Date Night: 1789 Restaurant

Washington DC is a scintillating combination of history and modernity, and often we are so caught up in the “next best thing” that we fail to recognize the jewels that are firmly embedded in the fabric of this gorgeous city.  Always a new neighborhood to explore and a new culinary experience in the works, Scott and I passed up on the “next best” to experience the “tried and true” at 1789 Restaurant, nestled in historic Georgetown.

1789 opened in 1960 and has become a notable and prestigious restaurant staple in the DC food scene. Enjoyed by high profile politicians and local residents alike, the ambiance is classic and timeless and the decor is quintessential antique America.  In 2014, Executive Chef Samuel Kim returned to re-imagine the menu and has created an equally impressive (and ever changing) menu to complement the standard of excellence for which 1789 is known.

I’ll cut straight to the point – 1789 is not the most affordable for a weeknight date. With entrees ranging between $24-$50, it’s definitely for the more padded pocketbook. Now, take what I said with a grain of salt, and put this place at the top of your DC restaurant bucket list. Scott and I were whisked promptly into one of their 6 distinct dining rooms and enjoyed what is one of my favorite culinary experiences to date.

Because Chef Sam uses only the freshest ingredients and offers a fresh culinary experience to  seasoned guests, the menu is printed daily and is subject to constant adjustments. The following dishes were available on our particular evening, though in checking up on the menu, seems to be consistent for the autumn season.  

We started with the first course, which included the Hamachi Crudo (pickled daikon and black radish, Mexican sour gherkins,smoked dashi, Asian pear and nori rice puff) and the Apple Salad (Honeycrisp and Jonagold apples, prosciutto, Taleggio, spiced caramel,bitter greens and cider foam). Both dishes were light and refreshing, and while Scott favored the former, I was delighted by the latter.

Our second course was incredible, and Scott found a new appreciation for octopus. He enjoyed the Berkshire Pork Belly & Grilled Octopus, while I was smitten (read: IN LOVE) with the Chestnut Tagliatelle (porcini mushroom, roasted butternut squash, shallots and fried sage). The return of squash this season is a source of great happiness for me, and this dish has soared to the top of my favorite fall items.

1789 is well-known for their duck and their lamb, and Scott was bound and determined to see why. He ordered the recommended Long Island Duck (duck breast, pancetta-wrapped duck heart, carrot and walnut puree, foie gras truffle, lacinato kale and delicata squash).  I was wary of the duck heart, but Scott enjoyed it immensely and was glad he ordered the fan favorite. My more modest palette was tickled by the Guinea Hen (mancha manteles, Burgundy truffle, Honeycrisp apples, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard and baby Tokyo turnips). The fall menu is the perfect blend of seasonal flavors, all of which I felt were embodied in these two plates.

Dessert was not a tough sell, but we sampled the Rocky Road Torte (milk chocolate ganache, devil’s food cake, smoked almond croquant, chocolate gremolata, frozen bittersweet mousse and burnt marshmallow ice cream), the Bourbon Baked Apple (Lady Gala apple, almond streusel, brown sugar cake, spiced cider caramel and Ceylon cinnamon ice cream) but the surprise of the night was the  Pumpkin Walnut Strudel (maple roasted delicata squash, molasses stout cake, spiced pepitas,walnut phylloand sweet potato-Speculoos ice cream). Pastry Chef Lauren Petri has married my love of savory (squash in dessert??) with Scott’s love of sweet (the molasses stout cake, incredible!) and created the perfect bite.

I saved retelling the best part of the night for last, as the memory of this dish will sit on the tip of my tongue for years to come. On the day of our visit, the first shipment of Alba White Truffle arrived from Italy, and Chef Sam offered us a taste of this life-altering dish. Having never been one for the more decadent and refined foods, “truffle” was something I did not understand. I knew it was expensive and uncommon, but one bite of the Alba White Truffle Gnocchi (beurre fondue, Parmigiano-Reggiano and parsley) and now I understand the phenomenon. Chef Sam came out and shaved the truffle in front of us, and the rest is history. Though the gnocchi was incredible on its own, nothing can compare to the change in flavor with the addition of the White Truffle.

After eating and drinking all over DC for the past 2 years, there are only a handful of restaurants that I can honestly recommend for an unforgettable night out.  1789 is definitely one of them.