Conventional wisdom has it that the Parisian culinary scene stands alone, and other international heavyweights (think New York, Barcelona, Tokyo) linger proudly in its shadow. Same thing applies to Washington, a town on every foodie’s hot list. Which prompted me to do a little comparison during a recent trip to Paris. I intentionally scouted restaurants that match the ambitions of specific D.C. dining spots and came away with a list of delicious stops in both cities—a dual-city throwdown—that will leave all visitors smiling.
MEAL PRICES INCLUDE:
Cost of a Bombay martini
Average cost of a glass of house wine
Average cost of an appetizer
Average cost of an entrée
Average cost of a dessert
Tip (20 percent)
Sales tax (10 percent in D.C.; 5 percent in Virginia and Maryland)
Average cost of a glass of house wine
Average cost of an appetizer or dessert
Average cost of an entrée
Tip (20 percent)
Sales tax (10 percent in D.C.; 5 percent in Virginia and Maryland)
The night before my trip, I dined at a neighborhood haunt, Perry’s (1811 Columbia Road, NW; 202/234-6218; perrysadamsmorgan.com; $60 per person, all inclusive), most notably known for two things: the drag brunch owner Saied Azali initiated in 1985 and the capacious rooftop deck with its broad view of Adams Morgan and beyond. It’s not always known for the food, however, and this is where Azali constantly tries his hand at reinvention. Morou Outarra, who made a name for himself at Jack Abramoff’s notorious Signatures Restaurant and then at his own, Farrah Olivia in Old Town, passed through Perry’s, as did Noriake Yasutake, who refined the sushi concept here before moving on to Penn Quarter’s new hot spot, Sei, and taking co-chef Avinesh Ranav with him.
That gave Azali another opportunity to reinvent. Enter chef Jose Picazo, who worked alongside Jose Andrés at Jaleo for six years and now brings the tapas vibe to Perry’s. This is a winning combo. I love the idea of eating little grilled chorizo sausages on potato purée, seared scallops with romesco sauce and Spanish chicken croquetas—all headlining with seared fatty salmon nigiri, Perry’s roll of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, spicy crab and avocado. Add golden and red beet salad, along with sautéed spinach with pine nuts and raisins, and you have a meal that allows two diverse cooking styles to exist in harmony.
In Paris, chef Jose Bangard of the Makassar Lounge and Restaurant (Renaissance Paris Hotel Arc de Triomphe, 39, Avenue de Wagram, 75017 Paris, France; +33 1 55 37 55 37; makassarlounge.fr; $84 per person, all inclusive) offers a similar dual-menu concept with “specialties from here (France) and somewhere else (Indonesia),” which is surprising given the chauvinistic aversion the French have to sharing the culinary limelight. To be honest, I wouldn’t have even eaten at Makassar without the entreaties of Daunia Cesari, the beguiling sales manager at my hotel, the brand-new, ultramodern Renaissance Arc de Triomphe, on the Avenue Wagram a stone’s throw from the eponymous monument.
I’m glad I listened to Daunia. The French contenders on the menu—salade niçoise and entrées of steak frites or cod with fennel confit—are dandy. But the Indonesian fare is what stands out. A starter of julienned papaya and prawns zings with coriander and cumin, as does lamb shank braised with coconut milk and shiitakes. Start with a musim panas gin cocktail, cunningly garnished with drops of sesame oil and a floating star anise, and ask to be seated on the breezy terrasse that overlooks the Salle Wagram, a longtime Parisian party hall where Maria Callas once recorded.
Comfort on Two Continents
with ratatouille and eggplant purée at Blue Ridge.
Eli Hengst and Jared Rager (Capitol Hill’s Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar) took over the Glover Park space formerly held by Busara on Wisconsin Avenue and transformed it into a 185-seat Shaker-style farmhouse restaurant. They followed the theme throughout Blue Ridge (2340 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202/333-4004; blueridgerestaurant.com; $70 per person, all inclusive), which emphasizes locally sourced ingredients and mid-Atlantic cooking. Heading the kitchen is local phenomenon Barton Seaver, whose chef’s career spans four restaurants, most recently at Hook in Georgetown, where he staked a claim as an authority on sustainable seafood.
of Blue Ridge
Blue Ridge’s menu features American favorites, including snacks (deviled eggs, fingerling potatoes with pimento cheese and bacon, yummy root veggie chips with onion dip), appetizers (an oysters Rockefeller derivative, hot shrimp, charcuterie, cheese plates) and entrées that shine when it comes to seafood. You can’t go wrong with fried catfish with sorrel aioli or grilled trout with root vegetable purée. But make sure not to miss the grilled fish of the day, if only because of its on-point accompaniments of sautéed zucchini and crisped onions. This is comfort food of the potpie, meat loaf and BLT (made with fried green tomatoes) ilk, so plan to leave room for a cream soda and butter pecan float. The wine list’s hook is 50 bottles under $50, but the real lure at Blue Ridge is the space itself, with two bars, private rooms and a serene courtyard patio that’s one of the best outdoor spaces in town.
That distinction in Paris could go to Le Relais du Parc (Renaissance Paris Hotel Le Parc Trocadéro, 57, Avenue Raymond Poincaré, 75116 Paris, France; +33 1 44 05 66 10; alain-ducasse.com; $84 per person, all inclusive). When I mentioned to my hotel concierge that I was on my way to the Eiffel Tower, he suggested I lunch at the Relais, adding that it was an Alain Ducasse property, referencing the renowned chef and branding dervish who has lent his name and expertise to eateries worldwide.
The name drop worked, and off I went, winding up in an enchanting courtyard dining space that brought to mind, thanks to the varied architecture of the hotel, an Anglo-Norman country house. The executive chef, Alexandre Nicolas, shares Barton Seaver’s commitment to using locally and ethically sourced ingredients and presenting them in season. An egg coddled with spinach and chanterelle mushrooms in an open, hinged, glass-canning jar was so clever I couldn’t wait to steal the idea when I got home. Crayfish bisque, sole meunière (oh, those brown and buttery roasted new potatoes!) and Ducasse’s signature macaroni with ham, truffles and Comté cheese were prepared and served impeccably.
If Paris has the Relais du Parc, then D.C. has the Café du Parc (1401 Pennsylvania Ave.; 202/942-7000; cafeduparc.com), one of my favorite spots for outdoor dining, not only because of the Parisian-boulevard feel of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the Willard InterContinental Hotel, but also because of the food inspired by consulting chef Antoine Westermann. So it was only fitting that I spend the first night in Paris on the Ile-Saint-Louis dining at Westermann’s 40-seat, jewel-box bistro, Mon Vieil Ami (69, Rue St. Louis en l’Ile, 75004 Paris, France; +33 1 40 46 01 35; mon-vieil-ami.com; $84 person, all inclusive). Chef Frédéric Crochet produces a menu conceived by Westermann as updated Alsatian, which means you still get to indulge in a slab of luscious pâté en croûte alongside a cocotte of perfectly cooked seasonal vegetables furnished by Joel Thiébault, and a hunk of crisp-skinned pork poitrine with tartared tomatoes and eggplant confit, and herb-crusted hake with citrus-scented summer vegetables. Sublime.
Saving a Little Cash
Prix-fixe menus, a staple in European restaurants, have long been wrongfully stigmatized in the United States as the cheapskate’s way to pay. But now it’s considered chic, which offers a terrific opportunity for diners to visit magical places they might have otherwise considered beyond their reach.
One such place is 2941 Restaurant (2941 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church, Va.; 703/270-1500; 2941.com; $100 per person, all inclusive), an oasis in the woods, replete with soaring ceilings and glass walls, museum-quality artwork, breathtaking floral arrangements, sumptuous table furnishings and views overlooking waterfalls and a koi pond. A splendid way to sample chef Betrand Chemel’s artistry is via the four-course, prix-fixe menu offered every night except Saturday. At $58, it’s one of the best deals in the D.C. area. The menu changes daily, with the first and second courses fixed, a choice from two main-course selections and any choice off pastry chef Anthony Chavez’s delectable dessert menu. Kudos for the spiced shrimp with couscous, velvety gnocchi with roasted wild mushrooms, sea scallops with vanilla-coconut reduction, and almond crepe soufflé with blueberries and fromage blanc sorbet.
All right, eating at Le Jules Verne (Tour Eiffel, 75007 Paris, France; +33 1 45 55 61 44; lejulesverne-paris.com), Alain Ducasse’s famed restaurant on the second level of the Eiffel Tower, might be touristy, but it’s also a not-to-be-missed, once-in-a-lifetime experience. And it’s worth it just to avoid the three-hour line the hoi polloi stands in while you are whisked to the third level in a private glass elevator. The three-course prix-fixe lunch goes for $119 per person or $168 with wines, but includes service that’s stellar and unpretentious, and panoramic views.
On the menu the day I went: a checkerboard of foie gras and poached Bresse chicken breast, duck breast with baby turnips and bitter orange sauce, and a strawberry rhubarb tartlet. And there were the little heavenly extras—including the spiral puff-pastry rolls with Brittany butter, the chocolate truffle cubes and the passion fruit panna cottas—to make the meal memorable.
Best of all: access to the sightseeing deck to spend as much time as you like (and go to the top of the tower if you wish) before pressing a button to be let back in and escorted in the private elevator from cloud nine back to the real world.