1789

"Is this your first time dining with us?" asked the personable bartender as I perched on a seat at the bar to wait for my always-tardy friend S. When I answered "yes," he lit up, and after serving me a crisp glass of Albarino (and carding me, the way to this nearly 30-year-old girl's heart), he went on to tell me the history of the famed Georgetown restaurant. Founded over forty years ago, and with a new chef this year in Nathan Beauchamp, 1789 Restaurant continues to earn accolades from Gourmet magazine, and three stars from Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema.

"So, what should I get?" I asked the bartender. "What's Chef Beauchamp's best dish?" I had heard fabulous things about the lamb chops, but wanted another opinion. Without missing a beat, my bartender broke into a grin. "The rabbit. Do you like rabbit?" Now, rabbit's one of my favorite dishes, so this was a great sign. "Love it," I said.

Next thing I knew, the bartender had disappeared, going off to make sure the rabbit was still available that night. "There's one left," he said when he returned. "It's yours if you want it." "Absolutely," I said gratefully. Never in the twenty years that I've known her have I been so glad that S was running late...

I continued to enjoy my Albarino, and watch my new friend make champagne cocktails, dirty martinis, and even a Shirley Temple for a young man who didn't pass the carding test. And eventually, in walked S.

We moved on to our table, where our extremely friendly and witty server greeted us. She read us as a table that might spend some time chatting before we settled on our dinner choices, and made us feel entirely comfortable taking our time -- talking about our weekends, showing each other our manicures, and laughing about our inability to master yoga. It felt a little weird to be chattering away about such silliness, in a solemn and historically-inspired room. But somehow, it worked.

Unfortunately, I wasn't as blown away by our meals. My chilled tomato soup with fresh shrimp had vibrant cilantro flavor, but the tomato didn't sing. And in July, when I've had bright, summery tomatoes at every turn, that left me disappointed. S enjoyed her crabcakes, and the bite I stole from her plate was tasty, although no better than those I've had elsewhere in the city. But the real disappointment was the rabbit, slightly overcooked, and served with pasta that stuck to itself in an unsatisfying way. Our meal ended on a good note, as the lemon miroir, served with raspberries, was one of the best lemon desserts I've ever enjoyed. It was perfectly light and fresh, with just the right amount of tart lemon flavor.

We had a beautiful evening, and enjoyed a fun setting in which old friends can catch up and be taken care of by perfectly attentive service from start to finish. And the summer special 3-course dinner for $35 is hard to beat. But purely for the taste and quality of the food, I'd probably choose to go elsewhere.

1789 Restaurant
1226 36th Street, NW
202-965-1789