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Mendocino Grille, 29th & M Streets in Georgetown


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Are both these things still happening on Sundays?
Thanks for asking, Chris. The answer is yes and no. The wine is still 1/2 price, but....

We've phased out the suckling pig and brought in a naturally raised Pennsylvania Lamb. We receive two whole lambs weekly, and feature a different cut nightly. Sometimes the cut may even change mid-service.

Buying the entire animal is a simple way to support our local farmers, as they can't provide the dozens of cuts industrial vendors (like SYSCO) can.

Going direct to the source - to the grower or cooperative as a restaurant purchaser, or to the farmer's market as an individual consumer - makes a huge difference to the local guys.

Eli

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"Ramp Encrusted Wild Alaskan King Salmon" was not encrusted, a misnomer that was altogether welcome. The ramp instead formed a tender, velvety, bright emerald cloak around the deep garnet of the rare salmon. It was one of the most beautiful presentations of salmon this PNW boy has seen. The fish was enthroned on a delicately seasoned potato purée surrounded by ver jus and bok choy. This particular dish was at the same level of Michelin two- or three stars that I've visited in Europe--for whatever that's worth.

A sorbet of coconut and lemongrass was luscious but made me feel like a kid, as it was served in a martini glass the height of which accentuated Mendocino's somewhat too low bar stools (this from a not exactly petit observer).

Service was, as always, exemplary.

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I have been planning to write this post for at least six weeks. It was about that long ago that I had the first of four visits to Mendocino Grille. The only constants in those meals were that they were all at the bar (I prefer bar dining and will only choose a table when forced) and the soft shell crab appetizer.

The first visit was a random Monday where my dining companion and I found ourselves hungry in Georgetown. On this evening, we had the privilege of having Chef Barry Koslow cook for us. He prepared a five course tasting menu of items for the regular menu and one-off riffs. A tuna ceviche with a with a salted basil gelee was the star of the evening – next to the soft shell of course. GM and Sommelier Troy Bock selected a stunning and versatile Oregon Pinot Noir that I cannot remember to save my life.

The next visit was a planned Saturday dinner that had its genesis when I met a lovely couple from Detroit while having dinner at the bar at Cashion’s the prior Friday. They asked about other restaurants that had a similarly cosmopolitan/casual/elegant culinary ethos. A plan was hatched and we made reservations for the bar (why doesn’t every restaurant take reservations for the bar?)

We arrived to find tasteful reserved signs on the bar atop the place settings. We began the evening with a bottle of 05 Sine Qua Non white Rhone blend which was priced at a preposterously low $155 – more on my admiration for Mendocino’s well run wine program later. Plates of fettuccini with morels and spring peas in a light truffled cream sauce, roasted poussin, lamb loin, and halibut were passed between the three of us with great delight. The halibut may well have been the most perfectly cooked piece of fish I have eaten this year until my next visit.

Another Saturday night and I had reservations for the bar for what would be a train wreck of a date. Check my imaginary blog for details – meaning: by me a drink and I will happily tell the story. The runaway hit of the night was the ramp encrusted king salmon. The halibut I had a two weeks prior was great, but this salmon was superlative. The scallop appetizer with sautéed cabbage dotted with bits of pancetta was lovely, a bit familiar as I have seen that dish in iterations at far too many restaurants. Unfortunately, my conversationally bankrupt date wanted cheese to finish the meal. I had been hoping to see her to a taxi and return solo for cheese. But wow the cheese. Time and a failure to have scribbled even the most basic of notes prevent me from recalling the specific cheeses. I do recall the wow that spread across my face as we finished the cheese board.

Service was professional, sophisticated and seemed to always find the right balance of interaction and privacy.

Perhaps it is because Troy and I have similar passions about boutique wineries, but I do not think that there is another restaurant at this level of dining that offers a better wine program both by the glass and bottle. With few exceptions, the prices are exceedingly fair, and the wines abundantly interesting.

Each time I leave this lovely little restaurant I find myself asking why I don’t go more often.

The fourth visit was a roving evening for a glass of wine and a quick nibble at several places which you can read more about here

[disclosure notice: Barry Koslow and I used to work together. I have known Eli Hengst (the owner), and Troy for a few years as well.]

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We look back at Obelisk, circa 1980s, and see the incredible duo of Peter Pastan and Frank Ruta working the small kitchen. One day in the future, people are going to look back at Circle Bistro, circa 2005, with Brendan Cox and Barry Koslow, in a similar light.

Koslow has now been at Mendocino Grille for a little over a year. It would be incorrect to say that he has "blossomed" or "matured" as a cook, because he has been a great cook for a long time. But as a chef?

First there was the amuse-bouche, a butter-poached spot prawn, remarkable because it was never frozen, and served in a butter sauce which included the prawn's own roe.

The euphemistically named Pork Terrine ($10) is actually made entirely from tete de cochon, inlaid with braised carrots and baby leeks, and served with a salad of arugula, pickled chard stems, leeks, white figs, and barberrys. The pig's head was purchased from Bev Eggleston of Eco-Friendly Farms in Staunton, Virginia. Served with a little whole-grain mustard, this terrine is at once gutteral and refined, and as texturally vivid as a stained-glass window executed under the masterful eye of Bazaine.

Braised Pennsylvania Rabbit ($11) with potato gnocchi and maitake mushrooms is Koslow's earthy vision of corned-beef hash, everything glazed with the braising juices and a little butter, and finished with some grana padano. Koslow will sometimes make this using suckling pig, saying that "the dish is the same; we just alternate with our suppliers from Pennsylvania. I love both preps equally, and I'm not willing to commit. We brine the meat first, then braise it gently - the pig with pumpkin beer, the rabbit with Gewurztraminer."

The other day I was at Circle Bistro, talking with Brendan Cox about Koslow. “What are his weaknesses?” I asked.

Cox’s reply: “He doesn’t have any weaknesses.”

“What about fish?”

“He used to be poissonier at Citronelle.”

As a main course, the Suzuki ($28) is a Japanese Sea Bass, crusted with coriander, which provides tension to the dish, and also hazelnuts, almonds, and sesame seeds which serve both as an interlocking moisture retainer and an important textural contrast. You might think this encrustment is a bit severe for a relatively mild fish, but the dish is served with a sauté of fennel, celery, and turnips, a purée of tarragon (!), and everything, especially the hazelnuts, brought to pole position by a blood-orange vinaigrette. It’s a masterful rendition of a dish that could be easily ruined by someone with less technical prowess, the fish somehow retaining its innocence despite all of these remarkably assertive ingredients.

And it just keeps going. South Carolina Quail ($29) is stuffed with a farce of pheasant, pork fat, and some aromatics (please re-read what I just wrote). “We spend what seems like an eternity deboning the quail and leaving the skin intact so we can stuff them into a neat little package,” Koslow told me. The quails are pan-roasted, served with - you know what’s coming... brussels sprouts, applewood-smoked bacon, roasted figs (!), and a reduction of bird stock made from all the leftover bones.

I’m not sure there’s a better pastry chef in Georgetown than Koslow himself. There has been a lot of recent press about upscale doughnuts, but nobody has mentioned the unbelievable apple beignets served at Mendocino Grille. “If I told you the secret to the beignets,” he says, “you wouldn’t believe me.” So what is it, applesauce? I don’t know, but what I do know is that I went to Mendocino Grille twice in one week and got this both times. It’s served with a cinnamon ice cream, outrageously good caramel, and a pear-chestnut confiture.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding is made from kobocha sqaush, brioche, and according to Koslow, “organic eggs, which make a big difference.” Served alongside a roasted-apple ice cream and some pumpkin-seed brittle, it’s finished off with some hot buttered rum, and is tres, tres autumnal.

I’ve heard great things about the new sommelier, Nicole Saladyga, but this night the wine pairings were done by the masterful Troy Bock. Bock knows I have a European palate, and despite Mendocino offering only American wine, he somehow managed, course-after-course, to come up with EXACTLY the wines I would have wanted to match the dishes - wines that I’d never even heard of before. He is a talented, gifted sommelier, with expertise not only in pairing wines to particular courses, but also in sizing up his customers and knowing what they like. I could not have asked for a better sommelier’s dinner flight, and my only regret is that Bock, the company’s food and beverage director, is not regularly available in any one restaurant.

In just over a year, Koslow has gone from being one of the finest cooks in the city, to being one of the finest chefs in the city. Twenty years from now, we may just look back at Mendocino Grille, circa 2007, with Barry Koslow and rising-star Joey Alvarez (remember this name), and view it with the same respectful reminiscence now bestowed upon the glory days of Obelisk.

Congratulations, Chef Koslow: You've done it, you made the leap.

Cheers,

Rocks.

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Thanks, Don, for forestalling the wrath of an angry mob at my door, demanding to see Tripewriter's account of our fabulous Mendocino Grille experience. We will be eating there again on Friday -- how could we resist?!?! -- and this time I will take the reporting reins.

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Ok, first let me state that we very cleverly forgot to take home the cards that listed what we ate and what we drank. Yes, very clever. So this is all from my (fuzzy) memory. Second, because I don't have my info card, I can tell you almost nothing about what we drank except three things: 1. Nicole is a fabulous sommelier, with impeccable service and excellent taste; 2. the Mendocino Grille has a very interesting wine list -- we've gotten used to having some of the same wines pop up here and there throughout the city, but I don't think there was one thing that we drank Friday night that we had ever had before -- it was grand!; 3. the one beverage I specifically remember is the 2000 Dow's LBV port. I remember it so clearly because I am not a port person, so when with our cheeses there arrived a selection of ports, I actually felt a little guilty dread instead of joy. Boy, was I wrong! I really, really enjoyed this port. It was lighter and less aggressive than any other port I've ever had. I think we may be asking Arrowine how their selection of this beverage looks!

Now, for the food! We started with a lovely little amuse of the famed goat cheese fritter with some haddock -- tasty and just the right way to start on a cold night. I scraped all the sauce from Tripewriter's little bowl for him...except that somehow I was the one who ended up eating it :(. I think next I had my very first ever oyster in the shell. Don't judge. This version was covered in bacon and cheese and was salty and crispy and seemed just dandy to me! The next thing I remember is the rabbit with the gnocchi -- wow, that sauce was just amazing. The only thing I truly regretted about the evening was that there was no bread with which I could sop up Chef Koslow's amazing sauces -- I seriously contemplated licking my bowl, and if we had been in the little secluded area off to the side of the main dining room, I might have gotten away with it. As is was, I had to stick to using the most spoon-like portion of the fork to scrape up as much jus as I could. Yum. I think next was the lobster with the rib ravioli and Chef Koslow's play on a pho broth. It may surprise you as much as it did me that personally, the star of the dish, with all its luscious ingredients, was that broth. It was rich and flavorfull, salty and supremely satisfying. If all broths were like that, more people would walk around with smiles on their faces all day long. I think next was an incredible piece of seared foie gras with amazing greens and a fig explosion. There were at least three different ways to experience the figs on the plate, but the one that absolutely took the cake for me was the fig gelato with hazelnuts. Oooooh -- the warm foie with the cold fig gelato? Outstanding. Here's where things start to get a little fuzzier. I think the next dish we had was the venison. Now, Eve is where I probably had my first ever venison, and it's where I fell in love with the meat. Friday Mendocino Grille proved to me that they, too, know how to serve up some deer! Oh, I wish I could share it with you all. It was tender and moist -- just pulling with the fork separated it from the bone. It was rich and delicious. It was...well, just so damn good! I will also give kudos to the outstanding staff here -- I don't think I've mentioned that both times we've visited the Grille we've experienced polite, friendly, happy -- yes, happy! -- service from every person involved, from the front door to the wait staff to the bus boys. At any rate, the gentleman who cleared our plates didn't even crack a smile as we asked to take the chop bones home -- and let me tell you, our friends' dog was in utter heaven the next day :blink:

Ok, I think that does it for the dinner portion of the meal -- I may be missing something, but if I did, I'm sure Tripewriter will remind me of it (eventually...) :o Next came the cheese course. Again, I winced a little at the idea of a port flight, but I actually really enjoyed two of the three offered, with only the Dow's 20-year tawny being way too much for me. Tripewriter happy sipped it down, though, and I know it was good. The three cheeses presented were all blues -- Cashel, Valdeon, and another blue from Spain. I enjoyed the Valdeon the most, which surprised me, as we've purchased the Cashel and the Valdeon ourselves many times before and I don't remember it being quite so tasty. I'm sure the port, the nuts, and the lovely toasts were what made the difference. The third cheese -- the one, of course, I can't remember, was a sticky, realllly blue cheese, and I'm sure it went very well with that tawny port! :(

Now for what you've all been waiting for: dessert! I was offered the Vahlrona (ha -- spelled that right on the first try!) chocolate mousse cake with a Chambourd sauce, and Tripewriter was given the goat cheese cake with...pistachios? The chocolate cake was astounding -- it was much, much lighter than I expected it to be, though the chocolate, of course, was so rich as to just about slay me. Tripewriter's cake, in contrast, was almost ethereal. I have never been a big fan of cheese cakes, because to me they have always been heavy, stodgy, pay-for-it-later (if not sooner) desserts that have made me suffer. This cake was the exact opposite. It was light and airy -- almost fluffy. The flavor was rich but not heavy or cloying, and I could absolutely see eating it all, even at the end of the meal. How Tripewriter managed to eat half my chocolate cake whilst defending his dessert from me almost entirely, I'll never know!

I'm sorry for the wait for a report from us on our earlier visit -- life intervened -- but if there's interest and I can track down the cards we took home (with a great Merlot and I think an Argentinian red on it), I will trawl my brain for memories and leave them here. I hope that at the very least, this post gives you all an idea of what Chef Koslow's doing -- and why you should all be making reservations today! I am also just plain sad that it took me so long to get this restaurant on our radar. We haven't been eating out much -- maybe once or twice a month -- and we miss it. We haven't been to Proof, Rasika, Dino, Palena, Eve, etc., etc., etc., nearly as much as we would like -- and we miss them!!! -- but the Mendocino Grille has won its rightful place on our twice-monthly dining diet, and we will be back.

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We made it to Mendocino last night for a late dinner after reading all of the praise heaped on it in the last couple weeks here. First off, I want to say that it's very refreshing to go to a restaurant in DC and get excellent service from the bussing to the sommelier. I did not catch the waitresses name, but she was exactly what we were looking for in a server, and Nicole's wine pairings and explanations were wonderful as well.

The wife and I are making an effort to start our meals light so we can stay hungry enough for entrees and possibly dessert. We chose to go with the Mendocino Salad over the tuna carpaccio and were pleased with our choice. The salad was huge and perfectly dressed in a shallot vinaigrette with enough accompaniments that the wife thought it would be good enough for a light meal on its own.

For our entrees, I have to say we came away wanting more. She got the Poached Maine Lobster with Oxtail Raviolis in Oxtail Consomme and I got the special, Braised Lamb over Mashed Potatoes and Fall Vegetables. Sound great, don't they? Well, both were a bit disappointing, especially at the prices we paid. The lobster was in desperate need of salt, pepper, butter, or something to give the dish some flavor. The oxtail consomme had more of a warm water taste than oxtail, but I found myself thinking that that would not have made it any better after tasting the raviolis. Maybe my palate is too immature, but I cannot for the life of me understand the pairing of the lobster and the oxtail. The claws themselves were great pieces of meat, however; tender and cooked perfectly. The lamb was a little better, and saved in some ways by the great Merlot that Nicole poured for me to go with it. I guess I was hoping for something a bit more like the braised short ribs that I had at Restaurant 3 last week, which were lightly marinated strips of meat that were very tasty by theymselves. The lamb I had last night was coated in a thick brown gravy that completed dominated everything it touched on the plate, including the nice light mashed potatoes underneath it. In no way a bad dish, but certainly not something that I would consider ordering again.

For our cheese course, we chose one each of sheep, cow, goat, and bleu cheeses. I loved all four, especially with the fig spread accompaniment, and the wife was obsessed with the port that Nicole paired with the bleu.

Then, the highlight of the night. Apple Beignets. I don't know what to say other than "HOLY SHIT". If you go to Mendocino and can only order one thing for dessert, get these. If you are within a 20 mile radius of Georgetown and can get away for a bit, go get these. If you are on death row and are choosing your last meal right now, GET THESE. Best dessert I have had this year hands down, and that was not just the wine talking. :(

Overall, we had a great time last night despite the missteps on the entrees and will certainly go back at some point. I thought that the prices were a bit high ($225 for two with tax and tip), but I think next time we will most likely sit at the bar and order one salad, one (different) entree, and two desserts, which appeared to be the forte of the restaurant along with the extensive and fairly priced wine list. The wine flight for $40 is a hell of a bargain if you are going for a full meal, by the way, as the pours are generous and Nicole will take care of you.

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New Years Eve Menu

5:30-8:30 a la carte and

prix fixe $75 w/wine pairings $125

8:30 to 11:00 prix fixe only $95 wine pairings $170

amuse bouche

first course

duo of tartares, hamachi with hackleback caviar, beef with quail egg

second course

hand cut tagliarini, poached lobster, cockles, urchin cream

third course

crispy parsley crusted halibut, potato mousseline, chantrelles, veal jus

fourth course

pan roasted muscovy duck breast, turnip, artichoke and truffle gratin, armagnac duck jus

fifth course

apple beignets, pear-chestnut confiture, cinnamon ice cream

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New Years Eve Menu

5:30-8:30 a la carte and

prix fixe $75 w/wine pairings $125

8:30 to 11:00 prix fixe only $95 wine pairings $170

amuse bouche

first course

duo of tartares, hamachi with hackleback caviar, beef with quail egg

second course

hand cut tagliarini, poached lobster, cockles, urchin cream

third course

crispy parsley crusted halibut, potato mousseline, chantrelles, veal jus

fourth course

pan roasted muscovy duck breast, turnip, artichoke and truffle gratin, armagnac duck jus

fifth course

apple beignets, pear-chestnut confiture, cinnamon ice cream

Sounds great. Anything special at midnight??

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Wow. We had one of the best meals we've ever had -- anywhere -- at the Mendocino Grille last night. They very kindly gave us cards with both our meal and our wines written on them, so I can be precise when talking about it, but before I begin, I just want to say: Wow. The service, as always, was friendly, cheerful, efficient, and exceptional. The wine pairings -- thanks Nicole! -- we perfect. The food was divine. It's not exactly like we've been eating bad food since we were here last, but it felt almost like we'd been depriving ourselves for months as we enjoyed course after course :(

First, we started with a tartar of steelhead trout over housemade sesame crackers. I was a bit surprised because I don't necessarily think of trout as a option for raw dining, but it was very nice. I later was told that it is an ocean-going trout, which for some reason made a lot of sense to me.

Next we had the amazing duck and pistachio pate, with sweet pickled peppers, violet mustard, and the Mendocino's divine grilled bread. Seriously, I don't know how they prepare their grilled bread, but it's just the most amazing texture and flavor. The pate was exquisite, and as a dish, it was near perfect. The sweet tang of the pickles went extremely well with the richness of the pate and the butter of the toast. I wanted more...MORE! :blink:

The fettuccine l'American came next, with hand-cut pasta, buttery lobster, and littleneck clams (in their shells). I guess I'm still not a clam person, though I'm glad I tried it, but the pasta and lobster were divine. The only thing missing was some bread with which to sop up the sauce. I did my best with the silverware!

We next had some just amazing pan-seared scallops on a parsley soubise (here's where you know I'm using the cards, 'cause there's no way I would remember something like that on my own!) with an artichoke bit on a sunchoke puree. The scallop was perfect. PERFECT. This was the dish that I kept watching Craig's plate while I was eating, hoping against hope that he'd somehow decide not to finish his scallop. You can probably guess that this didn't happen. Man, that was a good dish.

It was at this point that I decided that my next meal would be as follows: pate, scallop, pate, scallop, pasta, pate, pate, scallop. Luckily, I don't think they listened to me :(

The following course was another real stand-out: crispy potato-wrapped steelhead trout with bok choy, glazed Chinese eggplant, and a shallot-port coulis. I could not stop eating the eggplant. It was smoky and creamy, and the flavor was just wonderful. Fortunately, the trout was also excellent! I have to say here that I was not entirely sure what to expect with the shallot-port coulis, but it was so good! It was just one of a number of items that I had last night and in our previous visits that brought together unpredictable flavors in very successful ways.

One of my favorite dishes came next -- and at this point, you know that means it must have been really sublime -- Muscovy duck breast with outstanding braised red cabbage and celeriac fondant (I swear that's what my card says) and a little side dish of delicious duck jus, and then a piece of brioche with kumquat and a foie gras torchon. Oooh, that foie. I'm sensitive about foie -- there has to be something more to it than just a piece of foie, no matter how good the foie or how large the piece. The best foie preparation I'd ever had before was when Chef Cathal Armstrong at Eve grilled it and served it with cranberry beans, followed by when Chef Tom Power melted some (mmmm) in the bottom of one of his famous Corduory winter squash soups. Chef Barry Koslow has equalled them with his divinely simple preparation. Each bite had the sweet of the kumquat on the brioche, followed immediately by the beautiful bite of the salt on top of the foie, and then the foie itself, melting, melting, melting. Each bite was perfection -- and nothing you'd tire of fast. This was the dish that had Tripewriter hoping that I would accidentally not finish all of it. Ha.

The final meat course was milk-fed veal with glazed vegetables and a cauliflower/black truffle gratin (served in a charmingly miniature frying pan). I may have been beginning to glaze over here, but all I can bring to mind is a single word: Yum.

After a short breather, we had the cheese/beer course. Let me first say that I love, LOVE having a beer flight with my cheeses. It's fun, it's interesting, it lends a whole new aspect to cheese. It's new. And I like it. The cheeses we had were Shelburne cheddar, fourme d'Ambert, and the card says Epoisse. Now, I could have sworn -- as in on a stack of bibles -- that last night they said the Epoisse was something different. Something I'd been meaning to try but hadn't gotten around to yet. But it looked like Epoisse. And it tasted like a beautiful Epoisse. And here the card says Epoisse. So I think that I was clearly hallucinating. At any rate, the beer and cheese and toast combo was charming, comforting, delicious, and a very nice way to end the meal.

Except it wasn't! With our approval -- and I'll say here that it was nice to be asked, at the end of an epic meal, if we were up for more -- we went for dessert. I made sure that the apple beignets with pear-chestnut confiture and cinnamon ice cream landed squarely in front of me. Ha ha -- victory! Craig had the rich, dark, delicious estate chocolate cake/mousse/sauce. We did share, because I'm kind. Please don't take this as in any way a disparaging comment about the chocolate cake. It is powerful and good -- kind of the Glinda of cake Oz. But those beignets -- even just the thought of those beignets -- are almost beyond words. They are crispy and sweet, and with the cinnamon ice cream the flavors just explode in deep fried appley goodness. They are special.

And that really is what the whole night was -- special. Thank you to the team at the Grille, with particular kudos to Chef Barry and Somm Nicole, for our best night out probably since the last time we were there. We'll be back!!!

PS: I know for a fact that I haven't raved about the wines enough yet. They were all very good and matched beautifully with the dishes. Two that stood out for me in particular were the L'ecole no. 41 Semillon 06, Columbia Valley, Washington, and the Standing Stone "Vidal Ice" Late harvest Vidal Blanc 05, Finger Lakes, New York. We'll be talking with Arrowine today about expanding our wine cabinets!

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Wow. We had one of the best meals we've ever had -- anywhere -- at the Mendocino Grille last night. They very kindly gave us cards with both our meal and our wines written on them, so I can be precise when talking about it, but before I begin, I just want to say: Wow. The service, as always, was friendly, cheerful, efficient, and exceptional. The wine pairings -- thanks Nicole! -- we perfect. The food was divine. It's not exactly like we've been eating bad food since we were here last, but it felt almost like we'd been depriving ourselves for months as we enjoyed course after course :(

Thanks for those very kind words - they mean a lot to all of us here at Mendocino!

Due to overwhelming Restaurant Week demand, we have opened up a handful of early reservations for the remainder of this week.

The seating is from approximately 5:15-7:00PM, and space is quite limited.

Thanks for your interest and support!

202.333.2912 / online reservations

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Walrus' enthusiastic write-up doesn't need a follow up, but I will say this: the venison chop actually tastes like venison, and that is a very good thing. One thick chop cooked medium rare, served with winter greens and squash and root vegetables, makes you thankful for seasonal fare.

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Ate at the bar last night. The yellowtail carpaccio was luscious and bright with citrus flavors; the duck paté with pistachios dense and rich but also lofty on the palate; and the suzuki, a kind of Japanese black bass, was highlighted by a medley of Japanese flavors (rice vinegar, I think, and perhaps Mirin) that were never too strident. My only criticism would apply to the apple beignets, which were delicious but smelled a bit too much of the county fair deep fryer to be as elegant and craftful as the rest of the dinner was. But that's just a quibble for an otherwise delightful dinner all the way 'round.

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I hadn't been to Mendocino before a couple of good foodie friends invited me to join them last week for a RW reservation, and I'm the one who's the poorer for not having gone before. There's a lot of really good work coming out of that kitchen.

Get. The. Rabbit. Gnocchi.

Also, about that superb little bread pudding. Until I re-read Rocks' paean upthread, I had no idea that chef Koslow does his own desserts. I'm not in a position to say whether or not the man has no weaknesses. But damn, if he were a member of the Poison Clan, he'd be a good candidate for "the Toad" (who proves to be almost invincible).

Also, kudos to Eli and the gang for offering their complete menu during RW, with reasonable supplements on only a portion of the items. Really, the only area where the supps were a bit puzzling was on the dessert menu, where the normal prices seemed to be uniform, but certain items required a supplement. Apart from that mystery, good show.

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Really? A few days ago the gnocchi, served with suckling pig, were the weakest dish: somewhat mushy and browned almost crisp on one side. How were the rabbit gnocchi different?

Appropriately firm, still browned (and therefore not prepared in the "usual" way of gnocchi, but I enjoyed it), but IMHO its main virtue was a nice mingling of flavors. Enough to overcome my usual indifference to rabbit.

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Get. The. Rabbit. Gnocchi.
I second this recommendation. The gnocchi we had was light and flavorful and paired perfectly with the tender rabbit and mushrooms. As for dessert, while I didn't try the bread pudding (which looked awesome), I really liked the crispy caramelized fritters and would recommend them as well.

-Camille

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Appropriately firm, still browned (and therefore not prepared in the "usual" way of gnocchi, but I enjoyed it), but IMHO its main virtue was a nice mingling of flavors. Enough to overcome my usual indifference to rabbit.

We had this last night as well and were similarly pleased. Maybe Porcupine's came slightly more browned than ours? I liked em that way and the large quantity of rabbit was great. The pumpkin bread pudding was the other highlight, though my fiancee thought it was a touch heavy on the all spice.

I liked the bar area here, which is more comfortable than most. The bartender was friendly and knowlegeable about the wine list. It was our first visit and I'm going to look forward to returning when it's not RW.

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I just ate at Mendocino for the first time ever on Sunday night at RW. Here is what I thought,

The half price Sunday wine was not offered. This was disappointing but understandable. I was hoping to try one of the bottles that go for about $150 that are damn near impossible to get a hold of (I am on a waiting list for several of them).

The service was below average, downright slow and inattentive.

The place is very small, but nicely decorated. It is unfortunate that their columns/wall broke up the main dining area and gave the place a claustrophobic feel, but I imagine this is unavoidable given the size of the dining area.

Amuse Bouche - something that looked like a pastry that you would use for a cream puff, but not quite as flaky, but still puffed with a hollow center. It had a little salt on it and tasted somewhat like a pretzel. Terrible, I would have rather had bread.

For appetizers:

Robiola - The person that ordered liked it but I didn't care for it. The person that ordered it thought that it wasn't warm enough and I agreed.

Yellowfin Tuna Carpaccio - Very good, worth the four dollar upcharge. Side note - It had what looked like little red Jell-O cubes (unflavored) on it, not sure what they were or what that was about.

Main courses:

Hangar steak (medium) - Arrived well done or med well at best and was not hot, it was tepid. After I managed to flag our waitress down, I sent it back. The next attempt came out hot and cooked to the proper level. It was a little tough, but I suppose that cut is always a little tough. The sides of mashed potatoes were good but exceptionally small.

Suzuki - Hazelnut and coriander crusted suzuki - I had never had that type of fish before. They said it was a Japanese black sea bass. It was delicious. Very moist and flaky. The crust was also delicious. The side was fennel, celery, turnips, tarragon, blood orange sauce and was very good. (the blood orange sauce was just two drizzles on the plate, strictly for appearance).

For desert, they were out of the only desert I really wanted that was offered without an upcharge. After placing desert orders the waitress came back to inform us that the upcharges were being waived because they had run out of the one dessert (they are all the same price on the menu anyway). Therefore, we had the apple beignets with cinnamon ice cream and a chocolate mouse cake. They were both ok. The beignets were a tad overly greasy and tough and the cake was good but nothing exceptional.

Free fourth course of a home made hot chocolate (in a tequila shooter) and a miniature chocolate chip cookie, both good.

Overall, I was disappointed with the service and the food. Perhaps my expectations were too high given all the good things I had heard about the place or perhaps I just caught them on an off night.

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I'm starting to feel a little single-minded, focusing as much as I do on the Mendocino Grille, but to be brutally honest, we have yet to find even the smallest thing that hasn't been outstanding, from the food to the service to the wine pairings to the price, it's all a wow for me! We had another amazing meal here last night. We began with an amuse bouche of duck mousse over housemade crostini. One of my favorite dishes ever. I know it was small, I know it was simple, but it was delicious. I told Tripewriter that I'd give up junk food for a year if only I could have more mousse! The only problem I had again last night was my own, in which I swear that I heard things that were later proven to be wrong. So I thought it was rabbit mousse. Either way, it was divine. Next we had a pork head cheese with pickled vegetables. In this case, the vegetable was my arch enemy, the carrot. However, it was delicious -- it had a curry flavor to it that Chef Koslow later confirmed was a result of cumin in the pickling process. Next was a very Mondrian-esque hamachi tartare, in which I swore I tasted celery but in which there was, in fact, no celery and nothing even remotely similar in flavor. The hamachi was accompanied by a sesame tuille, avocado mousse, and little cubes of a great yuzu gelee. It was all presented in squares and rectangles on the plate -- very clean lines for a nice clean dish with pure, clean flavors. Next was Tripewriter's favorite dish of the night -- a sweet potato ravioli with braised escarole and smoky bacon. It had a great flavor with many different layers -- some spicy pecans topped it off, and every bite was happiness. Next we had what was probably my favorite dish of the night, duck mousse notwithstanding -- a boudin blanc with beluga beans and red grapes. Nicole paired it with a Freeman Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast, and it was all delicious. One thing that we in particular enjoy at MG is the size of the dishes -- enough to satisfy you and perhaps leave you wanting more, but not so much that you're overwhelmed. With this dish in particular it would have been easy to overdo it and overwhelm the diners, but the kitchen made it the perfect size. Next was an olive oil poached striped bass with braised fennel, saffron clam broth, and mussels. Not being a huge mussel person, I ate one and gave the other to Tripewriter, who wolfed it down gleefully. The next dish was a nice nod to winter -- a lamb ossobucco with creamy polenta, rapini, cippolini onions, and sugarsnak carrots. I again actually enjoyed the carrots -- I guess that I should stop being surprised that restaurants of this caliber can make them taste like that, but I have hated them for my entire life, so it's still a shock every time I enjoy them. The lamb was beautiful -- it literally (and as an editor I can say this) fell off the bone. I poked it with my fork, and it just...fell. It was delicious. We had the cheese plate next, with the beer tasting. Nicole pairs the blues with a stout, and it really, really works. Try it at home! For dessert, we had a lovely little creme brulee napolean, the pieces of which you could (and I did) just pick up and eat as if they were s'mores. Again I went temporarily insane here, because I clearly remembered it coming with ginger sorbet, but it was later shown to have been a coconut-lemongrass sorbet. Or so they say! My favorite of the two desserts is not, sadly, on the menu because of space constraints in the kitchen, but was a housemade French toast with cinnamon ice cream. Divine!!! We left happy, full, toasty, and slightly toasted :mellow: We'll be back!

PS: I forgot to mention! When our server -- Melissa, I believe -- heard how much I loved (loved!) the mousse, she brought us more -- hooray!

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I stopped into Mendocino the other night for a late dessert, and both desserts, while good, were not up to their usual lofty standards.

The vaunted Warm Apple Beignets ($9) with pear-chestnut confiture and cinnamon ice cream would have been as good as ever, but this night they had been fried in advance, and heated only back to lukewarm - these need to be served piping hot.

Estate Chocolate Cake ($9) with Araguani chocolate mousse and Chambord was a beautiful looking mousse cake, but suffered from refrigeratoritis, which not only made the mousse seem too cold, but brought out the gelatin component as well.

It was thirty minutes before closing time on a cold Monday night, and I suspect Mendocino doesn't get much late-night walk-in, so this is all minor quibble. If you get the beignets, try them with an Armagnac, and for the cake, go with a glass of Tawny Port.

Cheers,

Rocks.

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Well, this is definitely the first "nice" restaurant that I have ever been to that played some Tribe Called Quest during dinner! It was funny, the four or so songs that they played over the course of the evening didn't seem out of place at all to me, but there were a good deal of older patrons at Mendocino last night, so I would be interested in what they thought about it. Personally, I loved it.

As for the rest of dinner, I thought that it was pretty good, but to be honest, that is about it.

The amuse bouche of chicken liver mousse on sourdough was a nice touch, I could have eaten 20 of those easily, but that led us into a bit of a letdown with our appetizers. The hamachi was a really good dish, creative, yet still tasty. We were glad that we got it, because we almost didn't, but also because the roast suckling pig with gnocchi didn't hit the spot at all. I know, it sounds nuts, how could that dish not be a wonderful dish!? Well, it wasn't. The gnocchi was a bit overcooked and somehow the pork had little flavor at all. In fact, if I had to sum up the dish in one word, it would be flavorless, which was really dumbfounding to us.

The entrees, much like the appetizers, were a mixed bag as well. As much as we loved the lamb osso bucco (a bit more polenta would have made it a perfect dish), the sea bass crusted in hazelnuts was a letdown. It read great on the menu, but didn't deliver on flavor (the fish was cooked perfectly though).

The desserts, on the other hand, pushed the whole dinner into the "pretty good" category though. The apple beignets were perfect last night, likely what Don was looking for a few weeks ago. And, the creme brulee napolean was solid as well, my dining partner last night liked it more than I did, but it was a good dish. To top it all off, two tiny chocolate chip cookies were served with our bill (which I didn't see), a nice touch at the end of the evening.

So, from a food perspective, some was great, some was OK and some was below average. I think that the good outweighed the bad, but I didn't really expect any bad at Mendocino.

By the way, the wine list is great. The service was very good (she had a lot of personality and opened up some as the night went on, something that I like that others may not). I liked the space too, although I understand the issues that people may have with it feeling a bit claustorphobic.

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This restaurant is the reason why I'm not thinking 100% clearly this morning. We ate here last night to celebrate -- and mourn -- the final night of our houseguests' visit, and I think we were all just blown away by the food, wine, hospitality, and sheer pleasure of dining here. Please note that I had many, many glasses of wine last night, so if my descriptions are, perhaps, incomplete, please be assured that it is not because the dishes were not perfect nor because I didn't enjoy every single bite while I was there. It just seems this morning as if last night was a loooong time ago :( We started with a very amusing amuse of a miniature grilled cheese sandwich and broccoli soup. Hee. It was great and a nice way to introduce our guests to the divinity they would be tasting throughout the evening. Next, I believe, we had the scallop, and one guest, who is a lifelong detester of scallops (as in, wouldn't try them at any other restaurant we ate at and didn't even like them at Ray's or Corduroy on previous visits), loved it. As in, wouldn't share any of it with me and in fact scraped her plate dry. Now, this is amazing. And disappointing, as I was secretly hoping that she wouldn't want to finish it and therefore donate it to my cause ;) We next had the halibut, which I've decided is my absolute favorite fish, crisply seared and then plated with a potato a clam and some clam broth -- Tripewriter smashed his potato into the broth and ate it all together. I wished I had thought of that, too! I think that this fish was my favorite mouthful of the night, or at least definitely close to the top. It was cooked perfectly. The next course made all four of us swoon -- chicken ballotin with duck confit and foie gras, on some of the most amazing potatoes ever (and I know from potatoes!), with asparagus that was so tender it was unreal. I think this dish got my guests the closest to actually licking their plates B) Next we had an amazing piece of lamb, and I was lucky enough to get the crispy end piece -- w00t!!! After that, Chef Barry came out to make sure that we were still alive and to confirm that we did, indeed, want cheese and dessert, and not just dessert alone. And really, it was a valid question, except, have I ever rejected cheese? :) We had four varieties of cheese, and we'd had none of the specific makers before (so, yes, we'd had cheddar before -- but not THIS cheddar. And it was very, very good.). We had one beer with them, as they're switching beer providers and running a little low on the "interesting" beers. It was great, and I even liked the blue cheese (Italian). I loved the soft cheese, too (estrella from Portugal), but the goat was at the other end of the cheese board from me, so I only got a nibble or two before it went away. We finished with chef's famous desserts, and my guest, even after this meal, was able not only finish the incredibly rich chocolate mousse cake but to scrape the plate clean. I was impressed! I maneuvered the beignets to being in front of me (ha ha!) and loved them and the perfect ice cream. My other guest had the creme brulee Napolean, which was elegant and tasty -- the pineapple slice next to it was a particular hit. Tripewriter had the trio, which was a banana shake, a butterscotch pudding, and an espresso pudding(?). I got to try the butterscotch one, and it was outstanding. If you're looking for a comforting dessert, my pick will always be the beignet, but if you're looking for something that both looks super impressive and tastes delicious, this trio is the way to go!!!

The one sad, sad note is that the lovely Nicole is leaving Mendocino Grille to take over the program at BLT. Her last day is April 22. We know that we will still be well taken care of at the Grille, and I guess we now have an excuse to go to BLT, but we will definitely miss the combination of Barry's food and Nicole's wine!

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This restaurant is the reason why I'm not thinking 100% clearly this morning.
Beth and I dined here about 3-4 weeks ago and I have yet to write about it. I have just been too busy lately to do it justice. I have the card with everything I ate and I have good mental notes so I will definitely be posting something soon...
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We dined here on Saturday night, and while we had a very good meal, I feel like it could have been a better meal. Service was outstanding, as was dessert, but almost every other item placed on the table felt like it needed a tweak to amp it up another level.

Our friends were already at the bar when we arrived, drinking from the ridiculously crappy beer list (4 or 5 beers, none on tap, all of them from major producers). We were promptly seated, and brought menus and drinks. The dinner menu online is about 6 months out of date, so I will have to do this mostly from memory.

The amuse was a spoon of chopped greens and herbs with almonds. Nice clean flavor, but the presentation of 5 spoons on one plate, where we had to pass the spoons around ourselves, was probably not the effect they were going for. Also, while I didn't particularly miss having bread on the table, several of my tablemates did.

For starters, we had a pork terrine, hamachi tartare, sweet pea ravioli, the house salad, and a bibb salad with walnuts, grilled pears, and goat cheese. I thought the pork terrine was excellent, but the greens and balsamic they were served with were just ordinary. I had one bite of the hamachi which was excellent. I didn't get to try the house salad, and the bibb salad was very good, but underdressed and not especially exciting. I thought the ravioli was the star of the appetizers - perfectly cooked pasta, filling that tasted of pea with blanched peas alongside, with just the right amount of sauce and panchetta lacing the ravioli.

For mains, there were two of the chicken ballotines with foie gras and duck confit, the grilled veggie plate, a steak, and the Wild Alaskan Halibut. The chicken ballotine was good, but I thought the chicken was cut too thick, so the ratio of chicken to duck/foie was off. And the sauce on the plate was completely forgettable, as was the overcooked asparagus. We a very similar dish at Corduroy about 6 months ago, and it blew this out of the water. The grilled veggie plate was enjoyed by the person who ordered it, but it wasn't especially large, and seemed a bit overpriced at the same upper 20's as the rest of the entrees. The steak was just ok - cooked to order, but the meat was not especially flavorful. The halibut was fantastic - nicely browned on the top, perfectly cooked through. The "clam chowder broth" was very well executed, and the clams and sausage in the soup were delicious. However, the small redskin potatoes were as dry as sawdust.

The cheese board was very good, though the blue could have had a bit more character. The Valrhona chocolate mousse cake was unbelievably fantastic, and enough for 3 people.

We had a 2005 California Syrah with the mains, but it's not on the list on the website and I forget the label.

Total with tax and tip (including some soft drinks and coffee) was about $90/person. Again, it was a good meal, and I would probably go back, but I kept feeling like little tweaks here and there could have made this a far more memorable meal. I look forward to seeing what they can do with the Bethesda Row location opening in a few months.

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Our friends were already at the bar when we arrived, drinking from the ridiculously crappy beer list (4 or 5 beers, none on tap, all of them from major producers).

Dude ... the place is named Medocino Grille and Wine Bar. Four or more beer options strikes me as above and beyond the call of duty ....

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Dude ... the place is named Medocino Grille and Wine Bar. Four or more beer options strikes me as above and beyond the call of duty ....

This gets the old Yeah But...for a place that prides itself on local ingredients local providers blah blah blah surely there are some interesting local beers they could provide...and the microbrew scene in California doesn't exactly suck for that matter.

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Dude ... the place is named Medocino Grille and Wine Bar. Four or more beer options strikes me as above and beyond the call of duty.

If you want to be so pedantic, should they not offer food not cooked on the grill, or wines from other than California?

As an upscale restaurant, thought should be put into everything they offer to their patrons. I wouldn't have a problem if they simply didn't offer beer, but as long as they're going to offer, they should take time in choosing a handful of decent selections that match the cuisine.

It's a minor quibble, but there were more minor quibbles than I would have expected that night.

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(Not to throw fuel on the fire, but I just wanted to remind everyone that we were told that the Mendocino Grille is in the midst of switching beer providers, meaning that their beer selection is not up to its normal high standards for the moment. If you're going to the Grille for the beer, I would suggest checking first to see whether they have their regular quality beer selection back. If you're going for the wine and food, don't hesitate, go now!)

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Tripewriter's cousin was in from out of town this week, and surprise, surprise, we took her across the river to Mendocino Grille (she was staying in Rosslyn, so this was a very short and easy trip). What a fabulous meal! I agree with DanielK that the ravioli is superb -- fortunately for me (though not for him), Tripewriter was so busy catching up with his cousin (they hadn't seen each other in 12 years!) that I was able to abscond with a bite here and a bite there from his plate. He was far too polite to complain, much less move his plate farther away, as he normally does ;) He and I followed up with the duck pastrami salad -- amazing. Beautiful fava beans, duck pastrami(!), curried pickled onions(!!!), and lovely greens with the perfect amount of salt to crunch. Divine. Tripewriter lost quite a few beans off his salad... Cousin had the Bibb lettuce salad and said it was great, if a little less adventuresome than duck pastrami :) For mains, I had the chicken ballotine -- so good, but I'll readily admit that for me, the star of the dish was the asparagus and the potatoes. Divine. Troy, who truly excelled in his pairings, provided a glass of red with the chicken that made all three of us gasp with delight -- no joke! Cousin even burst into joyful laughter at the scent. Troy, if you're out there, I forgot my card when we left -- what was the wine?!?!?

Tripewriter had the halibut, of which I was able to obtain one small yet perfect crispy, salty, edge, and Cousin had the scallops. We then had the cheeses -- we particularly enjoyed their new soft Italian goat cheese, as well as their regular oozy cheese. The beers are back on, which meant we could have the beer pairings with the cheeses -- lovely. I don't know why that tickles me so much, but it's just so much fun to have beer with cheese. Then came the desserts and a black muscat. All were divine. I managed to snag a quarter of one of Tripewriter's apple beignet, but the plate was heavily guarded after that. I had the creme brulee Napolean, which I shared as little sandwiches. The grilled pineapple was also a hit. Then, four hours after we arrived (!), we wobbled on home, happy and full. What a great night.

PS: The wine was Natalie's Reserve Rosa Vineyard Cabernet '05 from Yakima Valley, Washington. I have Arrowine on the job! :(

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Yes, it was waaay back in April that Tripewriter and I last made the trip to MG, but we remedied that situation last night with a college friend of mine who is in town for the NEA. One of the things that I love about MG is how they truly pace your meal. My friend said it was like eating in the south of France, where everything made it to the table without a sense of rushing or of having to jam-cram every bite in before the next one arrived. Tripewriter and I eat slightly more quickly, but we too enjoy the pacing here.

Tripewriter is going to have to go more in depth on the menu we had last night -- I very cleverly left our cards behind again (Argh! Must stop doing this...). The absolute star for me was the beef dish. An exquisite piece of meat, with morels, mushrooms, and I think snap peas. Green bean/pea-like things. Can you tell I was focused on the beef :lol: The other courses, were, of course!, excellent -- the rabbit pate, the seafood triangle (with lobster, scallop, and...?), the tempura softshell crab (my first ever!), the new duck breast/apricot (ooooh, divine!)/foie, the cheeses, and the dessert (we let our guest have the fritters...sigh!) -- but that beef just stole the show for me :lol:

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The Path Valley Heirloom Tomato Salad ($12) at Mendocino Grille is a dish of such simple perfection that it seems almost silly to write about. Imagine sublime heirloom tomatoes, served with a meltingly creamy burrata, then faintly drizzled with balsamico. The twist here is the two tiny cubes of cucumber-basil gelee, rather than fresh basil (which can be perfect in its own right). Completing this little trance-on-a-plate is just enough coarse salt, sprinkled here and there, to make you bow your head in reverence whenever you find a crystal. This is as good as food gets. If you love life - not just food, but life itself - then cancel your vacation plans, give away your opera tickets, do whatever it takes to get to Mendocino Grille, not next year, not next month, but THIS WEEK while everything is at its peak.

Cheers,

Rocks.

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There had been discussion here about whether Mendocino Grille had changed ownership. Washingtonian reports that it has, and Troy Bock is now the owner.

Here's the official press release. Congratulations Troy!

New Ownership is Underway for Mendocino Grille & Wine Bar

Washington, D.C. (September 10, 2008)— Local restaurateurs Eli Hengst and Jared Rager, who six years ago committed themselves to reinvigorating Georgetown's dining landscape with a seasonal, organic, and wine-centric neighborhood restaurant, announce the sale of Mendocino Grille & Wine Bar, at 2917 M Street, NW.

They have accepted the offer on the intimate Washington favorite presented by Troy Bock, long term general manager and wine director of the restaurant. Barry Koslow will remain as the executive chef, and Mendocino Grille will carry on its focus and orientation, revealing the depth and breadth of the Mid-Atlantic’s best ingredients, presented in the spirit of California cuisine. The transition of ownership was completed the beginning of September.

“We had a flurry of interest in Mendocino Grille over the last year, but we remained intent on keeping the restaurant in the family, and are so pleased with this opportunity for a tenured manager to ascend to the position of owner. That doesn't happen often, and we're proud to see Troy take the helm of this 100 Very Best gem,” explains Eli Hengst.

Rager and Hengst have decided to focus on their larger, new restaurant and wine bar ventures including Sonoma, the popular Capitol Hill gathering place and Redwood, which opened in Bethesda in summer 2008. The two restaurant partners have also signed leases for futures restaurant endeavors on 14th Street, NW, and in the Glover Park neighborhood.

Mendocino has earned the Wine Spectator “Award of Excellence” and since 2005, it has been recognized as one of Washingtonian magazine’s “100 Best,” ranking #21 in 2008. The restaurant’s wine list features some of the best vintages and varietals from California, Washington and Oregon, with approximately 225 wines by the bottle, and 35 wines by the glass, Mendocino also has a certified Winekeeper system.

For more information about Mendocino Grille and Wine Bar in Georgetown visit www.mendocinodc.com.

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If you haven't done this already, take the time to walk to the restaurant from the Foggy Bottom metro station, but take the convoluted route: down I Street, go around past and enjoy the intricate architecture of The Watergate, down through the Boat center, and that will take you by the refracting waters by the harbors off of Canal Street under the moonlight. Romantic non? But wait, there's more: up past the colonial buildings of yore on 30th Street, take a right on M Street, and voila, a little piece of home is waiting to welcome you inside.

I had no idea how hidden and welcoming this place was until I did my walk. It was truly the right place recommended by a dear friend to go to for some comfort and santuary from the hideous day I had. The warm combination of the hand made saffron fettucine mixed with a light seafood broth, tender and moist mussels, shrimp and calamari, compliments the homey-feeling the noodles gave, plus a nice glass of Cass red wine calmed any anxieties developed.

Top that off with a stroll down M Street, through Key bridge and to the Rosslyn station and that'll be a lovely night to remember.

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If you haven't done this already, take the time to walk to the restaurant from the Foggy Bottom metro station, but take the convoluted route: down I Street, go around past and enjoy the intricate architecture of The Watergate, down through the Boat center, and that will take you by the refracting waters by the harbors off of Canal Street under the moonlight. Romantic non? But wait, there's more: up past the colonial buildings of yore on 30th Street, take a right on M Street, and voila, a little piece of home is waiting to welcome you inside.

I had no idea how hidden and welcoming this place was until I did my walk. It was truly the right place recommended by a dear friend to go to for some comfort and santuary from the hideous day I had. The warm combination of the hand made saffron fettucine mixed with a light seafood broth, tender and moist mussels, shrimp and calamari, compliments the homey-feeling the noodles gave, plus a nice glass of Cass red wine calmed any anxieties developed.

Top that off with a stroll down M Street, through Key bridge and to the Rosslyn station and that'll be a lovely night to remember.

Yeah that Barry, he can cook a mean....well anything really. Perhaps a 7-Layer Smoke Salmon Dip or Spring Vegetables en Pappioltte (spl?) But what can he do with....KOI FISH I wonder....Perhaps a few will get the references, maybe more. :lol:

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Traditional 5-7-5 Haiku

If Barry Koslow

and also Joe Alvarez

were cats, I'd like them.

And also Bok Choi

is a whole lot like Bock, Troy

Coincidence? No.

Ah, the rye gnocchi

with the pan-seared pork belly

is a go-to dish.

Can there ever be

a restaurant better than this?

Maybe, but you know?

I couldn't care less

because Mendocino Grille

is all that I need.

Here's your takeaway:

Remember the bok choy and

the great rye gnocchi.

Fix them in your head

and next time that you dine here,

you should get them both.

And thank the great team:

Barry, and Joey, and Troy

for making life good.

Cheers,

Rocks.

P.S. Don't forget

those awesome apple beignets

that will make your day.

--

And one other thing:

I'm never drinking again

(Just thought you should know)

Edited by DonRocks
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If you haven't done this already, take the time to walk to the restaurant from the Foggy Bottom metro station, but take the convoluted route: down I Street, go around past and enjoy the intricate architecture of The Watergate, down through the Boat center, and that will take you by the refracting waters by the harbors off of Canal Street under the moonlight. Romantic non? But wait, there's more: up past the colonial buildings of yore on 30th Street, take a right on M Street, and voila, a little piece of home is waiting to welcome you inside.

Top that off with a stroll down M Street, through Key bridge and to the Rosslyn station and that'll be a lovely night to remember.

Or, after filling up on some of the items that inspired Don's Haiku tribute above (and if it's before 9 pm), stop off at Georgetown Tobacco and pick up an Arturo Cruz or Davidoff and then take a meditative stroll along the canal. Now that's livin"
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