MessyCuisine

Dinner in Washington

“Little” Washington, VA is a tiny little village off route 522 in rural Rappahannock County, Virginia. That it has one of the nation’s premier restaurants, you might guess, is a little surprise.

I returned here after little over two years, and enjoyed a delicious experience.

Two choices awaited the diner: a 4-course dinner, or a larger “tasting menu,” with smaller, yet more abundant, choices. Since in my first visit I had the tasting option, this time I chose the 2-appetizer + entrée option, with dessert.

I was lucky enough to sample each of the four first courses shown, above. I ordered the scallop and the baby lamb. Both were delicious, my favorite among the two, the lamb. The rich earthiness of the cauliflower purée, with truffle, and the crisp potato wafer, all made for a delicious backdrop to the exquisite scallop. The lamb, however, was presented ultra-rare, and was like raw beef or prosciutto, but only with intense flavor.

The sorbet vs. the foie gras was another hard choice; the novelty of the sorbet with Virginia ham and parmesan cheese, however, was a real treat.

For my entrée, I had the veal in a parmesan broth. Delicious. The lobster in a grapefruit/butter sauce with baby bok choy was also a winner. The cavalcade of perfect dishes continued onto the dessert courses: a trio of chocolate show-stoppers and a special mint ice cream overloaded with meltingly-hot chocolate sauce.

While all the food was of the highest quality, we felt the service this time around had lost a touch of its magical shine and luster. Gone was the synchronized water pouring, the overview of each dish as it came, the timing. It was nonetheless a great experience, all said and drunk.

I also had some amazing wines with each course, their details now forgotten. Among the real winners was a Chardonnay that an entire show in the mouth. It had inexplicable qualities, from a magical vanilla scent, to the richness of butter and luscious fruit. The herbal Spanish wine served with the lamb was an almost perfect match, so green and refreshing.

Filed by MessyChef at October 15th, 2007 under French, Restaurant Review