Spork and Knife

Another year older. Wow, allow me to utter the phrase that everybody in the known universe says at least once a year…

Where does the time go? (This is clearly a rhetorical question, so please no fancy-pants physics arguments here.)

It feels like just yesterday I was wandering the sidewalks of Cleveland Park when I spastically blurted, “ohh, ohh, ohh…that place looks fabulous.” (That’s right…I was using fabulous way before Christian on Project Runway was a glimmer in Bravo’s eyes)

Fast forward a bit to me drooling, ever-so-lady-like over the Washington Post’s description of the Palena cheeseburger in, “Seeking Bliss on a bun.” Needless to say, I quickly found my way to the Palena cafe and tested the review for myself. (Read here)

After that visit I may or may not have planted thoughts in D’s head that I really reallllly wanted to try the back tasting room. (I’m not above dropping hints. How else to people in this world get what they want!?)

Well D must have picked up on hint # 10,001 because lo-and-behold, he informed me that we had reservations there for my birthday. (please picture eyes popping, hair pulling excitement. ZOMG!)

So just the other night I found myself sitting in the back room of Palena with the cheesiest grin on my face and the thought in my head, “I really hope that those thousand reviews and blog posts were right. If this meal disappoints I’ll never hear the end of it, not to mention I’ll be seriously down-in-the-dumps.” No pressure…none at all.

The atmosphere was a perfect blend of class while subtracting the pretentiousness that some of DC’s restaurants ooze out of every chair, glass and waiter’s side glance. (See the above picture for a visual) The tables along the wall, where we were, sat dangerously close to one another. One of my only gripes. Incidentally, I couldn’t help but overhear that the table next to us was celebrating a birthday as well. (I swear I wasn’t eavesdropping.)

Just at that moment our waiter came over to explain the ordering options in the back room and offer a celebratory Happy Birthday greeting accompanied by two complimentary glasses of champagne (or sparkling wine…I didn’t see the bottle). Point, Palena. It’s not mandatory for a restaurant to offer a little something extra when a patron is celebrating a special occasion, but the extra effort goes a long way in customer satisfaction. I personally appreciated the touch and made a mental note for future celebrations.

While sipping our bubbly D and I perused the menu and contemplated which tasting option to choose.

• Three course offers two savory dishes plus dessert for $58
• Four course offers three savory dishes plus dessert for $67
• Five course offers four savory dishes plus dessert for $76

Not wanting to be accused of a deadly sin, we both chose the three course option. I opted for the Yukon Gold potato gnocchi with a Tuscan style sauce of hare and olives as my first course, the swordfish as my second and a white chocolate, strawberry tart for dessert. D went with grilled octopus, lamb and a chocolate coconut cake with a side of coconut ice cream.

We also ordered a glass of the Cabernet Sauvignon ($12) each. Our champagne glasses were dry and this was a celebration!

This is the part where I say, the reviews and food chatters did not disappoint. (Read Washingtonian and Washington Post reviews) As Tom Sietsema put it, “the actual food shows up, and you find yourself staring — and admiring — still lifes of fresh ingredients.” The staring may not have lasted too long because I couldn’t restrain myself from digging into each dish with the enthusiasm of a child at Christmas/Hanukkah, etc. (This is the point where I fully admit to having an overly excited reaction to good food.)

The gnocchi, a personally unusual choice, was light and flavorful and sitting in a sauce that caused me to contemplate licking my plate. My manners got the best of me (that and a mental picture of my mother and her “didn’t I teach you better” stare), but put that earthy, buttery sauce on cat food and I may just have-a-go. (May being the operative word.)

The swordfish was light and flavorful, served among a helping of vibrant and fresh vegetables, and not a scrap was left on my plate. The same went for D’s dishes, with the lamb causing both of us to swoon slightly in our seats. I’m pretty sure D took each bite at a painfully slow pace, lingering over the flavors, and again the sauce!

The two hour dinner rounded out with a strong showing on desserts. So many restaurants leave this part of the meal as an afterthought, but the strawberry and white chocolate tart and coconut chocolate cake finished with high marks. A star that charaded as an accompaniment was the coconut ice cream served with D’s cake. Creamy, packed full of flavor and topped with toasted almonds we both kicked ourselves for not ordering the other ice cream option on the menu (cinnamon). Oh well, there’s always next time. And I’m sure they’re will be a next time.

While the tasting room is definitely not cheap, in any sense of the word, the value for your dollar is high. The atmosphere, attentive service and quality of the food make Palena’s tasting room a dining destination. It may be awhile before I return, but I’ll be content to enjoy myself in the cafe, getting a taste of what awaits me on my next tasting room experience.

If you’re celebrating a special occasion or just looking for a little indulgence, keep Palena in mind. I did notice that the table sizes in the back room were small, so parties larger than 6 may be out of luck.

Palena

3529 Connecticut Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20008

202-537-9250