WASHINGTON DC: Some Great Dining Options for Winter Restaurant Week - Part One - Starts January 30

RAMW, The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington will host Winter Restaurant Week, January 30^th through February 5^th, inviting participating restaurants to offer three-course lunches for $22 and three-course dinners for $35.  This bi-annual event invites diners to experience Washington’s top restaurants at an affordable price point.  As an added bonus, some restaurants including 701 Restaurant, Ambar, Ambar Clarendon, Ardeo+Bardeo, Bibiana, nopa Kitchen + Bar and The Oval Room will be extending their offerings through February 12^th allowing more time to enjoy the winter savings.

Here is Part One of my list;

The Oval Room, located at 800 Connecticut Avenue, NW, will showcase a three-course meal during both lunch and dinner this Restaurant Week.  Prepared by Executive Chef John Melfi, the menu begins with a choice of appetizers such as Heirloom Carrot Salad with orange, golden raisins, hazelnut and coriander dressing; White Bean Velouté with smoked ham hock, crispy kale and olive oil croutons; Cold Smoked Trout with potato salad, crisp apple and purple mustard greens, as well as Cured Pork Lomo with winter chicory, shaved fennel and whole grain mustard vinaigrette.  Entrées are just as enticing and include Crispy Skin Salmon with celery root purée, charred fennel, grapefruit and Moroccan olives; Pan Seared Dorado with pomme purée, local sweet pipérade and chorizo vinaigrette; Roasted Pork Blade Steak with roasted apple purée, butter braised cabbage and caraway jus; NY Strip with hay-smoked potatoes, balsamic glazed onions and creamy mushroom fondue, as well as the House-made Potato Agnolotti with beech mushrooms, cipollini onions and roasted garlic soubise.  For dessert, options include Flourless Chocolate Cake with bittersweet chocolate mousse and raspberry coulis; “Lemon Meringue Pie” with yuzu curd, baked meringue and toasted coconut ice cream, or the Bananas “Foster” Custard with cocoa nib crumble and salted caramel ice cream. 

The Oval Room’s Restaurant Week menu will be available January 30th through February 12th.  Lunch is served Monday through Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and dinner is served Monday through Thursday, from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

For more information, call (202) 463-8700 or visit www.ovalroom.com.

Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca located at 1100 New York Ave, NW will be offering classic Italian menu featuring a choice of antipasti, secondi and dolci prepared by Executive Chef Jake Addeo.  Beginning with the primi, guests will choose from tempting starters such as Olive Fritte, crispy breaded Castelvetrano olives, pesto trapanese and smoked provola Siciliana; Crudo, chef’s selection of Italian style sashimi, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt; Polpette, slow braised pork & veal meatballs, hearty tomato sauce, polenta and pecorino, as well as Crostini, grilled rustic two ways, whipped lardo di colonnata & chicken liver mousse.  Entrées include Orecchiette, ‘nduja sausage, white beans, broccoli rabe and pecorino; Tagliatelle, traditional Bolognese sauce, parmigiano and nutmeg; Brasato, Barolo braised beef short ribs, roasted heirloom carrots and saba, as well as Cioppino, spicy seafood and tomato stew with bass, prawns and shellfish, served with roasted garlic crostini.  For the perfect ending, a selection of tempting dessert will be available.  Highlights include Finanzier, hazelnut finanzier, brûléed banana, lemon curd, limoncello reduction, blood orange sorbet; Cioccolato, bitter chocolate tart, toasted vanilla, marshmallow, cinnamon tuile, Tcho chocolate gelato; Limone, poppy seed shortbread, lemon curd, limoncello reduction and blood orange sorbet, as well as Torta, cranberry almond meringue tart, red wine poached pear, almond crisp and Fior di Latte gelato.

Bibiana’s Restaurant Week menu will be available January 30th through February 12th.  Lunch is served Monday through Friday, from 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., and dinner is served Monday through Thursday, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

For more information, call (202) 216-9550, or visit www.bibianadc.com.

Cuba Libre Restaurant and Rum Bar, located at 801A 9th Street, NW (9th & H Streets), will offer a festive Cuban feast for lunch, dinner and brunch this Restaurant Week.  At lunch, one can select one aperitivo, one favorito and dessert from Chef-Partner Guillermo Pernot and newly appointed Executive Chef Angel Roque’s prix fixe menu.  Standouts include the Bay Scallop Ceviche with Baja Bay scallops, tomato, Bermuda onions, cilantro, jalapeño salsa, fresh lime juice, extra virgin olive oil and saltines; Dorado a la Plancha, citrus-marinated fillet of mahi-mahi seared on the griddle with olive oil, “forbidden” black rice, squid-lobster flavored asopado,“mojito” salsa verde and chipotle aioli, and El Cubanito, half of a classic pressed Cuban sandwich, Ybor City-style, with sour orange-marinated pork loin, Genoa salami, ham, provolone, Swiss cheese and yellow mustard-pickle relish, served with a house salad and tropical chips.  Dessert consists of a sampling of two house-made desserts: Tres Leches, vanilla sponge cake soaked in three milks with mocha mousse, and the Cuban Flan, atraditional Cuban dessert of vanilla custard, served with candied mango, papaya salad and a vanilla cookie.  The lunch menu is priced at $22.

For dinner, Cuba Libre is offering a three-course, prix fixe menu priced at $35.  Guests will start their meal with a choice of one aperitivo as their first course with options such as Spinach and Manchego Buñuelos, manchego cheese and spinach puffs with a goat cheese-ranch sauce and organic olive oil; Grilled Baby Octopus, truffle and citrus marinated baby octopus with Haitian eggplant salad and crispy corn chips; Coconut Crab Fritters, jumbo lump crab-meat with fresh grated coconut, peppers, fresh herbs and a sweet chile dipping sauce, and Black Bean Soup, traditional Cuban black bean soup with rich authentic flavors. For the second course, guests may select one of the five entrées such as Vegetable Paella with grilled broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, leeks, eggplant, wild mushrooms, artichokes, roasted red peppers, and saffron-long grain rice, served with an asparagus and roasted piquillo pepper salad; Citrus-Grilled Brick Chicken, marinated semi-boneless double chicken breast with mango sweet and sour sauce, white rice and Cuban black beans; Lechón Asado, slow roasted, marinated Southeast Family Farms’ Berkshire pulled pork, classic sour orange mojo, amarillo chile smashed yuca, black bean broth and vigorón slaw; Pargo a La Plancha, olive oil griddle Florida red snapper fillet with coconut-basmati rice, candied cashews and a tamarind-lemongrass sauce, or Arroz con Pollo, a home-style favorite of saffron long grain rice, boneless chicken, green peas, manzanilla olives, hardboiled egg, asparagus, Palacio chorizo and roasted piquillo pepper salad.  For dessert, guests can enjoy house-made Tres Leches, vanilla sponge cake soaked in three milks and mocha mousse.

Brunch begins with a Cuban Bread Basket for the table filled with assorted homemade Latin breakfast breads including banana bread, guava cream cheese hojaldre (puff pastry), crispy churro, a coconut-berry muffin and chocolate muffin served alongside mango butter, guava marmalade and coconut lime preserve.  Then guests are asked to select three items from the featured seasonal brunch menu.  The brunch menu is priced at $20.15.

Restaurant Week menus will run from January 30th through February 5th.  Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., lunch is served Monday through Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and dinner is served Monday through Saturday, from 4 p.m. until 11 p.m. and Sunday, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.  It is requested that the entire table participate.

For more information, call (202) 408-1600 or visit www.cubalibrerestaurant.com.

Ambar, DC’s first Balkan restaurant, is also offering guests the opportunity to experience some of the best traditional dishes from the Balkan Peninsula, prepared with a modern twist for Restaurant Week.  For lunch, guests can order a Chef’s Platter priced at $22 per person (tax and gratuity not included), which includes a sampling of Veal Soup with root vegetables and crème fraîche; Balkan Salad with tomato, pepper, cucumber, onion and aged cow cheese; Cheese Pie with crispy phyllo, cucumber yogurt and roasted red pepper sauce; Balkan Kebab, beef & veal with marinated onion and kajmak; Stuffed Sour Cabbage with potato mash, pork belly, rice and yogurt, as well as a choice of Cherry or Apple Pie.

For dinner, guests will enjoy unlimited small plates from Ambar's popular Balkan Experience menu including meat mezze, kajmak bar, spreads, house baked pies, flatbreads, soups and salads, vegetables, meats and poultry, sausages and seafood priced at $35 per person (tax and gratuity not included).  Standout dishes include Spicy Crab with ajvar, cilantro pickled chilies; Urnebes, aged cow cheese with ajvar and chili flakes; Meat Pie with crispy phyllo, beef & pork and garlic yogurt; Mushroom Pizza with shitake, crimini, button and oyster mushrooms, arugula and cheese; Balkan Salad with tomato, pepper, cucumber, onion and aged cow cheese; Cabbage Casuela with braised cabbage, dry pepper and yogurt and somun; Leek Croquette with an ajvar emulsion and panko crust; Balkan Kebab, beef & veal with marinated onion and kajmak; Slow Cooked Pork with Yukon potato smash and cabbage slaw; Grilled Calamari With Gremolata with fresh herbs, diced pepper and lemon, and Stuffed Sour Cabbage, potato mash, pork belly, rice and yogurt.  For the perfect pairing, guests can enjoy bottomless drinks from the featured menu for an additional $14 per person.  Featured beverages include Sarajevo Old Fashioned, Mojito, Pomegranate Collins, Mango Lemonade, Margarita, House Sparkling Wine, House Red and White Wine, Yuengling, andValjevsko.

Ambar Capitol Hill will be extending their Restaurant Week menu from January 30th through February 12th.  Lunch is served Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Dinner is served Sunday through Thursday, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

For more information, call (202) 813-3039 or visit http://www.ambarrestaurant.com/.

The newly opened Ambar Clarendon, located at 2901 Wilson Blvd, is also offering guests the opportunity to experience some of the best traditional dishes from the Balkan Peninsula, prepared with a modern twist this Restaurant Week, January 30th through February 5th.  For lunch, guests can select from one of three Chef’s Platters plus a choice of dessert for $22 per person (tax and gratuity not included).  The Traditional Platter includes Veal Soup with root vegetables and crème fraîche; Balkan Salad with tomato, pepper, cucumber, onion and aged cow cheese; Cheese Pie with crispy phyllo, cucumber yogurt and roasted red pepper sauce; Balkan Kebab, beef & veal with marinated onion and kajmak; Stuffed Sour Cabbage with potato mash, pork belly, rice and yogurt. The Seafood Platter includes Mushroom Soup with forest mushrooms and crispy leeks; Ambar Salad with mixed greens, zucchini, asparagus, spinach, broccoli and poppy seed dressing; Fried Catfish with lemon caper tartare sauce; Drunken Mussels with rakia, garlic, capers and lemon, and Rainbow Trout with Mediterranean salsa, potato salad and onion, and finally the Mix Meat Platter offers Grilled Pork Neck with kajmak mash and miso mustard; House-Made Pork Sausage with homemade mustard sauce; Balkan Kebab, house ground beef & veal, onions and paprika; Chicken Skewers; Balkan Fries and Urnebes Spread.  To complete the meal on a sweet note, guests will get a choice of Cherry Pie; Apple Pie, or Balkan Cookies for dessert.

For dinner, guests can enjoy unlimited small plates from Ambar's featured dinner menu including meat mezze, kajmak bar, spreads, homemade pies, flatbreads, soups, salads, vegetables, slow cooked food, meats & poultry, rotisserie and seafood priced at $35 per person, excluding tax and gratuity.  Standout dishes include Smoked Salmon with capers, dill, onion and lemon; Ajvar, roasted pepper, eggplant and garlic; Lamb Pate with cream cheese and horseradish dressing; Cheese Pie, crispy phyllo, cheese, garlic yogurt and spinach; Stuffed Pepper with root vegetables, beef & pork and dill sauce;Mushroom Soup with forest mushrooms and crispy leeks; Grilled Veggie Flatbread with homemade pesto, kalamata olives and seasonal veggies; Drunken Mussels with rakia, garlic, capers and lemon; Catfish with lemon caper tartare sauce, and Grilled Pork Neck with kajmak mash and miso mustard.

Ambar Clarendon will be extending their Restaurant Week menu from January 30th through February 12th.  Lunch is served Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Dinner is served Sunday through Thursday, from 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, from 4 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

For additional information call (703) 875-9663 or visit http://www.ambarrestaurant.com/home-page-clarendon/.

Rasika Penn Quarter, located at 633 D Street, NW, offers diners a three-course lunch menu created by Group Executive Chef Vikram Sunderam, which is priced at $22 per person during Restaurant Week.  Appetizer options include Honey Ginger Scallop with bay scallops and burnt garlic pepper sauce; Roti Pe Boti with tandoori lamb, ginger, green chilies and mint chutney; Palak Chaat, crispy baby spinach with sweet yogurt tamarind and date chutney, and Beetroot Goat Cheese Tikki with black pepper, chaat masala and pickled onion chutney.  Tempting entrées include Grouper Ambotik with peri-peri masala and tamarind; Papeta Ma Gosht with lamb, potatoes, tomatoes and curry leaves; Vegetable Thali with paneer kaju kofta, vegetable dhansak and dal makhani, as well as the Tariwala Murgh, home-style chicken curry.  To complete the meal, guests can select one of the five featured desserts including Masala Chai Ice Cream; Cherry Ginger Sorbet; Gulab Jamun with ice cream; Date Toffee Pudding, and Mango Rice Kheer.  

Rasika’s Restaurant Week menu will be available from January 30th through February 5th, only during lunch service.  Lunch is served Monday through Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.   

For more information, call (202) 637-1222 or visit www.rasikarestaurant.com/pennquarter.

Rasika Penn Quarter’s sister restaurant, Rasika West End, located at 1190 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, will also be participating in Winter Restaurant Week for lunch service for $22 per person for the three courses.  Guests can indulge in modern and authentic Indian fare also created by Group Executive Chef Vikram Sunderam.  Appetizer highlights include Sea Bass Peri-Peri with peri-peri masala and aloo bhaji; Wild Mushroom Tikki with cremini, oyster, shiitake, ginger, green chilies and chili garlic sauce; Scallop Rasam with bay scallops, lentil broth and rice vermicelli, as well asthe famous Palak Chaat, crispy baby spinach with sweet yogurt, tamarind and date chutney.  Tempting entrée options include Tandoori Salmon with lime leaves, chili flakes and lemon pickle; Chicken Pista Korma with pistachio, bell pepper and green cardamom; Salli Boti with lamb, apricots, and straw potatoes, and Hyderabadi Lamb Dalcha with bengal gram, ginger, green chilies and mint.  To complete the meal, diners can select from desserts options such as Butter Nut Scotch Ice Cream; Apple Cider Sorbet; Gulab Jamun with ice cream; Pumpkin Halwa, and the Rose Lavender Rice Pudding.   

Rasika West End’s Restaurant Week menu will be available from January 30th through February 5th, only during lunch service.  Lunch is served Monday through Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.   

For more information on Rasika West End, call (202) 466-2500 or visit www.rasikarestaurant.com/westend.

Look out for Part Two of our recommendations coming soon