We’ve all been there. You have a relationship, that ends, for better or worse, and for some reason you still wind up back with your old flame every so often. It’s hard to explain – you know it probably isn’t right, and that you may end up regretting it later, but yet there you are, doing it anyway. So it went this week with me.
I’ve lived in the D.C. area since 1999, and I had the fortune to leave the area for about a year and a half to complete culinary training at Le Cordon Bleu. You’d be surprised how much changes around here in that amount of time. It’s like a weird acid trip – everything is different, yet so much the same. Many restaurants that used to be some of my favourite places now just irritate me, and many places that I never gave the time of day to before, like an illicit romance, give me those familiar butterflies.
This week, I marked the passage of yet another year of irritating the hell out of people. For such an occasion, I decided it was time to revisit an old flame – 1789 Restaurant, in Georgetown. Now this really was a strange occurrence. On one hand, it was a fairly risky endeavour, as this has always been, bar none, one of my absolute favourite places in town. If things had changed for the worse, I would be crushed. On the other hand, I must admit I was fairly excited for one very good reason: this would be the first time I’ve tasted the food of the new(ish) executive chef there, Nathan Beauchamp.
On one hand, I have been a big fan of the last executive chef, Ris Lacoste. I actually know her professionally, and I’ve admired her work at Kinkead’s, and 15 ria. 15 ria was her first “solo gig” in this area and those people who ate there before she left to go to 1789 in 1995 remember how good that fare was. 15 ria pretty much tanked after she left, and I was very nervous that 1789 might suffer a similar fate, so it was with much trepidation that I approached the restaurant again.
My usual ritual at 1789 is to look over the entire menu, and then order the rack of lamb. Seriously, only once have I ever ordered anything else there (a filet mignon entrée), and while it was superb, you just can’t get lamb like that anywhere else in the D.C. area (that I know of, at least). For the most part, this signature entrée hasn’t changed much over the years, and I suspect that Nathan Beauchamp is aware of how popular it is. However, just as any band that covers another band’s music will attest, you have to put your own twist on it. This new menu would certainly pose a challenge – there were a number of new, seasonal entrées, that while fairly simple in construction, seemed truly appetizing.
After a good ten minutes looking over the menu, I decided to order a first course of a risotto, served with roasted corn, basil, chanterelle mushrooms, and finished off with summer black truffles. My fiancée ordered a chopped salad, which consisted of seasonal vegetables, anchovies, and was topped with a coddled egg. My entrée was, of course, the lamb. The rack was wrapped (and thus encrusted) in pancetta, and served with a goat cheese potato mousseline, escarole, and an olive jus. As much as I loved Ris’s version, I must admit, this was nothing short of phenomenal. It certainly consisted of some bold flavours, but everything worked together, and worked well.
As is her practice, my fiancée made up her mind before she left the house, and ordered pan roasted scallops, which were served with edamame, mahogany clams, sun gold tomatoes, and miso. I must admit I was a bit skeptical at first, but again, Nathan did not disappoint. Everything flowed together, and the clams really added a very nice touch.
As usual, the service was impeccable. Our waiter not only knew it was my birthday, but had arranged for the menus of the day to say so on the bottom in 24 point bold type (not that anyone else in the restaurant had any idea who I was), and brought me a card signed by the staff (as in all of the staff), along with a Valhrona chocolate truffle for dessert. While I’m trying to forget exactly how old I am, I won’t soon forget the meal I had there. Excellent job, Mr. Beauchamp! I look forward to doing this again – just don’t tell Ris.
1789 Restaurant
1226 36th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20007
(202) 965-1789
In addition to the standard fare, 1789 has a coupon on their site which will get you a three course meal for $36 (lamb and filet carry a $10 surcharge).