Convivial, From the Owners of Mintwood Place - 8th and O Street in Shaw

[saf]

2 hours ago, eatruneat said:

Chestnut & Foie Gras soup

Years ago, we did a Christmas eve at Vidalia. That was the first time I had chestnut soup. So good. I love chestnut soup now. Foie Gras also one of my favorite things. Together, I bet that was amazing. 

[DonRocks]

13 hours ago, saf said:

Years ago, we did a Christmas eve at Vidalia. That was the first time I had chestnut soup. So good. I love chestnut soup now. Foie Gras also one of my favorite things. Together, I bet that was amazing. 

Tom Power used to put Foie Gras into his Chestnut Soup, but I'm not sure he does any longer (hey Tom, if you're reading this - is there any way to put in a special order for this)?

[Mark Slater]

22 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Tom Power used to put Foie Gras into his Chestnut Soup, but I'm not sure he does any longer (hey Tom, if you're reading this - is there any way to put in a special order for this)?

Jean-Louis Paladin used to make the richest chestnut soup with lots of pureed foie gras in it. Michel Richard also used this recipe. The most decadent soup I've ever had. I used to pair these soups with Tawny Port or Malmsey Madeira. 

[DonRocks]

Dinner Menu 3.19.21.pdf

 (!)  (!!)

One order each of ! and !! would make a perfect carryout dinner for an adult couple with medium-sized appetites.

[zgast]

8 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Dinner Menu 3.19.21.pdf 294.01 kB · 7 downloads

 (!)  (!!)

One order each of ! and !! (*) would make a perfect carryout dinner for an adult couple with medium-sized appetites.

God that looks good.  5 months on from my last restaurant meal (other than what can be delivered).

[DonRocks]

On 3/23/2021 at 6:29 AM, zgast said:

God that looks good.  5 months on from my last restaurant meal (other than what can be delivered).

Got the bouillabaisse again this past Sunday for carryout, and it was just as good as it was dining in a week earlier. Wow, what a great dish this is: Throw in all the bread, go heavy on the rouille, mix it all together, and you'll have a great stew that's almost enough for two people (although both will be fighting over the one giant prawn-thing).

[ktmoomau]

Went to eat outside with friends.  We got the three course menu. I started with the cauliflower, which was really good with beet, tahini, zatar, but just  ahuge portion and I ate too much.  I had bouillabaisse which was a really great dish, but I couldn't finish it because I had eaten too much cauliflower and dipped too much good bread in the broth.  For dessert I had a chocolate hazelnut layer cake.  It was too much food, so I took it home and enjoyed it the next day, it was still really good.    The patio was really nice, our waiter was funny and nice, wine was good, we had a really nice meal.

[Ericandblueboy]

Had a wonderful brunch today.  Started with the Pâté en Croûte (foie gras, duck breast, cured pork shoulder, veal sweetbread) and Brandade Beignets served on top of ratatouille.  The brandade is mixed with mashed potatoes and then fried, so it's really more of a croquette than beignet, but delicious nevertheless.

Then we had Shrimp & Grits, and Quiche with leeks and gruyere.  I don't think the shrimp & grits are anything special but the shrimp were tender and the grits were creamy, so very well executed.  I haven't had quiche in a while and almost never order it at a restaurant but the version here is fluffy and flavorful.  The kids actually thought the quiche was the best dish of the day.

[DIShGo]

We had the bouillabaisse last night to go, along with Michel's hazelnut bar for dessert. Both were outstanding. The bouillabaisse is the perfect take-out dish that reheats well at home. 

[Ericandblueboy]

Steve and I went to check out the $75 5 course tasting menu last night.  I would say the portions are quite generous and many dishes were quite salty, but overall well worth the money.

Bisque Homard - classic bisque of Atlantic lobster with cognac & cream.  Delicious but definitely quite salty.

Boudin Blanc a la Périgourdine - Guinea Hen, foie gras, black truffle, butternut squash mousseline.  A very smooth sausage - I couldn't tell that it had Guinea Hen, foie gras or black truffle.

Flétan en Croute de Poireaux - slow-cooked leek-crusted Halibut, in a sauce Chablis.  I loved the leeks, and I thought the fish was fine but Steve complained that the fish wasn't flakey.  Yes the fish wasn't flakey so texturally it wasn't perfect.  

Canard Muscovy en Deux Façons -roasted breast of Muscovy duck, crispy duck leg 'cigarillo', braised turnips, griotte-Armagnac gastrique.  The cigarillo (looks like tiny springs rolls) were very salty but the duck breast was nicely cooked (medium rare).  I didn't finish the dish because I was getting full.

Nougat Glacé - frozen parfait of white chocolate, caramelized pistachio, candied orange zest.  

[Pat]

On 10/30/2021 at 6:01 PM, Ericandblueboy said:

Nougat Glacé - frozen parfait of white chocolate, caramelized pistachio, candied orange zest.  

I don't get desserts very often, but that sounds wonderful.

[Ericandblueboy]

@Tom Sietsema fairly recently wrote about some new old school dishes at Convivial.  So Steve and I went to check them out. 

We started with Quenelles Nantua (light crayfish dumpling, Cognac-cream sauce, dill, trout caviar).  I've only had the pike quenelles at La Chaumiere before and was eager to try a different version.  I have to say the textures are similar, i.e., light and fluffy.  The dumpling (there's only 1) itself didn't have a ton of flavor, but the sauce is intense, like a lobster bisque.  The crawfish were overcooked and not really worth eating.  At the same time we had Pâté en Croûte (foie gras, duck breast, cured pork shoulder, veal sweetbread, Banyuls-pork reduction, pistachios, savory pie crust).  These went very well with the freisee salad.

For our entrees, we had to try the Pithiviers de Pigeon, with "layers of green cabbage, foie gras mousse and squab (young pigeon)...beneath a veneer of puff pastry."  That dish is amazing - super tender squab and luxurious foie gras.  Lastly we ate Cassoulet au Confit de Canard (confit duck leg, Toulouse Sausage, cured pork belly, garlic sausage, stewed Tarbais Beans).  It was tasty but we couldn't finish it - too much protein.

With wine, dinner was about $100/person before tax/tip.  Well worth the money.

 

[DonRocks]

We went to Convivial on Valentine's Day and had their prix fixe meal for two, and it was wonderful, start to finish:

[curls]

Has anyone been here recently? Any recommendations? Thank you.

[Mark Slater]

On 8/12/2022 at 8:53 AM, curls said:

Has anyone been here recently? Any recommendations? Thank you.

I see the steak tartare is still on the menu. That and the onion soup makes a great meal!

[Pool Boy]

On 2/12/2022 at 3:37 PM, Ericandblueboy said:

@Tom Sietsema fairly recently wrote about some new old school dishes at Convivial.  So Steve and I went to check them out. 

We started with Quenelles Nantua (light crayfish dumpling, Cognac-cream sauce, dill, trout caviar).  I've only had the pike quenelles at La Chaumiere before and was eager to try a different version.  I have to say the textures are similar, i.e., light and fluffy.  The dumpling (there's only 1) itself didn't have a ton of flavor, but the sauce is intense, like a lobster bisque.  The crawfish were overcooked and not really worth eating.  At the same time we had Pâté en Croûte (foie gras, duck breast, cured pork shoulder, veal sweetbread, Banyuls-pork reduction, pistachios, savory pie crust).  These went very well with the freisee salad.

For our entrees, we had to try the Pithiviers de Pigeon, with "layers of green cabbage, foie gras mousse and squab (young pigeon)...beneath a veneer of puff pastry."  That dish is amazing - super tender squab and luxurious foie gras.  Lastly we ate Cassoulet au Confit de Canard (confit duck leg, Toulouse Sausage, cured pork belly, garlic sausage, stewed Tarbais Beans).  It was tasty but we couldn't finish it - too much protein.

With wine, dinner was about $100/person before tax/tip.  Well worth the money.

 

Wow that looks incredible!!

We were there last I think in early spring and really enjoyed it like all the other times before. I am moving this up on our rotation as of now.

[eatruneat]

The sale of our old condo took place the same week as Winter Restaurant Week. To celebrate no longer carrying two mortgages, @MichaelBDC and I joined our friend at Convivial for dinner. An overall fantastic meal was had by all. 

The friend, who is quite the connoisseur, started with the escargot and then had the boeuf bourguignon. He declared both to be fantastic and literally gave an applause. @MichaelBDC had the octopus with potato salad to start and followed it with the trout almandine. While skeptical of the "potato salad" accompaniment to the octopus, @MichaelBDC ended up loving this dish and still talks about it nearly a month later. The potato salad was nice and salty to perfectly complement the octopus. The trout was also great and a perfectly composed dish. I started with the chicken liver parfait and followed it with the cassoulet. I loved both dishes, but I think I didn't assemble my meal right, as in it was too rich and I couldn't appreciate the cassoulet after the chicken liver parfait. Gotta mix it up next time. 

Convivial has fallen off our radar the last year or so, but this meal reminds us that we need to make it back more often. 

[Steve R.]

Spur of the moment decision yesterday to spend a 4 night/3 day weekend in D.C. mid-July.  Booked into the Hilton near the Wharf (L'Enfant Plaza) since they bent over backwards to give us a "big room with a city view" & to house our car without charging us their usual big city valet $$.  Our trip is intended for us to finally go to places that we cant believe we've never gone to, so we have a tour of the Capitol Bldg, a pass into the Library of Congress, one to the African American Museum, and possible visits to the Supreme Court building and the White House scheduled.  It's amazing that we've been to so many places in D.C. without being to any of these.

Keeping with the theme, we've reserved our 1st night dinner at Convivial.  We loved it in 2018 & the current menu, while not the innovative stuff that we had back then, is exactly what we love(d) eating in Provence and Paris.  He had me at Quenelles (nantua to boot!).  Looking forward to it.

(not that this is the place to list our other restaurant decisions (I'll write them up in more appropriate places) but we're going to Zaytina and Oyamel, two places we've neglected and really need to go to even at this late date.  Also going to Officina on the Wharf because -- well, why not - sunset, etc).

[Ericandblueboy]

Seriously, don't bother with Oyamel.  It's never been a good real Mexican restaurant.  I would highly recommend Rooster and Owl.  I haven't been to Zaytina in 10+ years and have no intention of ever going back.  Officina I used to love but the menu just doesn't appeal to me as much these days.  Check Beuchert's Saloon for interesting pasta dishes.  Try the pigeon at Convivial.

[DonRocks]

4 hours ago, Steve R. said:

Spur of the moment decision yesterday to spend a 4 night/3 day weekend in D.C. mid-July.  Booked into the Hilton near the Wharf (L'Enfant Plaza) since they bent over backwards to give us a "big room with a city view" & to house our car without charging us their usual big city valet $$.  Our trip is intended for us to finally go to places that we cant believe we've never gone to, so we have a tour of the Capitol Bldg, a pass into the Library of Congress, one to the African American Museum, and possible visits to the Supreme Court building and the White House scheduled.  It's amazing that we've been to so many places in D.C. without being to any of these.

Keeping with the theme, we've reserved our 1st night dinner at Convivial.  We loved it in 2018 & the current menu, while not the innovative stuff that we had back then, is exactly what we love(d) eating in Provence and Paris.  He had me at Quenelles (nantua to boot!).  Looking forward to it.

(not that this is the place to list our other restaurant decisions (I'll write them up in more appropriate places) but we're going to Zaytina and Oyamel, two places we've neglected and really need to go to even at this late date.  Also going to Officina on the Wharf because -- well, why not - sunset, etc).

Pass on Zaytinya and Oyamel; go to Albi (get Sfeeha, Coal-Fired Mushroom Hummus, and Branzino smoked over coals), and L’Ardente (for Lobster Thermidor) if you can get into either. Also, get carry out from Gemini (formerly Happy Gyro, formerly Komi). Convivial is still good!

[Pat]

I agree on getting to Beuchert's, but I must speak up in defense of Zaytinya . I've had a couple good meals there in the past 6 months. The menu is not as large as it used to be, but I still find it worth a visit. Depending on the logistics of your various day appointments, you might want to try reserving for lunch there instead of dinner. I'm pretty sure the menu is the same, since I've done one of each meal in that 6 months.

If you can't get into Albi but can swing by/through Georgetown, you could stop for a quick daytime bite at Yellow on Wisconsin Avenue. It started as an Albi pop-up cafe next door to the restaurant and has relocated across town.

[Steve R.]

Thanks all.  Look at it this way: I'm sacrificing myself so that you all know how good, mediocre (or bad?) both Zaytina and/or Oyamel are these days.  Convivial is a must for us given our past experience there and love for the stuff on his current menu.  The 2 others are like our tour itinerary - places we shoulda gone years ago, but never did & we want to say we have.  And now Pat has given us some hope.  Albi is constantly highly recommended & a possibility: generally impossible to get into but, since Chris (The Green Zone) is somewhat involved, maybe doable.  Or maybe it'll be the place we go 10 years from now, having missed its prime 🙁

13 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:

...Try the pigeon at Convivial.

Probably will.  Almost this exact dish was a hit for us twice at Clown Bar in Paris.  I don't remember cabbage in theirs but, if Convivial's pastry shell is half as good (not to mention the squab)...