Address: | 931 H St NW, Washington, DC 20001, USA |
Phone: | +1 202-695-7660 |
Site: | dbgb.com |
Rating: | 4.1 |
Working: | 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–10PM |
CA
Carol Chan
Having lived in NYC for 8 years, there were more than handful opportunities to dine in Daniel Bouluds restaurants. I thought I missed my chance after moving to DC, who knew one would magically establish its first location in the DMV area right on the ground floor of my building. My husband and I brought our in laws for Fathers Day celebratory dinner. It was surprisingly easy to reserve our table through opentable - even an hr before our desired time - every time slot was still available for a group of 5. We were seated promptly and service was on point from the moment we sat. There were no pre-fixe or specials for Fathers Day. The menu wasnt too extensive but there were plenty to choose from - we started off by sharing a few appetizers - fried calamari, duck pate, and fried burrata. The fried calamari was paired with a tasty spicy mayo sauce - delish! I personally am not the biggest fan of any pate - so their duck pate gets an okay from me - reminded me of a cold sausage. And their fried burrata - I fell in love with burrata since my visit at Obelisk this past winter and it had become my fav cheese of all time - the one here did not disappoint - Just think of a super tasty giant ball form of fried mozzarella stick paired with house made marinara and pesto sauce. I ate through two bread baskets thanks to this giant ball of heaven - so good. And the power eating continued Seared scallops - our servers personal favorite - the scallops were bit too salty for my taste which were a strong contrast to the sweetbreads that were smothered in a sweet and sour sauce. The sauce however fell flat and only reminded me of not so well made Americanized Chinese food. Beef Duo - hanger steaks with oxtail - very rich and flavorful. My father is picky with his steak but he ate it all up. Pesto Cavetelli - loved the ricotta pairing but i found the pesto wasnt pesto-ey enough. Still a good dish nevertheless. Sausage Duo - Vermont and Bratwurst - my brother in law could not taste the difference between the two. He wasnt a big fan of either. The hash brown and potato salad were standard. For a restaurant with section on the menu just for sausages - it was quite disappointing. Frenchies - my husband did not particularly enjoy the tomato jam - it was too sour for his taste. Still a good burger - just not the best burger.. or top 5 burgers of this year in his book. Celebration = Sweet ending! Souffle - Warm, custardy, melt in your mouth. The gold standard of how a souffle should be! Blueberry tart - my father in law polished his plate without ever offering a bite. My assumption - damn good Rhubarb and buttermilk sundae - a nice balance of sweet and tart - refreshing choice Profiterole - the coffee flavor was too overpowering - wished there was a more hazelnut presence. Too rich, too bold - wasnt for me. Baked Alaska - cuz im a fatty and I would get a dessert made for 2 ppl. Nothing outstandingly special - but I loved the presentation and the 30 secs show. The pistachio ice cream tasted more like green tea ice cream? Raspberry sorbet + vanilla ice cream + vanilla cake + house made meringue = a tasty combo. Overall - there were plenty of hits and misses but as a whole we enjoyed our meal. Now Im intrigued by Bouluds other restaurants, maybe on our next visit back in the big apple.
ST
Steve B. Marks, Jr.
I had reservations for Thanksgiving at DBGB. The place was pretty darned full, but there was no problem being sat in a timely manner. My wife, daughter, and myself all got the Thanksgiving turkey dinner which was composed of turkey, pork-wrapped stuffing, mashed potatoes, and thinly sliced sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes, for me, was best in show. The turkey, pork, stuffing, and mashed potatoes, while good, arent really anything worth mentioning. Honestly, I was a little underwhelmed by them; I was downright disappointed in the mashed potatoes. Again, not because they were BAD, but, considering the restaurant I was at, I was expecting them to be much tastier. Our friend ordered the coq au vin and really liked it. That being said, there are four specific things I feel the need to point out: 1. This is some of the best service Ive ever received at a restaurant. The level of service is what is keeping them from receiving a three-star review. 2. I felt the choice of background music was... peculiar. Not a criticism, but I wasnt really expecting AC/DC, Bon Jovi, Warrant, Motley Crue, or Journey. Again, not a criticism -- this didnt affect my star review of them, but I DID find it a little odd. 3. This is ones not a SUPER big deal, but my expectations for a restaurant are tied pretty closely to the average cost of an entree. My wife was given a different drink than she ordered. She informed our waitress, who sent the bartender to our table to resolve the issue. This happened a second time, as well, when I ordered a Willet bourbon but was given a Willet rye. I like Willet rye (its one of my favorites), but thats not what I ordered. At that point, though, I didnt bother saying anything about it -- I didnt want to be "that table." 4. Being Thanksgiving, and no Thanksgiving meal is complete without leftovers, they gave us each our own "leftover" turkey sandwich on focaccia bread. That was very endearing. :) Bottom line: Would I return? No, not unless somebody else was paying. Its not that I didnt enjoy my experience, but I dont think it lived up to its reputation.
SU
Surabhi Vijay
This was one of two places that I went to as part of restaurant week and this was the clear winner, hands down. But it is a win even without that comparison, and is an experience that makes the non-restaurant-week prices worth it, if you can afford it! The service is amazing, the food is delicious, the wait-time is reasonable, and the ambience is really classy. We reached about a half hour earlier than our reservation, but we were very affably seated right away. A small detail in their service that I really appreciated was that the servers rearranged the dishes on our table and expertly accommodated the subsequent courses. I always have this little awkward moment when Im(/ we are) still working on one course and the next comes in. Its all sitting there clumsily as we try utilize table real estate most efficiently - one little jigsaw puzzle where all the pieces fit JUST about right as long as nobody gives one little careless nudge that can set plates toppling outside the table. So brownie points from me for taking care of that little detail! Food itself - the appetizers were moist, fresh, and warm, with the madeleines being my favorite. Being a vegetarian, my choice was made for me on the restaurant week menu - french toast. It made me a little apprehensive since Im not one for an entirely sweet breakfast. I saturate on my sugar levels beyond a certain point. But I was quite blown away with the BEST FRENCH TOAST I ever had! A wholesome slice with a rich creamy consistency of batter, uniformly soaked, and with custard-like balance in taste. We did also follow it up with ice creams and tried chocolate, pistachio, and mint between 4 of us. The pistachio definitely was the one sour point while the chocolate trumped. But a pretty average ice cream - not superb, nothing to complain either. By the end of it, we were so full that we didnt feel like getting out for another hour. But the staff didnt give us one awkward or expectant glance. So, again, service - 5 star! Ended up walking out feeling like happy kings after a hearty meal!