[mappress]

Sunday evening I was catching up with an old friend – a former DC’er who moved to the Midwest in the past year – and we were in search of the perfect burger in the Logan Circle area.  You could certainly do worse than Logan Tavern but feeling adventurous, we decided to try something new.  While driving down 14th my friend took note of ChurchKey and we decided to give it a try.

Cost - $$

Food – B+
We started off with a couple of Belgian beers and the charcuterie & pate plate, which was good foreplay.  I was a little disappointed when I realized they didn’t actually have burgers at ChurchKey but my sadness dissipated after I learned that the brat burger is not significantly different from a regular beef burger.  It was pretty tasty and I devoured it in seconds.  I was intrigued by the mac & cheese sticks but didn’t have a chance to try them, which gives me a good reason to return at some point in the near future.

Service – A
I can honestly say the service was a cut above the norm.  Even though the venue was slammed, our server made time to walk us through the ample beer menu and even provided me with a sample.  Throughout the evening she was prompt, had a great grasp of both the food and beverage menus and was just a cool girl.

Décor – B
It’s a pretty large, loft-ish space with high ceilings and a long bar.  It has the standard neighborhoodiness you get in the 14th St. / U Street area.

Feel – B+
If you like Café Saint-Ex and Marvin there is really no reason you won’t like ChurchKey.  It was completely slammed when we were there on a Sunday evening and the general vibe was laid back and friendly.  A couple more friends joined us and I ended up having one of the more memorable, fun evenings in recent memory at ChurchKey.  It is a bit on the homogenous side but if you happen to fit into this particular homogeneity then you’ll be happier than a pig in shit.

ChurchKey is located at 1337 14th Street NW.  They can be reached at (202) 567-2576

[mappress]Having been impressed with Chef Susur Lee’s NY restaurant, Shang, I was eagerly awaiting the opening of Zentan at the Donovan House Hotel. DC, like most other cities has its share of Asian fusion establishments, but Lee’s forward and creative style would be something I would consider to be newish to the city. Now that Zentan has been open for a few months now, there have been mixed reviews on the food and service but I think overall it’s been a success and continues to draw a lively crowd, especially on the weekends. My personal experience lands me in the food and service could use some improvement camp, but it is one of the more exciting dining spots around and will surely be back.

Cost – $$$

Service – C
The wait staff and managers were very pleasant but they clearly needed to communicate better about who was doing and responsible for what. We had multiple servers ask to take our order for drinks and food more than once which isn’t necessarily a bad thing depending on where you go, but I expected more from a place like Zentan.

Food – B
While looking over the menu, almost everything sounded very good but after the meal, I felt somewhat underwhelmed. I tasted the potential with a couple of dishes but a few items fell short including the Singapore Slaw. It’s a signature dish and people seem to love it so I am probably in the minority here. On a positive note, the cocktails were interesting and inventive.

Décor – A
The creative fare is strongly complimented by the ambiance and décor of the restaurant – dark, sleek, trendy and minimal (although some of the seating areas were spaced a bit too close together). The hanging flat metal sheet with candles in the center of the space was an especially attractive piece. The lounge and the sushi bar were also nice dining alternatives.

Feel – B
Zentan aimed to be something different and I really think it’s well on the way to achieving that. The ambiance is cool, the noise level is chatty, and diners seem to be having fun. If the service and food can rise to the décor, I wouldn’t mind coming back on a regular basis.

Zentan, located in the Dononvan House is at 1155 14th St NW. They can be reached at (202) 379-4366.

With its rapid growth in the past several years, Logan Circle has begun to develop a laid-back yet cutting-edge identity that is fueled by the amalgamate of hipsters, artists and young professionals who frequent the venues in this area as well as the flurry of restaurants that have sprung up on and around the 14th street corridor. There is a Manhattan lower-east side aesthetic to many of these establishments and Rice would certainly fall into this category.

Cost - $$

Service – A-
The staff is tremendously warm and friendly. I don’t believe that our server necessarily had an expert grasp of the menu however she was prompt, polite and so genuine that there were times I felt like standing up and giving her a bear hug. However, this seemed completely inappropriate so I avoided it.

Food- A-
The menu is contemporary Thai and is split into three categories – house specialties, authentic Thai, and healthy/green dishes (although most Thai food is healthy in my opinion). There was a slight wait when we first arrived and as we were standing by the bar I was jolted by a waft reminiscent of kalbi (one of the most incredible smells in the world) and looked over to see a plate of sliced steak on some guy’s plate and after that it wasn’t really much of a mystery what I was going to order. As anticipated, the grilled NY Steak was mouth watering. What was unexpected was how much I also enjoyed the spicy chicken basil dish we ordered.

Décor- A-
I’m falling in love with unfinished brick and an entire wall in Rice is unfinished. The opposing wall is finished in white that appears a bit bare. The ceilings are high, which does create a bit of a sense of emptiness when taken in combination with the bare white main wall. However, the empty space is offset by warm lighting and the crowd itself. From what I understand there aren’t many nights when Rice hasn’t drawn a good crowd (knock on wood).

Feel – A-
Rice is perfect for dinner on a weekday or weekend evening, probably with a smaller group or just a couple due to seating constraints. I instantly fell in love with the place the moment we walked in and were greeted by the hostess. The synthesis of the service, food and visual aesthetic in the place culminate in a top-tier experience. We actually walked into Cork at first but after being told the 30-minute window on my reservation had expired and I’d have to start at the end of the queue, by a hostess who seemed irritated and frazzled, I didn’t think for a second before deciding to leave and head over to Rice.

Rice is located at 1608 14th Street, NW. They can be reached at (202) 234-2400 and reservations are recommended.

What’s the Buzz:

April 15, 2008 – Rice (Bacon and Blue) – Rice garners a bustling/hip crowd for dinner in the Logan/14th Street corridor – particularly on the weekend. The inside is calming and sleek – and completely met my expectations based on the view from the front window.  Full article…

February 19, 2008 – Thai two ways a la Logan Circle: Rice and Thai Tanic (Kiss my Grits!)  – Rice is very feng shui minimalist chic – spare tables, light washes as a nod to wall décor, and an exposed brick wall.  I recently visited on a Friday night (note: on the early-ish side: 7pm) and was seated right away, although it did get crowded later on.  I wished for a table along the perimeter of the room, but that’s more of a personal preference, and those tables seemed to be reserved for 4 people as opposed to our party of 2.  Full article…

Cost – $$

Service – A-
We had a really friendly, cool middle-aged Italian server who was on-point throughout the entire evening. He made excellent suggestions pre-meal and was consistently present throughout our dining experience. The fact that he was actually Italian was also pretty cool.

Food – A-
I tried the vegetarian pizza and enjoyed it immensely (although I wouldn’t put it on the top pizza places in DC list just yet). The tagliatelle with pheasant ragout and diced cardoons was also delicious, as were the wild boar chops with mushroom and black olive sauce. I think the menu definitely leaned more on the contemporary side and found myself wishing they had a few more traditional pasta dishes but that’s the only real criticism I had of the food.

Decor – B+
Posto is in a large open space with high ceilings, hanging single-unit lights and digital murals. The center of the restaurant features a custom-built, wood-burning oven where they make their pizzas and focaccia as well as a long, communal table in the bar. We sat underneath one of the murals and the lighting wasn’t quite as pleasant as the softer lighting nearer the street. The space has a modern feel however as one of my friends noted, there is a great deal of open, unused vertical space due to the high ceilings that creates a slightly hollow feel when combined with the din of the murals. I do think that the seating near the streetside might be a bit preferable.

Feel – A-
The food, service and general design of Posto culminates in a venue that is both energetic and comfortable. It is relatively new and drawing a consistent crowd and the chatter offers a nice compliment to the modern feel of the space. It sort of reminds me a bit of M Cafe in Chevy Chase – except it offers a more lively experience and more bang for your buck. It’s a great place for a laid-back dinner with friends on a weekday or weekend evening. I would say the food is good enough that it would even warrant a solo trip if you were really hankering for some quality Italian food. If I lived in the Logan Circle area, I would definitely be a frequent visitor to Posto.

Posto is located at 1515 14th Street, Northwest. They can be reached at (202) 332-8613.

Cost – $$

Service – A-
General Manager Peter Eskra has a good team in place and it is evident in the quality of service you will receive at the venue, even when it is a bit slammed as was the case on the Saturday afternoon we visited. The hostess was courteous and friendly and after being seated it was only a few minutes until our waiter came by. What’s more, the attention was consistent and pleasant throughout the entire dining experience.

Food – B
We just had brunch food so there may not be much potential culinary range to truly judge the overall quality of the food at Commissary but I would definitely say it was good. It didn’t really jump out at me however it left me satisfied.

Decor – C+
Commissary has an Open City-esque feel to it and in fact I’d be hard pressed to define how Commissary is actually distinct from any of the other casual dining / coffee lounge venues in the city, aesthetically speaking (although design aesthetics is certainly not my forté). Then again, design aesthetics don’t really play a fundamental role in determining the success of these types of venues so maybe it doesn’t even matter.

Feel – B+
The burgeoning Logan Circle area is one of my favorite spots in DC. There is a vibrant energy in this area and a certain hipness to almost all of the new venues that are springing up within it. Commissary is no exception and almost certainly has to come up in conversations about good places to grab brunch in the Dupont / Logan Circle area.

Commissary is located at 1443 P Street NW. They can be reached at (202) 299-0018.

When I found out that a close friend of mine and her significant other were headed into DC for the night and wanted to grab dinner somewhere near Logan Circle I instantly thought of Logan Tavern. Granted, it had been quite some time since I had visited Logan Tavern but in a relatively short amount of time it has been a reputation for being a dependable restaurant with a solid menu in the rapidly emerging Logan Circle area.

Cost – $$

Service – B+
It was not exactly slammed when we visited (on a Sunday night) so it’s difficult to fully judge the competence of the wait staff but in a controlled setting our waiter was extremely efficient. He wasn’t overtly friendly however that definitely isn’t a bad thing.

Food – C+
This rating might come as a bit of a surprise to some people and it is possible that they had an off night because I’ve really enjoyed the food at Logan Tavern in the past. That being said, I found the Wasabi Crusted Meatloaf to be bland and soggy and the clump of mashed potatoes that was dumped on the plate tasted as though it had been sitting in a vat for hours.

Decor – B
The design aesthetic in Logan Tavern is half-comfortable / half-quirky. It certainly feels more sophisticated than a typical DC pub or bar but I can’t quite express why because there is nothing distinctive about the place that sticks out in my head right now.

Feel – A-
Regardless of my perspective on the food at Logan Tavern, I will always give the place high marks for drawing a pretty cool crowd. Logan Tavern’s clientele is an eclectic mix of gays and yupsters that creates a mature yet energetic feel. It’s a place that is good for a lively weekend brunch or a more relaxed weekday dinner.

Logan Tavern is located at 1423 P St. NW. They can be reached at (202) 332-3710.

What’s the Buzz:

November 11, 2008 – Logan Tavern Unofficial Mini-Review (DC Brunch Club) – During Tropical Storm Hannah, the residents of DC still needed to be fed and god forbid I try to cook, so a friend and I braved the weather and walked from 14th and R to Logan Tavern on Pst betweeen 14th and 15th. Sister restaurant to Grillfish, The Heights and Commissary (3 doors down from LT), Logan Tavern has a great menu and their brunch menu was no different. While this is a “mini” review since there were only two of us and I didn’t take copious notes, I thought I would give you some of the highlights. Full article…

ACKC, short for Artfully Chocolate and Kingsbury Confections – is the product of a collaboration of the two Alexandria stores. A welcomed addition to the local scene in Logan Circle, the shop is a combination of cafe, chocolate shop and art gallery for the most part but they also offer a number of novelty items such as greeting cards and dog treats. In addition, the rear of the space is outfitted with a showcase kitchen so visitors can watch the confections being made. If warm mugs of hot chocolate and delicious desserts is your thing, ACKC is definitely worth a try.

Cost – $

Service – A-
The gentleman working behind the chocolate counter was extremely helpful in giving me background and guidance on the various pieces to choose from. The staff at the cocoa bar were also very nice but making designer chocolate drinks is a bit of a process so I had a little bit of wait but it was worth it.

Food – A-
I haven’t frequented a number of chocolate bars so I don’t have a very good handle on how ACKC stacks up against other places but the drinks in my opinion were surprisingly more delicious and complex than I had expected. I also had a number of the chocolate pieces and they were quite good as well. In addition, it was impressive to see the community theme of offering goods from other local confectioners and artisans.

Decor – A-
Before my first visit, the simple name on the red awning coupled with the bright colors on the inside made the shop look a little intimidating and exclusive from the outside. I know that sounds like a contradiction but that was my impression. I think my feelings were a compliment and a testimony to the little details that make spending time there a treat. From the exposed kitchen to the art on the wall, ACKC is well-executed which gives the place a warm, rich feel. I think it all boils down to me thinking that the prices would be more on the expensive side which tuns out, not the case at all.

Feel – A
Cozy, friendly and hip. Like I said above, a welcomed addition to the neighborhood that reflects some of the best of Logan Circle.

ACKC is located at 1529 14th Street NW. They can be reached at (202) 387-2626.

What’s the Buzz:

April 22, 2008 – ACKC Bringing Sidewalk Cafe to 14th Street? (14th and You) – Everyone’s favorite purveyors of awesome hot chocolate beverages (and some darn good chocolate bars–has anyone tried the chocolate bacon bar? Yummmmm…). Full Article…

February 19, 2008 – ACKC Cocoa Bar Offers Real-Deal Hot Chocolate (The Washingtonian) – If you worship at the altar of chocolate, you might want to make a pilgrimage to the ACKC Cocoa Bar. This arty cafe/gallery conjures up a Euro-style espresso bar, but with the cocoa bean front and center. Full Article…

Black Cat is a music venue, bar, and cafe all rolled into one. The upstairs main stage plays host to some of the most popular independent and alternative bands while the first floor back room has smaller acts playing in a more intimate setting. The main bar or Red Room has one of the best jukeboxes around and a pool table and pinball machine to keep things interesting. The Food for Thought Cafe features an extensive vegetarian menu but also caters to non-vegetarians as well. Black Cat’s crowd changes depending on the bands but for the most part, it’s a destination for area hipsters and the like.

Cost – $

Service – A-
From the doorman to the bartenders, the service has always been good. No complaints here.

Food – B
The Food for Thought Cafe isn’t a gourmet eatery but it isn’t trying to be. If you are looking for a better than decent bite to eat at a very reasonable price, this place does the job – especially for vegetarians. The bar has a pretty good selection of micro-brews and imports and seems to stock a number of bourbons and whiskeys.

Decor – C+
Like most music venues, it’s mostly about the music so there isn’t really too much going on. The Red Room and cafe both have a vintage feel which is part of the non-pretentiousness of this place.

Feel – B+
I like the Black Cat as a bar and music venue a lot. The regular crowd is always pretty laid back and fun which makes for a really cool place to hang out. My only minor criticism is the line process to watch bands sometimes makes for an overly crowded Red Room.

Black Cat is located at 1811 14th St. NW. They can be reached at (202) 667-6960.

What’s the Buzz:

January 2, 2007 – Playboy Honors Black Cat (DC Metblogs) – Congratulations to the Black Cat, named as one of the 10 Best Rock Clubs in America (warning, link is to Playboy. Seriously, if you’re at work, and your IT department is cuckoo for cocoa puffs, you may want to wait til you’re at home, seriously. Full article…

August, 2006 – Black Cat (Washington Post) -Foo Fighter Dave Grohl is part owner of this second home for D.C.’s indie rockers. Check out the bands or go to the Red Room to shoot pool. Full Article…