Cream + Butter= La Chaumiere

This homey French bistro was my second Restaurant Week stop.  La Chaumiere ($$$) is a classic French Country style restaurant in Georgetown.  It is upscale and attracts an older crowd, but is still a great spot to eat on a cold night.  There is a fireplace in the middle of the restaurant and empty old wine bottles line the wooden beams.  It's a cozy space because all of the tables are so close together.

Top of Fireplace at La Chaumiere

To start, I ordered the baked mussels.  Anything covered in melted parsley butter and garlic is a winner in my book.  I was hoping that the taste of the mussels would be more highlighted, but nonetheless ce sont magnifique!

Baked Mussels with Parsley Butter and Garlic

For the second course, I split Marinated Salmon in Puff Pastry with a Champagne and Dill Sauce and a Spice Crusted Cornish Game Hen.  The salmon was very rich and filling.  It was cooked very well and was not soggy or overcooked in the pastry.  The game hen was not my favorite dish because the breading was overwhelming.  The sauce that was served with it, though, was excellent. Both dishes were served with some of the creamiest mashed potatoes I've ever had- so how could they be anything but amazing?  Butter and cream seemed to be the theme of the night.

Salmon Marinated in Puff Pastry, with Spinach & Dill Sauce

At last, dessert! I had the profiterole, which is undoubtedly one of my favorite desserts so I could not resist ordering it. The soft vanilla gelato melted into the puffed pastry.  I scooped it all up with their homemade chocolate sauce and it was perfection! My only complaint was that it was too small.

Overall, La Chaumiere was great. Their wait staff was a little rude- but perhaps they are trying to truly imitate the French demeanor. If you decide to go, prepare for one rich and heavy dish after the other. But, if you can handle your butter and cream, go for it!

Le Pain Quotidien

Le Pain Quotidien ($$) is a popular French chain which is located in Georgetown. It is known for its common table, as it has one long table in the center of the restaurant where different parties can sit (although there are individual tables available). The restaurant has a variety of dishes ranging from tartines to soup to cheese platters. Le Pain has a seasonal Pear and Gorgonzola Cheese Tartine (an open-faced sandwich) which is out of this world, and a Praline Butter spread that they serve with the freshly baked brioche buns.

The Bakery "On-the-Go" section in the front of the restaurant

Le Pain is a good place to have a sit down brunch or dinner, but I frequently go for their bakery section ($) which is fast and convenient. My favorite dessert here is the brownie because of its rich chocolate flavor and moistness. They also have mini Belgian Waffles covered in sugar for on-the-go which are delicious. I want to try the granola they sell and the 8-inch wide chocolate chip cookie.

Chocolate Brownie

J'adore Adour!

I have been excited for weeks about going to renowned chef, Alain Ducasse's, DC restaurant Adour. For those of you who don't know who Alain Ducasse is, he was the chef at the restaurant in the Eiffel Tower and he owns a numbers of restaurants around the world. My friend, Kelsey, and I made a reservation weeks ago to catch the low prices during Restaurant week. Adour filled up so quickly that they extended their restaurant week special for another week. Dressed in our finest, we entered the extravagant and well decorated restaurant located in the St. Regis Hotel in downtown D.C. I was slightly intimidated by the upscale crowd and finely trimmed waiters, but eventually relaxed in my white cushioned chair. From the hostess, to the table presentation, to the overall appearance of the restaurant- there was a great attention to detail.

Inside Seating with White Cushioned Chairs

We excitedly reviewed the menu, and both decided to start with the Sunchoke Parmentier Soup with Bacon Foam. A sunchoke is a cross between a potato and a sunflower seed. The sunchokes were pureed with presumably a heavy cream and seasoning. The waiter served our bowls with two spoonfuls of foam, crispy bacon bits, and small croutons. Immediately I thought to myself, That's all I get?, but the waiter proceeded to pour the pureed soup, from a vase, over the foam right in front of me. The soup was absolutely mouth-watering. I scraped every last bit from the bottom of my bowl. The bacon foam complemented the sunchokes perfectly, and the crunchy croutons and bacon were nice little surprises.

Sunchoke Parmentier Soup with Bacon Foam and Croutons

Our next course was grilled hangar steak medallions, with Yukon gold potatoes and wilted spinach. The presentation was very well put together, as the rare steak was topped with a creamy horseradish sauce and the potatoes had some type of onion topping. The steak was perfectly seasoned and it was delicious with the horseradish sauce. The potatoes and spinach were also very well done.

Steak Medallions with Horseradish Topping, Yukon Gold Potatoes, Spinach

Finally- the dessert. We ordered a coffee cremieux with a Marsala Sauvignon sauce. It essentially was a dark chocolate covered coffee mousse with whipped cream in the center. The dessert was superb. The consistency was so light and fluffy that it melted in your mouth. The flavors blended very well together, and there was the strong liquor sauce on the side that wonderfully accompanied the dark chocolate.

Dark Chocolate Covered Coffee Mousse with Marsala Sauvignon Sauce

From the service, to the decor, to the food- Adour was fantastic.