by Elissa
For Christmas this year, my husband and I decided to take one another out for a nice dinner rather than buying tangible stuff. And we waited until after the holidays were over to give us something to look forward to during the cold, dark days of January. We were able to get a reservation at Komi, which makes most critics' list of top restaurants in DC and whose chef has won a bunch of awards. In fact, the Obamas ate there last year; here they are leaving the restaurant.
{photo credit: borderstan.com}
Don't they look full and happy? Komi has no written menu. You tell them in advance if you have any dietary restrictions, and they then provide you with a multi-course feast. Each course is a bit of a surprise; and the night we went we were served thirteen courses. Don't worry, many of them were only a bite or two, and we left feeling comfortably full, but not stuffed. The servers were all young, knowledgeable, and very attentive, and the dining room was beautiful, if understated.
{photo credit: diningindc.com}
It can be hard to judge a meal like this, because our expectations were sky high. Not every course knocked our socks off, but there were a few dishes that were so transcendent that we will be talking about them for weeks, if not years. The highlight of the meal was the main entree, which was a large piece of slow-roasted young goat. I'm not sure if I've ever had goat before, but this was some of the tastiest, most succulent meat that I have ever encountered. It was served with this incredible house-made pita and a mindblowing tzatziki. Total home run. Other highlights included a crispy ball of spanikopita, a housemade half-smoke (sort of a cross between a sausage and a hot dog), pasta with lamb ragu, and a salted caramel-chocolate-peanut butter-rice krispie square that was the perfect combination of salty and sweet.
Another course that we loved was the roasted date stuffed with mascarpone cheese and liberally sprinkled with sea salt.
{photo credit: dcist.com}
It was a great combination of flavors and textures, and, as far as I can tell, it only contained three ingredients. I may try to recreate this one at home--it would be a spectacular hors d'oeuvre.
All told, it was a memorable evening out. At $135 per person, it's certainly an indulgence. But the quality of the food and the service made us feel like it was actually a pretty good value. We would definitely recommend it for a special occasion dinner in DC. And I think we may make a nice dinner as our Christmas gift for one another an annual tradition!
Did both you and your husband end up with the same menu? Were you able to tell if the other diners had similar menus? I just wonder because I would LOVE to go to Komi sometime, but I am a vegetarian and my husband is not, and I would not want him to be deprived of eating non-vegetarian dishes just because I wouldn't be.
Posted by: Stephanie | February 07, 2011 at 02:05 PM
What a fantastic idea for a gift. And something to make January less long and dull.
I think Obama looks full and Michelle looks happy :)
Posted by: Janssen | February 07, 2011 at 08:58 PM