Stable, Chef David Fritsche's and Sylvan Kraemer's Swiss-American in 13th and H Street NE

[DPop]

No thread on this place?  You're slipping, Don.

My wife and I went to Stable on Saturday night and were very pleased with the offerings.  It's a quaint, if oddly configured space with a dark yet cozy atmosphere.  The food, while certainly Swiss, has some French and American leanings, and tends to be on the heavier side.  I could see this turning some folks off, but on a cold, rainy night for this guy who spent 6 early years of his life in Geneva, this menu suited me just fine.

We started with a couple hearty appetizers in the Famous Stable Wings and the Landjager.  The wings came out piping hot, sitting on top of a Cafe de Paris sauce that added some moisture to the very crispy skin, but in my opinion did not necessarily take the dish to the next level like you would want a wing sauce to do.  The chicken, which the owner told us is a typical preparation for a whole or half chicken, was really lovely, as there was absolutely no flabbiness to the skin.  We finished all of the dish, but I think we might try other items when we return next time.  What we will get next time, though, is the lovely Landjager, a style of sausage that I have always loved but unfortunately not seen as much in the States.  This hard, wonderfully smoked link came with a small pile of pepper and a lovely peppercorn mustard for dipping.  Simple, yet fantastic, my wife was pining for us to order another, but I knew that we would be stuffed to the gills after our entrees.

After going back and forth a few times (and being a bit disappointed by the 4 person minimum for Raclette), we went with the Veal Zurich Style and the Vol-au-Vent.  I think that we wound up going a little safe with our entrees, but it didn't matter as they were both delicious.  The veal is exactly how you would imagine it being a Swiss restaurant; pan seared in a mushroom cream sauce with a side of very crispy Rosti.  Everything was cooked just how it should be and I wouldn't blink if I had to have this again, although I think next time I would probably get the Venison or Pork Cheeks a la Chasseur to really get a feel for the non-cream based cooking.  My wife absolutely loved the Vol-au-Vent, which was a fun preparation that paid homage to the traditional while modernizing a bit, adding some green to the plate with some roasted brussel sprouts on the side as opposed to the french fries.  I got a few bites before she finished it off and shamelessly swabbed up the remaining sauce with the excellent Wurzel bread.

This cooking is devoid of gelees, smoke, foams, or really any modern culinary gimmick, and thus may never be a darling of critics or regional award ceremonies, but it hit all the right notes for a good Autumn/Winter night.  We will definitely be back.

[Kibbee Nayee]

With a name like "Stable" they should have horse on the menu....

[DPop]

1 hour ago, Kibbee Nayee said:

With a name like "Stable" they should have horse on the menu....

And that would be very Swiss of them as well, they love themselves some horse meat burgers

[Ericandblueboy]

Had brunch twice recently.  They have tables set up on the street with cement barriers to keep you safe and giant umbrellas to shield you from ultraviolet rays.  The tables are also distanced.  We always get the chicken liver pate, the bratwurst, and the weisswurst.  The kids really like the chicken liver smeared on their homemade bread.  They also prefer the weiss over the brat.  I think everything's pretty good, washed down with some cold brewskis.

[MsDiPesto]

On 12/4/2018 at 4:51 PM, DPop said:

And that would be very Swiss of them as well, they love themselves some horse meat burgers

I went to a fondue restaurant in Old Montreal that had an "Equus" section on the menu. I did not explore that. 

[saf]

Finally managed to get here tonight (I LOVE fondue.). 3 of us. Cocktails were quite good. We had the pate and the cheese flowers for apps. So tasty. Then fondue - classic. Added some apple slices and side salads. Also delicious. Vermicelle for dessert, along with some of the house infused liqueurs. Another hit.

Courtney was our waiter, and she was great. 

So it's on this list for a return.

[dracisk]

I also LOVE fondue and somehow this place fell completely off my radar. Thanks to @saf for resurrecting this thread!