Central
In the tradition of Harmon's Food Porn I submit to you all a mini-review of Michel Richard's Central.
Off Pennsylvania Ave. at the foot of a large office building sits Central. My reason for eating here tonight is to celebrate my birthday; Callie had made reservations a month in advance. From the moment we stepped inside the place was busy with a very upscale clientèle consisting primarily of politicos.
We arrived on time and were immediately sat in a nice spot near the front, close-in to the bar. The restaurant was loud, in a good way. Our waiter looked busy and did not see us until we had reviewed the short menu several times. Although I was hungry the time looking over the menu helped me decide on the 72 hour Spare Rib with Central Sauce paired with the Blusser's Pilsner. Callie opted for a wine, which I did not catch, to accompany her Shrimp Burger and Mac and Cheese. Being adventurous and hungry we also requested the Cheese Puff appetizer. When our waiter came to take our order he was very nice and helpful.
The Cheese Puffs came along with the complimentary bread. The bread and butter were really good and the meal only got better from there. The Cheese Puffs were light and airy which contrasted the sharp cheese taste. Callie's wine came by, but my beer was getting tapped; The waiter got me a Brauhof, on the house, to tide me over. The Cheese Puffs were even better with the wine and beer and we enjoyed talking to each other until the main course arrived.
Our meals arrived and it would be an understatement to say I was overwhelmed. My plate was huge and justifiably so to hold it all: a salad with a light vinaigrette; creamy mashed potatoes topped with fried potato fritters; and of course the short ribs doused in a healthy amount of sauce. Callie's meal consisted of a perfectly toasted and buttered roll encasing a patty made of chopped shrimp along with the requisite tomato and lettuce. A small pan of Mac and Cheese sat down between us, tempting us to overindulge and overeat.
Callie commented that her meal was delicious and I will take her word since I am not a huge seafood fan. Being a Mac and Cheese aficionado Callie demanded I partake of the baked goodness between us. Oh, it was good. The cheese flavor was infused into the macaroni and the slight crunchiness of the backed topping made it doubly decadent.
On my side of the table was equally divine. The salad did a good job of preparing my palate for the creamy mashed potatoes and fritters. They were great opening acts, but the tour de force was the short rib. The 72 hour preparation time made the meat easy to cut and digest. The flavor was subtle and succulent; The sauce was sweet. It was like tasting heaven.
I wanted to try my meal with the pilsner I had ordered, but our waiter had been busy with a new table that was recently sat. Once our waiter arrived again I reminded him of the beer I had ordered. He rushed to the back and brought me back the Blussers. He was apologetic about the wait and provided this beer on the house as well. Two beers on the house! So far my birthday was going quite well. The beer was perfect with the short ribs and I made short order of what my stomach was capable of digesting.
After taking a few minutes to digest a bit we asked for the desert menu. The menu had all sorts of delicious temptations, but one item in particular intrigued us. The waiter came by to get our order and I got another Blussers before asking what the Kit Kat Bar was. Our waiter told us it is Michel Richard's interpretation of the classic candy bar and it is something that was brought over from Citronelle. We ordered it after hearing the description.
The desert touched down at our table a few minutes later. It consisted of a fine chocolate mousse covering a crisp wafer covered in hazelnut. The "bar" is accompanied by a small side of vanilla ice cream. It may sound simple, but it was the highlight of the entire meal!
For anyone in the DC area I highly recommend Central. It is not cheap, but it is not as expensive as Citronelle and the food cannot be beat. The upscale casual dress code is the least I can compromise to enjoy another night at Central.
Off Pennsylvania Ave. at the foot of a large office building sits Central. My reason for eating here tonight is to celebrate my birthday; Callie had made reservations a month in advance. From the moment we stepped inside the place was busy with a very upscale clientèle consisting primarily of politicos.
We arrived on time and were immediately sat in a nice spot near the front, close-in to the bar. The restaurant was loud, in a good way. Our waiter looked busy and did not see us until we had reviewed the short menu several times. Although I was hungry the time looking over the menu helped me decide on the 72 hour Spare Rib with Central Sauce paired with the Blusser's Pilsner. Callie opted for a wine, which I did not catch, to accompany her Shrimp Burger and Mac and Cheese. Being adventurous and hungry we also requested the Cheese Puff appetizer. When our waiter came to take our order he was very nice and helpful.
The Cheese Puffs came along with the complimentary bread. The bread and butter were really good and the meal only got better from there. The Cheese Puffs were light and airy which contrasted the sharp cheese taste. Callie's wine came by, but my beer was getting tapped; The waiter got me a Brauhof, on the house, to tide me over. The Cheese Puffs were even better with the wine and beer and we enjoyed talking to each other until the main course arrived.
Our meals arrived and it would be an understatement to say I was overwhelmed. My plate was huge and justifiably so to hold it all: a salad with a light vinaigrette; creamy mashed potatoes topped with fried potato fritters; and of course the short ribs doused in a healthy amount of sauce. Callie's meal consisted of a perfectly toasted and buttered roll encasing a patty made of chopped shrimp along with the requisite tomato and lettuce. A small pan of Mac and Cheese sat down between us, tempting us to overindulge and overeat.
Callie commented that her meal was delicious and I will take her word since I am not a huge seafood fan. Being a Mac and Cheese aficionado Callie demanded I partake of the baked goodness between us. Oh, it was good. The cheese flavor was infused into the macaroni and the slight crunchiness of the backed topping made it doubly decadent.
On my side of the table was equally divine. The salad did a good job of preparing my palate for the creamy mashed potatoes and fritters. They were great opening acts, but the tour de force was the short rib. The 72 hour preparation time made the meat easy to cut and digest. The flavor was subtle and succulent; The sauce was sweet. It was like tasting heaven.
I wanted to try my meal with the pilsner I had ordered, but our waiter had been busy with a new table that was recently sat. Once our waiter arrived again I reminded him of the beer I had ordered. He rushed to the back and brought me back the Blussers. He was apologetic about the wait and provided this beer on the house as well. Two beers on the house! So far my birthday was going quite well. The beer was perfect with the short ribs and I made short order of what my stomach was capable of digesting.
After taking a few minutes to digest a bit we asked for the desert menu. The menu had all sorts of delicious temptations, but one item in particular intrigued us. The waiter came by to get our order and I got another Blussers before asking what the Kit Kat Bar was. Our waiter told us it is Michel Richard's interpretation of the classic candy bar and it is something that was brought over from Citronelle. We ordered it after hearing the description.
The desert touched down at our table a few minutes later. It consisted of a fine chocolate mousse covering a crisp wafer covered in hazelnut. The "bar" is accompanied by a small side of vanilla ice cream. It may sound simple, but it was the highlight of the entire meal!
For anyone in the DC area I highly recommend Central. It is not cheap, but it is not as expensive as Citronelle and the food cannot be beat. The upscale casual dress code is the least I can compromise to enjoy another night at Central.