Corduroy, Fine Dining at the Convention Center - Chef Tom Power's Magnificent Cooking

[Sthitch]

Any word on when you are going to start lunch service?

[Gary Tanigawa]

Any word on when you are going to start lunch service?

Corduroy's website says "***Lunch Service begins Wednesday, September 3, 2008."

[Banco]

My wife and I were at Corduroy last night--our first time in the new space--and it was superb in every way. Ferhat gave us a tour of the place, whose decor and arrangement reminded me of one of those chic and tasteful restaurants you might find in Europe's gastronomic golden crescent along the Franco-German border. I felt transported to another place and found it hard to believe that such a restaurant could exist in Washington.

Thanks to advice on the "Sazerac" thread, we began with expertly made and perfectly balanced versions of this cocktail (Overholt, St. George, Peychaud's) in the upstairs lounge. Ferhat fetched us when our table was ready and, after his tour of the various rooms, seated us at a quiet table near the large front windows.

Again thanks to advice elsewhere on this site, I ordered the peekytoe crab and egg custard soup for my appetizer--a rich and gelatinous reduction of the flavors of crab, somewhat resembling a royale in execution but unlike anything I've had before. My wife began with a colorful and light beet salad, which made no pretensions to be anything especially original but was beautifully and elegantly prepared, dressed with a vinaigrette and garnished with microgreens.

My main dish was a generous filet of Alaskan King Salmon served a perfect medium rare on a bed of tiny squash and in what appeared to be a simple pan reduction sauce, perhaps also using a bit of stock and vinegar. It was simple, delicious, elegant, and the fish had the color and character of wild salmon, though the word "wild" did not appear on the menu. I missed some form of potato to accompany this dish in addition to the squash but otherwise thought it was perfect. My wife had the Peppered Rare Big Eye Tuna with Sushi Rice and Hijiki. As it arrived, served on a square, Japanese-inspired plate glazed in green and blue, the mouth-watering umami fragrance of the Japanese flavorings filled our corner of the room. This is a dish whose taste one could exactly identify by sense of smell alone before taking a single bite. It did not disappoint; the Japanese flavors were harmoniously balanced, the tuna a thick, rare morsel sitting atop a bed of sushi rice that looked as if it had been cooked like a pilaf but with classic Japanese aromas--a good example of Japanese-European fusion that nonetheless transcended that cliché in the skill with which it had been executed. Our wine, a half-bottle of 2005 Meursault Les Chevalieres from Thierry et Pascale Matrot, went well with both dishes.

I hardly need say that service was excellent all the way 'round, from Ferhat's welcome to the efficient server who helped us get out in time for a show at the Fringe a few blocks away. Corduroy bowled me over, and I can't wait for an excuse to return.

[Tweaked]

Click, click, click

[qwertyy]

Click, click, click

I really don't understand his system for awarding stars.

[Banco]

Click, click, click

I've never had any hard and fast opinion of TS one way or the other, other than the impression of a somewhat self-indulgent fluffiness (but who am I to talk!) But after his switch to half-stars and more and more reviews like this (i.e., a stark disparity between the rating and the writing), I'm beginning to put him in the same category as the Post's wine column.

[jiveturk21]

I've never had any hard and fast opinion of TS one way or the other, other than the impression of a somewhat self-indulgent fluffiness (but who am I to talk!) But after his switch to half-stars and more and more reviews like this (i.e., a stark disparity between the rating and the writing), I'm beginning to put him in the same category as the Post's wine column.

I agree with you Banco, I pretty much never pay much attention to him, or any professional reviewer for that matter, but I am a bit baffled on why Corduroy got 2.5 stars without one negative comment in the entire article. I haven't been to the new location, so I can't even say whether or not I agree with the rating or the content, but I can say that it doesn't match up.

[Waitman]

I confess to being somewhat amused by outsiders who parse a critic's review and his rating and profess find a disconnect between the two that the critic himself overlooked. Very PoMo lit crit, if you ask me.

Two-and-a-half stars is pretty damn good -- though I'm sure some in this crew would award more (and I won't argue that point). Palena only has three. And it's a pretty good review, too, but hardly a rave. I think the review and the stars are pretty consistent and, indeed, the rating is consistent with what Corduroy earned in its last incarnation.

[Banco]

I confess to being somewhat amused by outsiders who parse a critic's review and his rating and profess find a disconnect between the two that the critic himself overlooked. Very PoMo lit crit, if you ask me.

Actually, questioning the internal logic and consistency of a text is not PoMo, but OlSc.

[Tujague]

... indeed, the rating is consistent with what Corduroy earned in its last incarnation.

That's right; I think the headline pretty much says it, "Same Menu, New Location." FWIW, same star rating this year for Westend, Et Voila!, La Canela, 2941, Mio, and indebleu--reviews and ratings that went virtually ignored here. Just sayin'...

[RWBooneJr]

I'm beginning to put him in the same category as the Post's wine column.

To be in the same category as the Post's wine column, Sietsema would have to start reviewing Applebees and the like. Exclusively.

[New Foodie]

I agree with you Banco, I pretty much never pay much attention to him, or any professional reviewer for that matter, but I am a bit baffled on why Corduroy got 2.5 stars without one negative comment in the entire article. I haven't been to the new location, so I can't even say whether or not I agree with the rating or the content, but I can say that it doesn't match up.

I have always been a fan of Corduroy and would personally give it more stars myself, but the write up wasn't 100% glowing. Although it was highly complimentary, he did mention his disappointment with the vegetarian option provided.

[Spiral Stairs]

Pursuant to Don's directive, I am posting about my last dinner. (Well, my last two dinners came out of boxes. But you don't want to hear about those...)

It was my first time at Corduroy at any location. I'll start by saying all edible components of the meal were excellent. My lobster carpaccio was buttery and delicious. My scallops were among the best I've had in recent memory. The blueberry tart and creamsicle for dessert was delectable. (Which also meant that my wife's "just a bite or two" turned into a rigorous splitting down the middle.) And the two Thai Basil Mojitos that preceded the meal were really good.

My group of four was, however, disappointed with the service. Though our reservation was at 8:30, we arrived at 7:30 so we could have some drinks at the bar. That we did. At about 8:20, the bartender/server came to our table and told us that our table was ready, so we could settle the bar tab. That we did. A little after 8:30, the hostess (insert prayer that I have not offensively assigned the wrong title) came to our table and said it would be just a few minutes. A few minutes went by. She came back and said a prior party was still at our table, and they were winding things up. More minutes went by. Finally, at close to 9:00, one of our party went downstairs to speak to the hostess. We had seen empty tables on the second floor and wondered why we couldn't be seated at one. The hostess said she had to speak to a manager. That she did, and we were soon given one of the tables on the second floor. (I now understand that the second floor is supposed to be for private or semi-private parties. But other small parties were seated up there after us. It doesn't appear that they were, in fact, blocked off for a party. In any event, I don't know what went on behind the scenes. Maybe heaven and earth had to be moved.)

I guess what bugged me is that no one ever apologized to us. I know delays happen, and people linger, and customers sometimes are inevitably and unavoidably inconvenienced. But -- apart from simply not being seated until 20 or 25 minutes after our reserved time -- we sat for nearly 40 minutes after initially being told our table was ready, without drinks because we had been asked to settle up. (And we had a babysitter on the clock at home. But I digress...) Maybe it wasn't the biggest travesty in the world, but meals of this duration and at this price point are increasingly rare for me, and I was bummed that this one had a sour element.

Anyway, food: very good. Service: somewhat disappointing.

[derekmbrown]

It's rare that I'm in a posting mood, but after a brief post about Equinox I realize that I've been to Corduroy (at least in it's older incarnation) enough that I may take it for granted. On a recent trip, I was reminded that the staff at Corduroy is amongst the most gracious in the city. GM Ferhat matches Tom's quiet intensity in the kitchen on the floor. Thanks Tom and Ferhat!

[Joe H]

Corduroy is the reason why there should be a separate thread for this restaurant rather than one continuous, endless thread that drags on for several irrelevant years.

Ten of us had dinner there last night and it was superb. But not just the food. The ambience, the setting, the upscale Georgetownish/Chicago Brownstonish multistory home was the setting for a great dinner of very real character; presence at the table, if you will-this is, right now, one of the best restaurants in Washington.

I didn't like the second floor walkup on K street. For the hundreds/thousands of posts on here about it I didn't want to challenge the many who raved about the quality to price ratio of his food in his nondescript room. For myself it felt like any of several hundred Ramada/Holiday/Sheratons that I have been to over the past thirty or so years. Simply nothing worth going out of the way for because while the food was very good I would still leave the room feeling like I had a plane ride home awaiting me. Even to Reston.

For several years Corduroy had potential but, overall because of its unambitious, nondescript setting was totally uninspiring.

Ninth street is different. This is a serious restaurant that immediately establishes Tom Powers as one of the best chefs in our city; perhaps one of the best chefs in America.

THIS RESTAURANT HAS NOTHING IN COMMON WITH THE EARLIER K STREET INCARNATION. Nothing. This could challenge Komi or Obelisk-can you imagine Komi as a second floor walkup in a middle class hotel on K street? I can't either.

Corduroy is special; it is worthy of a lengthy post on a board where there is no mention of its history because that has nothing to do with the excellence that is presented today. Simply, this IS an extraordinary restaurant. It's history begins anew as does Tom Powers quest for worthy national recognition. I cannot wait to return.

This IS one of our city's best restaurants.

[brian]

This is a serious restaurant that immediately establishes Tom Powers as one of the best chefs in our city; perhaps one of the best chefs in America.

THIS RESTAURANT HAS NOTHING IN COMMON WITH THE EARLIER K STREET INCARNATION. Nothing.

This is true. The chef at the old restaurant was named Tom Power.

[Ferhat Yalcin]

In addition to our wine and cheese happy hour, we now offer a great bar menu with some of the old favorites (springrolls, soups etc) and new entrees like faux ribeye, duroc pork chops etc. under $20. Bar menu is available in the evenings monday-saturday.

this is a self promotion*

[Sthitch]

The lobster carpaccio I had tonight was hands down the best lobster dish I have ever eaten. On the way home from dinner I mentioned to my wife that the last time that we ate at Per Se the only real disappointment had been the butter poached lobster, what I had really wanted in that meal was what I had tonight at Corduroy. She disagreed and said that she found my dish too rich, especially compared to the lobster salad that they were offering as a special tonight (which now sets the bar for her as to what a lobster dish should be).

The cooking is getting better with each visit, and while the service has always been superlative tonight it had a level of graciousness that I don't remember it having in the past.

[DonRocks]

The lobster carpaccio I had tonight was hands down the best lobster dish I have ever eaten.

"He won't be too hard on us, Tom, said Mr Power persuasively."

- James Joyce, from "Grace"

Don't cower from the Rouge Vif D'Temps [sic] Soup ($11) just because of the name; I didn't know what it was either. Rouge Vif d'Estampes is a French heirloom varietal of pumpkin, and this is a classic Tom Power soup thickened with foie gras. One big difference with the new location is the presentation of the soup, which is poured tableside (or, in my case, barside) with dry savories lustily waiting at the bottom of the bowl.

Wild Mushroom Blintz with Garlic Sauce ($13) had just been added to the menu a day before I ordered it, and it's interesting to see the small jabs Power is taking into unknown territory with dishes such as this. A crackling blintz, stuffed with three types of mushrooms and little dabs of foie gras which I swore were sliced chicken livers (not an insult), all of it served atop a lukewarm-by-design, well- (fully-?) reduced garlic sauce - this is absolutely a red-wine dish that I should have ordered as my final course.

The greatest piece of lobster I've had in 2008 has been neither at Indebleu nor The Oval Room, both of which have offered tremendous dishes served in-shell. But the little Pan Roasted Tail of Maine Lobster with Two Egg Linguine ($18) gets my vote as Big-O favorite, although my memory often tends to be skewed towards my most recent experience. An incredible lobster tail, barely touched by heat so that it's almost sashimi-like on the interior, served alongside a "two-egg linguine." I thought the linguine would show up with a couple quail eggs on top of it, but the pasta itself is actually made from chicken egg and ... Warning! Warning! Danger, Will Robinson! LOBSTER EGG. This dish is awesome!

A five-cheese plate for $14 was somewhat disappointing because the cheeses were too cold, and, like the soup course, the cheeses really highlighted the inferiority of Panorama's bread, which Corduroy is now serving because of the Breadline nix-o-rama.

I walked in here at 9:30 PM terrified that Corduroy was being victimized by recessionary fears, and was delighted to see the place was jam-packed.

Cheers,

Rocks.

P.S. Say hi next time.

[Sthitch]

Don't cower from the Rouge Vif D'Temps [sic] Soup ($11) just because of the name; I didn't know what it was either. Rouge Vif d'Estampes is a French heirloom varietal of pumpkin, and this is a classic Tom Power soup thickened with foie gras. One big difference with the new location is the presentation of the soup, which is poured tableside (or, in my case, barside) with dry savories lustily waiting at the bottom of the bowl.

P.S. Say hi next time.

My father judges restaurants based on their soup, yeah other factors play a role, but it is the quality of the soup that determines how much of the other stuff he can tolerate. He pronounced this to be the best soup he had ever eaten, and has asked when we are planning another dinner there.

Didn't you know I am anti-social?

[jdl]

But the little Pan Roasted Tail of Maine Lobster with Two Egg Linguine ($18) gets my vote ...

Mine, too! I absolutely agree re the awesomeness of this dish.

[Ferhat Yalcin]

Thanksgiving at Corduroy:

On November 27th Thursday, Chef Power will be serving a 3 course prix fixed Thanskgiving menu. Each course will have 4 different items to choose from. $55 for adults and $30 for kids 12 and under. Reservations are required and must be confirmed with a credit card information. Thanksgiving menu will be served between 1pm - 8pm.

Please call 202 589 0699 for reservations.

[Ferhat Yalcin]

Corduroy will be hosting a 5 course dinner featuring 8 different wines selected by Danny Haas of `Vineyard Brands`.

The date is November 3, 2008 Monday. Dinner will start promptly at 7.00 pm.

Cost of the dinner is $100 per guest, excluding tax and service.

Please call Corduroy directly at 202 589 0699 for reservations. All the reservations must be confirmed with a credit card.

Menu and wines are as followed:

First Course:

Blue Crab Salad with Hojiblanca Olive Oil

- Domaine des Berthiers Pouilly-Fume Cuvee d`Eve Vieilles Vignes 2005

- Vincent & Jean-Yves Delaporte Sancerre Cuvee Maxime Vieilles Vignes 2007

Second Course:

Crispy Black Grouper with Maitake Rice Porridge

- Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Champ Gain 2006

- Bernard Morey Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru la Truffiere 1999

Third Course:

Roast Muscovy Duck with Fig Sauce

- Thierry & Pascale Matrot Blagny la Piece Sous le Bois 2005

- Rossignol-Trapet Latricieres-Chambertin Grand Cru 1993

Fourth Course:

Grilled Shenandoah Lamb Loin with Bean Sauce

-Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1999

Fifth Course:

Chocolate Macadamia Nut Tart with Banyuls Ice Cream

- Domaine du Mas Blanc Banyuls Rimage 2005

[Ferhat Yalcin]

Thanksgiving at Corduroy:

On November 27th Thursday, Chef Power will be serving a 3 course prix fixed Thanskgiving menu. Each course will have 4 different items to choose from. $55 for adults and $30 for kids 12 and under. Reservations are required and must be confirmed with a credit card information. Thanksgiving menu will be served between 1pm - 8pm.

Please call 202 589 0699 for reservations.

Thanksgiving Menu is as followed:

First Course:

Rouge Vif D`Temps Soup

Blue Crab Blintz with Chayote Slaw

Le Bocage Baby Greens

Seared Bernaget Light Sea Scallops with Turnip Nage

Main Course:

Crispy Black Grouper with Clam Sauce

Peppered Rare Tuna with Sushi Rice and Hijiki

Roast Free-Range Turkey with Sausage Stuffing, Giblet Gravy, Green Beans, Cranberry Sauce and Mashed Potato

Vande Rose Farms Beef Striploin with Lyonnaisse Potato and Meaux Mustard Sauce

Dessert:

Kabocha Squash Tart with Ginger Ice Cream

Licorice Root Creme Brulee

Michel`s Chocolate Hazelnut Bars

Selection of Homemade Ice Creams

[Walrus]

This almost makes me regret going to Santa Fe for Thanksgiving! Next year...!

[Hannah]

In addition to our wine and cheese happy hour, we now offer a great bar menu with some of the old favorites (springrolls, soups etc) and new entrees like faux ribeye, duroc pork chops etc. under $20. Bar menu is available in the evenings monday-saturday.

If people haven't taken advantage of this yet, they really should - the pork chop is particularly wonderful, and the soups and springrolls are excellent as always. I realize it was Monday and times are rough, but we were the only people in the bar for a while, and that's kind of scary.

[Michael Landrum]

Tonight, having, just in the nick of time (some would say a tad bit soon), availed myself of and revived myself by what I will henceforth refer to only as "The Soup of Life"--and perhaps having over-mixed my chanteurs, chanteuses and chartreuses--I have just one thing to say in regards to "Le Vif en Rouge":

Ne me quitte pas,

ne me quitte pas,

ne me quitte pas...

[Michael Landrum]

...ne me quitte pas.

(Oh, and ce soir j'attende Madeleine. Madeleine n'arrive pas. Madeleine, elle aime bien ca.)

[DPop]

In addition to our wine and cheese happy hour, we now offer a great bar menu with some of the old favorites (springrolls, soups etc) and new entrees like faux ribeye, duroc pork chops etc. under $20. Bar menu is available in the evenings monday-saturday.

this is a self promotion*

Any plans to open the bar at lunch any time soon?

[Ferhat Yalcin]

Starting Tuesday 11th - November, Corduroy will be switching to a 3 course price fixed menu instead of a la carte menu at lunch time only. The menu will be our full menu including appetizers, main courses and desserts. Price is $25. Lunch is served between Tuesday-Friday Noon to 2.00pm.

Bar will not be open anytime soon for lunch.

[Tweaked]

was I the first Rockwellian to take advantage?

Showed up at 1pm yesterday for the inaugural 3 couses 25 bucks meal deal at Corduroy...a truly civilized way to spend lunch.

The menu features roughly 6-7 choices per course. we opened with two classics, the goat cheese potato nest and the Ron Jeremy spring rolls. Followed up with roast pork (cooked to a perfectly pink medium rare) with frisee-potato salad and the lobster sandwich with mixed greems, both first rate. Ended with the squash tart (a vast improvement from when we first sampled it at the Rockwell Dinner so many years ago) and the bread pudding.

Go...Now.

[u-bet!]

we opened with two classics, the goat cheese potato nest and the Ron Jeremy spring rolls.

The WHAT?!

[Sthitch]

The WHAT?!

Read through the thread and it will become obvious.

[V.H.]

was I the first Rockwellian to take advantage?

Showed up at 1pm yesterday for the inaugural 3 couses 25 bucks meal deal at Corduroy...a truly civilized way to spend lunch.

The menu features roughly 6-7 choices per course. we opened with two classics, the goat cheese potato nest and the Ron Jeremy spring rolls. Followed up with roast pork (cooked to a perfectly pink medium rare) with frisee-potato salad and the lobster sandwich with mixed greems, both first rate. Ended with the squash tart (a vast improvement from when we first sampled it at the Rockwell Dinner so many years ago) and the bread pudding.

Go...Now.

Lobster sandwich? What? Where? Please describe a bit more.

[Tweaked]

Delicate pieces of lobster held together in mayo...not sure what else was in there. Golden toasted slices of buttery brioche. Mixed green salad topped with wafer thin slices of radish. Simple but de-lish.

[brettashley01]

Can anyone report on the happy hour specials- what they are, costs, etc?

[Biscuit Girl]

Delicate pieces of lobster held together in mayo...not sure what else was in there. Golden toasted slices of buttery brioche. Mixed green salad topped with wafer thin slices of radish. Simple but de-lish.

I completely agree, I had this last week in the bar and it was the best lobster sandwich I've ever had.

[MBK]

The lunch special is priced such that with a nice tip, it is precisely the amount my firm will reimburse for a recruiting lunch. This is a great discovery.

And, of course, the food was lovely. My table had the porcupine, spring rolls, and roast tomato soup; omelet, roast chicken with herbed linguine, and fluke with kabocha sauce and chanterelles; and flourless chocolate cake, pistachio bread pudding, and kabocha tart. Some old standbys, some new tastes ... all delicious.

Location makes it a cab ride from my office, so it won't enter the regular rotation. But still, a great deal.

[Michael Landrum]

Another flawless meal at Corduroy matched with spot-on service. Much thanks for the tireless work of Tom, Ferhat, the kitchen, and the remarkably cohesive front of the house.

[New Foodie]

Michael was there last night and we didn't see him?!

My two girlfriends and I had yet another lovely meal at Corduroy last night. Special thanks to Peter for his excellent service (it was often difficult to interrupt our chatting to take orders and check if everything was ok, but he was very helpful). Thanks also to Ferhat for the dessert wine/cordial (I'm certainly not a dessert beverage connoisseur) he sent over to accompany our deliciously rich sabayon.

The Rouge Vif D`Temps Soup was the winner of our appetizers, a rich pumpkin soup blended with foie gras and smoky bacon. The Red Snapper Bisque and Tuna Tartare with quail egg were also very good. Entrees of crispy black grouper, tuna and pork cheeks osso bucco were also great (although one wished she had ordered the famed scallops again). I was a little nervous ordering the pork cheeks, but it was a great cold weather dish served with cannelloni beans and haricot verts. Very rich, but very comforting.

As I mentioned before, we were all stuffed from dinner, but decided to split the chocolate sabayon. We all agreed none of us could've managed more than 1/3 of that incredibly decadent dessert. It really should be served with milk to wash it down!

All in all, another great meal at the new Corduroy. We'll certainly be back.

[mr food]

Our first visit tonight! Thanks Ferhat for squeezing us in.

[mr food]

I'll just add to the kudos here and say we had a delicious meal-lobster pasta app, tuna entree, and the lamb loin with lamb sausage accompanied by an excellent half bottle of Meursault and a yummy Girandin 2003 Santenay with the entrees. Dan, our server, was a total pro and made our evening even nicer. Thanks to Ferhat and everyone. BTW, there are some absolute steals on the winelist.

[sphere777]

My brother, my sister-in-law, and I went to the Thanksgiving prix fixe dinner last week and on the whole it was excellent.

Appetizers

Sis-in-Law and I got the blue crab blintzes--essentially egg rolls stuffed with crab--and mine was delicious. Sis seemed pleased as well. My brother asked for the Rouge Vif D'Temps Soup and was blown away. That touch of foie gras did the trick I guess.

Main Course

Both my brother and I chose the Thanksgiving platter and were amply rewarded with sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, roasted and mashed winter root vegetables, a few green beans, and an ample amount of turkey (I had dark and white meat). The whole platter was beyond tasty and the turkey was perfect--moist and tender. Unfortunately, my sister-in-law ordered the crispy striped bass with clam sauce. She found that the sauce was way too salty. The bass was good though.

Dessert

The menu for this course was amusing because the prix fixe items were almost impossible to see--in relatively small print at the very bottom of the right hand of the page. Your eyes had to wander through all the cheese courses, coffee, and other (probably high profit) items before you could see them.

In any case, my brother selected scoops of ice cream--a scoop of vanilla, cocoa, and ginger each. The sister-in-law and I opted for the Kit-Kat bars and of course they rocked our world.

Overall, a good experience and kudos to Corduroy for a good meal.

[Sundae in the Park]

The Rouge Vif D`Temps Soup was...everything y'all said it was going to be. The perfect, sumptious soup to ease me past Thanksgiving withdrawal and kick off my birthday dinner.

I was sad that the mushroom blintz wasn't available, but my dining companion wasn't, because he got to eat the crab-stuffed version all by himself. In record time - chomp, chomp, chomp, all gone! After he'd already had (and loved) the lobster tail. So, apparently, it was good.

My grass-fed beef loin was tender, juicy, and wickedly flavorful, the clear winner of the entrees, even though the tuna was much enjoyed.

We got a sabayon and some sorbet, to balance out dessert, but next time we should just bite the bullet and order two of the sabayon. It is that good.

Thanks to everyone for a lovely celebratory dinner! I love the new space!

[Ferhat Yalcin]

New Year`s Eve Menu

First Course

Parsnip Soup with Tarragon Cream

Island Creek Oysters with Apple Champagne Mignonette

Roast Tail of Maine Lobster with Two Egg Linguine

Blue Crab Blintz with Chayote Slaw

Truffled Duck Egg and Leg Salad

Second Course

Peppered Rare Big Eye Tuna with Sushi Rice and Hijiki

Seared Sea Scallops with Black Truffle Maitake Rice Porridge

Whole Roast Baby Chicken with Arugula and Shallots

Snake River Farm Wagyu Beef Striploin with Rutabaga Gratin and Garlic Cream Spinach

Venison Loin with Chestnut Puree

Dessert

Pineapple Tart Tatin with Pistachio Ice Cream

Hazelnut Bread Pudding

Chocolate Tart with Caramelized Banana

Baked Chocolate Sabayon

Selection of Homemade Sorbets

Happy New Year to everybody from Corduroy Family:

Dan, Katt, Audrey, Carole, Maureen, Peter, Pichan, Meagan, Felix, Paul, Blanca, Lady, Avelino, Victor, Sandra, Daniel, Erin, Tom, Ferhat

[brettashley01]

What is the prix fixe of this menu? And Happy New Year to you all as well!

[Gary Tanigawa]

What is the prix fixe of this menu? And Happy New Year to you all as well!

from Corduroy's website: "Corduroy will be serving a 3 course prix-fixed New Year`s Eve menu on December, 31st, Wednesday 2008. Reservations are available between 5.30pm - 11.00pm. The price of the menu is $75 per person. All reservations must be confirmed with a credit card. To book a table please call Corduroy directly at 202 589 0699 or use our reservations link. Please plan no more than two hours for your New Year`s Eve dinner."

[jpbloom]

The menu looks great and I'm really looking forward to going tonight, but I'm having a hard time understanding why this is $20 more per person than the Thanksgiving and Christmas menus that had some of the same offerings.

[TedE]

The menu looks great and I'm really looking forward to going tonight, but I'm having a hard time understanding why this is $20 more per person than the Thanksgiving and Christmas menus that had some of the same offerings.

Probably to defray the costs of having to stay open for an extra second tonight. Time really is money!

[Bob Loblaw]

The menu looks great and I'm really looking forward to going tonight, but I'm having a hard time understanding why this is $20 more per person than the Thanksgiving and Christmas menus that had some of the same offerings.

I agree. I've been looking forward to this for a while and was eagerly waiting to see the menu. But I don't understand why it's $75 either. Alot of the items are on the regular menu or similar to them (with the addition of truffles). And if you order the most expensive items for each course on the regular menu ala carte, it doesn't even reach $75...