I'll try to be brief and save my words for descriptions... but Tad and I went down yesterday to celebrate his birthday. Here's what we ended up with - I couldn't have been happier.
Although the metro is SO great for D.C., The Four Seasons has valet for $10 when validated by the restaurant, so we decided to drive. Destination: Bourbon Steak. http://www.bourbonsteakdc.com/ @ the Four Seasons. I'm a research junkie when it comes to dining and travel, and among all the outstanding choices in D.C., this one stood out significantly. Needless to say I was expecting the best.
First impressions: The decor was mod without being overly contemporary; clean lines, Ethan Allen-esque chairs at tables that have a leather-like surface (tres cool), dimly lit - by no means your Grandfather's steakhouse. It was extremely classy without being fussy; the atmosphere couldn't have been more perfect. Music in the background but soft enough to talk and to hear the general hum of the other tables (love that noise). The open kitchen was a cool feature.
Although we ran 35 mins. late, we were immediately seated at a table that had both a chair and a corner booth, so we could opt for a romantic seating if we wanted (and totally did). I had told them ahead of time when my reservation was confirmed that we'd be celebrating Tad's birthday; he enjoyed the birthday card on the table from the chef. :) Nice touch. One thing I'd give this place SIX out of five stars in is service - every single person we spoke with was friendly, professional, and accommodating. The waiter continually gave us great feedback on the wine selection, dishes, everything - he was patient and very pleasant.
We started with some wine (great selection). Tad got an Argentine Malbec, while I opted for the Atteca Garnacha ( a first for me). TRULY delicious - perfect to start - blackberry-cherry-ish flavors with an espresso finish. Very open and light without being sweet. I fell in love. The selection of appetizers here was great, but surprisingly no crab, so we decided to just skip to ordering dinner. Imagine our surprise when we received two starters - the first, a trio of duck fat fries, including dill fries with pickled ketchup, old bay fries with something creamy?, and parmesan-truffle fries with a bbq sauce. Very tasty and so uniquely presented! Loved it. Then came a piping-hot serving of four salted sourdough rolls fresh from the pan. Different than anything I'd ever tasted, as far as bread goes, but certainly interesting. We were content thus far, and our glasses never stayed empty for a moment.
Tad ordered a NY strip; I got the filet, of course. The outside was seared just right, the steak was juicy, and the flavor was fantastic. Tad loved his as well. The only thing I nitpicked over was the fattiness - most filets are impeccably trimmed, but this one had a little fat, perhaps due to the fact that it was a larger-than-normal filet. In any case, we were very pleased. As for the sides, I was blown away. Tad got a Wagyu fried rice (creative, spicy, full of flavor!) and I got the Yukon Gold puree. I'm a russet girl myself, but it was SO creamy I felt like I was on a farm. A touch of hot gravy in the center sealed the deal. I could've eaten seven helpings.
Bourbon is definitely the kind of place where you can take your time... and we did. Two hours into the meal and we had just ordered dessert. Well, I ordered dessert; Tad got a complementary super-moist cake with layers of je ne sais quoi in between and a hazelnut/chocolate ice cream with fresh cocoa. YESSSSS. I got a passion fruit panna cotta served with coconut sorbet and fresh grapefruit, avocado, and pineapple. I'm a huge chocolate fan, but this was just right - citrusy, light, fruity, sweet, satisfying.
Their cocktail selection was wonderful - they had so many unique offerings I was a little intimidated by the menu! Saving my tolerance for the after-dinner surprise, Tad ordered the Monkey Gland: "...named after a surgical procedure that was intended to produce longevity. the cocktail was created in the 20's by harry macelhone, owner of harry's new york bar in paris - plymouth, kubler absinthe, fresh orange, grenadine - shaken and served up with a burnt orange peel."
Tad loved it. And, for a birthday splurge, we checked out the cigar menu (yes, Bourbon has their own cigar line) and chose a maduro torpedo. At 30 bucks a pop, it better be one of the best maduros he's ever had - he's saving it for his next birthday. :)
All in all, everything was perfect. I seriously can't find a flaw. We had seven different people at our table throughout the evening - from our incredible waiter to multiple people cleaning/clearing the table to those bringing food to the manager checking up on our evening, Bourbon went the extra mile to make sure we were impressed.
Ok, now the best part.
Since the valet at the Four Seasons runs 24/7, we took a taxi over to The Passenger - a bar that's a bit of a dive, but it was cute and comfy. Very casual Manhattan, and dozens of microbrews. I wish I could remember what Tad ordered - some kind of ale that I LOVED!!!! And I ordered a Naked Fish - a delicious chocolate-raspberry stout from Du Claw. Anyway... we enjoyed our drinks while waiting for our reservation time. This place has to be booked several weeks in advance, and your reservation must be held with a credit card (25 dollar fee per seat if you don't cancel within 48 hours of a no-show). It's called the Columbia Room, and it's been featured in Esquire, GQ... it's famous for just about everything it has to offer, including a renowned mixologist who frequently bartends. The room is hidden away in the back of the Passenger - so hidden, in fact, that you forget you're in another bar when you're inside the Columbia Room.
First, you're taken to a dimly-lit study, complete with an antique telephone, old record-keeping book, mahogany desk, and framed prohibition-era documents. (The bathroom and coat rack are located here as well; and forget paper towels - there are individual washcloths for each guest, rolled up in a wicker basket. Darling.) After giving our names, we were taken into the actual lounge - a long and somewhat narrow room with a bar unlike anything I've ever seen. Tall, velvet chairs lined the back wall for guests who had to wait past their reservation time (with ornate wooden tables in between where drinks could be placed). At the bar itself were seated ten tall chairs. Each place setting had a stone-like plate with a wooden trivet in the center. All along the walls, in between some very cool exposed brick, were shelves with farm-jars and steel tags containing everything under the sun. From dried dandelion to cinnamon sticks, they had it all, and none of it was anything I'd ever seen in a cocktail before. I felt like I was at an apothecary. The staff, who looked like they had arrived from a 1930's cocktail party (no uniform, just classy clothes, vests for the guys, etc.), were very friendly and welcoming. We were instantly given cold water poured from a copper pitcher (look, I know I'm being too detailed, but it's the details that matter to me) and scented hot towels were placed on our plates. I buried my hands and was transported to somewhere were pampering is taken to a whole new level. If you could combine a swanky, antique bar with a world-class spa, this would be it. The Columbia room offers a tasting menu; 68/pp for 3 cocktails each and a small plate. They also let you choose a la carte, which I did when I made reservations. I soon realized, however, since the bartender gave us a first drink without asking, that they hadn't received my request for a la carte. No worries, says the guy. This one's on the house, then. Here's where it gets crazy:
I was fascinated at once with the painstaking exactness with which each bartender executed a drink. I was also intrigued by the giant block of ice on the center of the bar, placed in a vintage wooden barrel top; no ice cubes here, apparently. The perfect amount of ice is chipped off by each bartender for whatever its destination. The first drink, served in antique punch glasses, was what they called their "house punch" for the week. I wish I could remember all that went into it - in fact, being so close to the bartenders, watching it being made (it took a good 10 minutes) was satisfying in and of itself. The various ingredients and intriguing bottles of liquor are all right there, too, for you to see, inspect, inquire about... and generally marvel at. All I remember is that some kind of scotch was involved, as well as a frothy layer of something lemony on top. I watched him measure, pour, measure, pour, repeat.... shake... pour into the glasses, finally; then whip the frothy lemon topping right in front of us and spooned it onto the top of each drink with the care of a surgeon. Each drink was then garnished with a tiny pink flower, first picked out of a bowl of about a thousand, then plucked from the stem, fluffed, and placed meticulously on the foam.
WOW. I love me some whiskey, but I'm partial to Irish whiskeys, and had never really tasted much scotch. It was so well-balanced and unique I could've had several more, but wanted to dive into all the other cool options. Meanwhile, my favorite tracks were playing softly in the background, candles were flickering, and just about everyone in the room was cooing over the whole experience. While I nursed the punch, Tad moved onto to an absinthe frappe - that's right, folks. Essentially an absinthe slushy, served in a really cool metal cup with a metal straw/spoon thing. So weird - and SO cool. I hate absinthe, but the mere fact that this place not only carried it - but carried THREE different kinds from different regions (Switzerland, CA, and somewhere I can't remember right now) - was extremely impressive. Tad raved over it, and quickly discovered he'd need to take his time. :) We asked a lot of questions, and the main bartender was super friendly and willing to give into our curiosities. There's no cocktail menu - in fact, most of your "standard" mixed drinks aren't ever made here. Key Lime Pie martini? Forget it. Go to Canton or P.F. Chang's. This placed proudly serves the finest cocktails with recipes dating from the pre-prohibition era. If you're requesting a drink, you basically tell the bartender what direction to go in, and he or she will provide you with exactly what you didn't even know you wanted. I asked for something fruity, but not sweet, that included lemon. She gave me the pre-prohibition version of a Pink Lady - a to-die-for mix of gin (Plymouth, of course - outrageously expensive stuff), apple brandy, lemon juice, a splash of grenadine for a hint of sweetness and that blush color it's famous for, and egg white for a creamy, foamy top. Loved it. Tad joked that, although he found it excellent, he'd have a hard time ordering such a girly-named drink, so he decided upon sliding a note to the bartender robbery-style should he ever need to request one. :)
My favorite drink of the night, however, was just about as classic as you can get: a dry martini. I love dry martinis, particularly when they're served with olives (we were given almonds and some kind of blue olive that I'd drive back down to D.C. for). She asked Tad what was next, and he said dealer's choice - the initial idea didn't appeal to him (meanwhile, I'm thinking YES! dry martini!), but she mentioned that GQ called their dry martini the "best in the world." It's kind of a big deal. And she was serious, too. The gin (or was it the vermouth?) was chilled to 31 degrees exactly before being served. The vermouth was perfectly dry. Shaken, poured, and garnished with, get this: the oils from a lemon peel. We watched her carefully and patiently allow the aromatic lemon oil to make its way off of the squeezed rind onto the very top of the drink where, as she showed us under the light, it sat perfectly and sparkled, giving off its barely-there but noticeable presence. In addition to the ice-cold and perfectly mixed concoction, the thing that made this one better than any other dry martini in the world, so to speak, was the orange bitters. It was just a dash, and while you're drinking it you're thinking... something makes this work like never before, but what?!? Orange bitters. That's what.
Again, we were able to take our time and delight in the unique deliciousness. When we told her we were ready for our check, she simply said, "JP will take care of you in the study", whereupon were were escorted back to the study for our coats, and JP, sitting at the record book, took me back to 1920 with a hand-written receipt, tip included. We walked out into what would've otherwise been a chilly night, but the glow of endless conversation, the satisfaction of having experienced so many new flavors, and the warm edge from such sophisticated spirits made it quite comfy.
I seriously can't recommend either place enough.
http://www.passengerdc.com/columbia/index.cfm - offical site
http://www.welovedc.com/2010/06/03/we-love-drinks-columbia-room/ - article I just found while searching for images. This guy had a lot of similar things to say, right down to the spa feel. :)
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