-tinged ceviche
to “angry” sushi rolls (tuna with a spicy
chipotle rouille) to a tuna/mango wonton “taco”,
an adorable little dish. Main dishes are divided into
noodles, fresh fish and meats, cleverly mixing sweet and
spicy flavors in predominately light dishes.
The
Latin side of the drink menu has a handful of mojitos,
a classic margarita, a couple fruity drinks and the Brazilian
Caipirinha made with pirassununga 51 cachaca (with optional
fresh raspberries). The smaller Asian side focuses on
fruity sake, shoshu (a Japanese liquor) and vodka drinks.
The menu also offers a couple dozen Tequilas divided in
three tiers: not aged in oak, briefly aged in oak and
aged in oak more than a year, all reasonably priced.
The
space matches the food. Talented husband and wife team
Adamstein & Demetriou blend colors that would look
hideous combined in home – orange, ocher, brown
with splashes of red – in a theatrical space overlooking
the seventh street vestiges of Chinatown near the MCI
Center. Dozens of dangling mobiles resembling oversized
baked potatoes (or Raisinettes?) hang above the concrete
staircase that connects the street level lounge and second
floor dining room, eliciting the appropriate, “What
the ...?” response from first time diners. The upstairs
bar’s long communal table completes the fusion theme
– bring together people who don’t know each
other and see what happens.
Acadiana
For his fourth restaurant in the nation’s
capital, Jeffrey Tunks returned to Louisiana (he was chef
at Windsor Court hotel in New Orleans) to tromp around
Cajun country, scouring the low and high dining scene
for dishes that would fit Washingtonians’ sensibilities.
The result is Acadiana, a multi-tiered, see-and-be-seen
restaurant that opened in September near the new Convention
Center.
Tunks
opened Acadiana on the heels of Hurricane Katrina and
held a series of charity events that raised both money
and the profile of his new restaurant. It’s yet
to be seen whether messing with tried and true southern
Louisiana recipes will offend or attract purists. But
if the success of his previous ventures (popular and critically
acclaimed DC Coast, Ceiba and Ten Penh) is any indication,
Tunks will draw hordes of Washingtonians and visitors
to test his take on another revered regional cuisine.
Anyone
remotely acquainted with New Orleans’ Cajun and
Creole restaurants will recognize the classic dishes:
turtle soup, crawfish etouffee, fried oyster po’
boy, muffaletta, jambalaya, barbecue shrimp, plus higher
end fish, meat and fowl dishes. Tunks played with many
of these dishes to reduce the fat content and sloppy factor,
aiming to make them more accessible to the power lunch
crowd and those watching their figures.
Designer
Walter Gagliano installed massive chandeliers on the soaring
ceilings and spaced the tables farther apart than necessary
to set a stage for Washington glad handing. The décor
reminds us of the venerable Galatoire’s
in the French Quarter, updated for the Washington scene
and the view of New York Avenue.
Hank’s
Oyster Bar
Although oysters command
a prominent role at Hank’s and Acadiana, the settings
are decidedly different. As are the prices. Housed in
a long, narrow townhouse near Dupont Circle, Hank’s
is a neighborhood spot that has all the makings of an
institution: fresh food, great prices, friendly service.
Why there are not more restaurants like Hank’s ....
Chef
Jamie Leeds worked under Danny Meyer at Union Square Café
in New York, apprenticed at numerous Michelin two star
restaurants in Europe and recently was executive chef
at 15 ria in DC’s Washington Court Hotel. At Hank’s
she has created a relaxed, simple fish house in the middle
of a splendid Washington neighborhood that lacks good
quality restaurants.
The
small patio pulls people off the sidewalk to check out
the inviting interior designed by architect Eric Gronning
of GDM Design, where they find hip a soundtrack and a
staff that awards them with a wide selection of fresh
oysters on ice, superb calamari and popcorn shrimp served
in a tin bucket and tangy ceviche ... just for starters.
In
addition to straightforward, seasonal seafood dishes,
Leeds throws a big bone to carnivores with her daily “meat
plus two” sides specials: short ribs, lamb steak,
citrus roasted chicken, smothered pork chop. Hank’s
also serves a solid Caesar salad, crusty macaroni and
cheese, terrific onion rings and the best cheeseburger
our son has ever had. Oh, and fried oysters. Urban beach
food, she calls it.
Leeds
named the 65-seat place after her fisherman father and
stuffed in as many tables and chairs as possible, making
the atmosphere either convivial or crowded, depending
on your mood. Leeds brought experienced kitchen staff
from 15 ria with her to Hank’s to match Gronning’s
“seasoned” décor.
Open
less than a year, Hank’s isn’t quite yet the
seasoned joint it emulates. But it looks like it won’t
take long.
Hank’s Oyster Bar
1624 Q Street, NW
Washington, DC 202-462-HANK www.hanksdc.com
2
Amys
When a restaurant sets out
to sell a better pizza, it better sell a better pizza.
Service, side salads, drinks – all well and good,
but the pizza must triumph. And it should be clear to
its customers what it means by pizza: Chicago deep dish,
New York-style, Neapolitan, trendy. Let us know what we’re
in for, do it well and we’ll reward you with our
continued support.
2
Amys, frankly, doesn’t need any more support.
The long lines demonstrate that the quality of the pizza
is, indeed, better than most. And so are some of its sides.
Despite occasionally perfunctory service and a noisy dining
room, 2 Amys demonstrates how to serve real, good pizza
to families, aficionados and neighbors near the National
Cathedral.
The
restaurant makes some D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine
Controllata) pizzas, such as the Marinara, the Margherita
and the Margherita Extra, meaning they are certified as
authentic Neapolitan pizzas by the Associazione Verace
Pizza Napoletana: soft-grain flour, fresh yeast, water,
and sea salt for the dough, and only Italian plum tomatoes,
mozarella di bufala, extra-virgin olive oil and so on.
The pizza crust is thin and yeasty, often a bit charred
from the wood burning oven. The toppings are first rate
and simple. Real pizza.
Chef
Peter Pastan also runs Obelisk, one of Washington’s
best restaurants, and named the restaurant after his and
partner Tim Giametti's wives. The pies are not the huge
American creations that satisfy two hungry people, so
start with Suppli a Telefono (deep fried rice balls with
Mozzarella and Grana cheese) – filling and very
satisfying – or salt cod croquettes and the straightforward
salads. Finish with soothing homemade ice creams or sorbets
or the Marsala flavored custard.
2 Amys
3715 Macomb Street, NW
Washington, DC
202-885-5700 www.2amyspizza.com
