Spork and Knife

Nothing is better than leaving a restaurant and feeling like you got your money’s worth.  Better yet are the times when you walk away thinking you would have paid more for your meal.  Believe me, with the prices in this city I rarely have to worry about such thoughts entering my head, but last Friday night was a different and pleasant story.

Palena is located in the foodie haven that is Cleveland Park (NW D.C.).  You will find it hidden right next to a gas station with only a fence to separate those pumping diesel from those who are in the area for the good eats.  Once inside the restaurant it’s easy to forget about the neighbors as you become entranced by the smells emanating from the kitchen and allow yourself to unwind in the low lit and cozy atmosphere.   

D and I arrived early (around 6:30pm) to score a table at the front cafe. (They don’t take reservations)  I say cafe and not restaurant because Palena has two options from which to dine.  The back tasting room/restaurant is on a price fix menu with the option of a three ($58), four ($67) or five ($76) course menu.  Selections can make your mouth water with items such as braised beef shortribs, Yukon Gold potato gnocchi , Buddhist style quebec duck legs and Pennsylvania lamb.  Since all three tasting options are above many peoples’ weekly grocery budget I decided to test out the cafe before sacrificing and succumbing to Ramen noodles for the next week.

The cafe is simply the front of the restaurant and works off of its own menu.  Items range from $10-$16 and include tempting dishes such as the now famous Palena cheeseburger, roasted half chicken, pappardelle and grilled California sturgeon.  I had heard rave reviews about the chicken and decided to order what I usually deem “the safe dish”. When I was asked by out waiter, “is a 45 minute wait ok?”  I decided I wanted the chicken, but not that badly and considered it a sign that I was supposed to try the much-talked-about cheeseburger.  Since I was getting the burger (medium-rare) my natural reaction was to order the Palena fries.  Who eats a cheeseburger without fries?!  Me usually. In fact I almost never order a burger, but when the Washington Post says it’s “the best burger is town” you see if what they’re preaching is true.  D finished out the ordering with the papperdelle (ribbon noodles with cauliflower “sugo”, guanciale and shaved pecorino cheese) and I went for a glass ($9 or $10) of the Couly Dutheil Chinon 2006 Cabernet Franc (that’s a mouthful).

The two of us must have had saucers for eyeballs as out waiter placed the plethora of fried potatoes in front of us.  Served over a brown napkin (that soaked up the copious amounts of grease and served as a reminder that I should go on a run later) the plate was overflowing with shoestring and dauphine potatoes (basically a fried dollop of mashed potatoes…yum), onion rings and an unexpected favorite-lemon rings.  What made them all was a little dish of “zippy” mayonnaise, adding just the right amount of spice.  If you’re a french fry lover then don’t skip this dish.  Even though I’m not a huge fan of fries, I could tell that these were something special. 

Giving us just the right amount of timing, the waiter brought over our main dishes after a few minutes of fry coma had passed.  The cheeseburger was glowing from what I’m sure was a thorough coating of butter and peeking through the sides of the house-made bun I could see a layer of gooey cheese (A Northern Italian variety with a hint of truffle) and a white sauce-what I assume was the garlic mayonnaise. 

First Bite Impressions:

Wow!  The meat was cooked perfectly to order with a large center of pink, and each component was beautifully executed.  The bun was toasted to give just the right amount of crunch while retaining an overall softness inside.  The cheese and garlic mayonnaise were both mild flavors that complimented and allowed the flavor of the meat to shine through, but the one thing that really made the burger was an unexpected saltiness that came through in every bite.  It could have come from the truffle, but I suspect there was sea salt thrown somewhere into the mix.  Whatever it was, the burger goes down as one of the best I’ve ever had.  Forget five guys.  I’ll pay the extra $5 and consider it well spent. 

D’s pappardelle was also a shining dish.  The noodles were cooked al dente, the cauliflower “sugo” (AKA simple tomato sauce) had a hint of sweetness, but the guanciale or what looked to me like meatballs really made the dish.  I’m a stickler on pasta and considered the parpadelle something I would order again. 

Though the front of the restaurant is called a “cafe” I would consider it a better dining experience than a lot of the restaurants in D.C.  The menu isn’t as expansive but the 10 options offer plenty to make a satisfying meal.  From the cheeseburger alone, I was able to see the quality and thoughtfulness that goes into Palena’s dishes and one day I will return to try the tasting menu in back. For now I’ll stick to the cafe.  It fits into my budget and is one of the few places I’ve walked out of and thought, “That was worth every penny.”  

Side Note: Palena was included in the Washington Post 2007 dining guide and marked as one of the editor’s picks.  To read the review, click here.       

Palena               

3529 Connecticut Avenue, N.W

Washington, D.C. 20008

202.537.9250