| Address | 3529 Connecticut Ave., Washington, DC 20008 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (202) 537-9250 |
| Fax | (202) 537-9375 |
I last dined at Frank Rutas Palena with a friend visiting from Manhattan. I always get super defensive about DCs restaurant scene whenever she is in town. Yeah sure, New Yorks culinary Meccas are great though perhaps a dime a dozen (admittedly I love Allen and Delancy, Babo, the Spotted Pig and Double Crown as much as the next discerning New York foodie) but there is something about the chase that makes a good restaurant in DC that much better! Palena would be a lovely neighborhood restaurant in San Francisco or New York but in Washington its a diamond in the rough. Their roast chicken is DCs answer to the Zuni Cafs famous bird and their pastas are probably better than some of our regions self described Italian restaurants. Fortunately my friend agreed with me. We had a perfectly prepared beet salad which illustrated the versatility of the unfairly loathed beet. The salads little roasted beets complemented the freshness of the raw beets on the plate, creating a textured dish that was a pleasure to eat. Another Palena highlight is always the Gimlet. The cocktails lime juice infuses the hard liquor with a vibrancy that stimulates the appetite. I generally forgo the restaurants formal dining room for a more relaxed (and less expensive) meal at Palenas caf in the front of the restaurant. However both restaurant and caf offer lovely meals that will quickly stop all of the DC food naysayers in their tracks. Just be sure to make reservations. While Palena certainly has the look and feel of a cozy neighborhood restaurant its no secret that it offers some of the best food in town.
Fried lemons? Who'd have thought? Palena's thinly sliced, battered and fried lemon slices (on the cafe menu's fry plate) are a treat, their combination of decadent crunch and citrusy tartness a delightful refinement on the flavor combination that inspired the fried pickle. (The only drawback is that one has to endure a mass of soggy fries in order to enjoy the few lemon slices that the plate provides). Other dishes have a more subtle but no less deniable appeal -- every item that we ordered was delicious, from a salad of fresh and roasted beets with (tons of) lobster accented with lime oil and (in a surprising but delicious combination,) cumin to sweet corn and crab ravioli to the lightest and fluffiest gnocchi I have ever tasted.
With the option to order any item off the tasting menu a la carte (as well as off the cafe menu), I honestly don't see why anyone would bother with the main dining room.
My one quibble? The restaurant was freezing! I'd seen overzealous air conditioning mentioned in other reviews of Palena, so I changed into a long sleeved shirt for dinner (it was about 80 degrees outside), but was still cold throughout dinner.
As other reviews have said...the cheeseburger was fantastic. It didn't come with anything in the way of sides, but it was still quite filling. The other orders at our table also went over really well (roast chicken and hotdog). The fried lemons were particularly interesting with the french fry platter.
I was happy with the service too. When we got there, there was a 45 minute wait, but she took our cell phone number to let us know if anything opened up sooner so that we wouldn't have to wait around (brilliant!). As it turned out, it only took about 10 minutes.
Palena Cafe is an absolute must-visit for foodies. I've heard people alternatively rag on and love the barside seating alternative to the dining room -- but truth is, the food is quite excellent. To give you a basic intro, the former White House chef who mans Palena has created a bar menu with many standards reworked to tilt to haute (think house made truffled mayo on the burgers, and such). You can also order ala carte off the dining room menu -- and this is certainly well-worth doing. The gnocchi (from the dining room menu), for example, melts in the mouth, with a velvety texture. The roast chicken from the bar menu (it takes 45 minutes to make) is absolute perfection. The flesh is juicy and tender, with the skin crisped to provide perfect contrast & flavor.
Some rave about the burger, which I've found tasty and a bargain at ten bucks --- as well as the house-made hot dog (very tasty indeed), but one go at these is all I need. I'd rather experiment some more off of the dining room list and rotating bar menu items. But that's just me.
P.S. there's a very nice red zinfandel on the wine list.
The service here is very inconsistent. Out of the four times I've been here, I've had great service once. But the food is some of the best in DC and that's why I am willing to return and pay an above average price. The roasted chicken is BY FAR the best I've had anywhere!
The service was very friendly and gracious but spotty. It gave the impression of a new restaurant where a lot of kinks still need to be worked out. But the food was absolutely fabulous - the roast organic chicken is simply the best, most flavorful and moist chicken I've ever eaten - and I would definitely return to sample more of the Cafe Menu.
We experienced the bar/cafe section of Palena for the first time. We'll definitely be back. For the price, it truly cannot be beat. The Kobe beef cheeseburger ($9) was as advertised - a burger you enjoy for the meat, and don't cover with condiments. The tuna caeser ($12) was on the small side. However, given the quality of ingredients, a crusty bread basket, and complimentary Ann Amernick cookies for dessert, no one left hungry. The only downside was that the beer selection was fairly limited - three choices.
The bar is famous for having a "casual" menu that is more affordable, but when you add up the check you still end up paying out the wazoo. The portion sizes in the bar won't fill you up, but if you're a red meat eater you must try the organic hamburger on a homemade bun with white truffle cheese. Even Divine wouldn't mock this delight. The half-a-roasted chicken took 40 min. and was still bloody. We sent it back and it returned pink!
The Cafe is wonderful. During the spring and summer there are tables outside in the front of the restaurant which are great. While there is noise because of its location right on Connecticut, the staff and the food make it seem like you are far away. I recommend the roast chicken - it takes a while but is worth it. The Cafe's cheese selection makes an excellent shared ending to the meal and of course, the hot dog and hamburger are incredible.
Palena simply cannot be beat. We arrived a little after six and sat outside on bustling Connecticut Avenue in Cleveland Park. You can order here from the "cafe menu" on which everything is $9, or from the dinner menu, which has 3,4 and 5 course-tasting menus and an a la carte option. We chose the $9 cafe menu. We started with a cheese plate, which was out of this world. This was followed by a burger on which no ketchup or mustard was necessary. It is served with a truffle cheese and "zippy" mayonnaise. I don’t care much for mayonnaise but at a restaurant like this you close your eyes and take the chef's word for it—and it is worth it. Also, we had one half an organic chicken that was so juicy and flavorful it was worth the 40-minute prep time (which the waiter warned us about beforehand). As a side we had the "french fry platter" which comes with fries, onion rings, fried lemons (curiously delicious) and fried mashed potatoes--sound good? That’s because it is. Along with 4 glasses of wine, this whole meal was only $80 including tip. The experience, the taste and the prices at Palena are all but unmatched in the District.
Palena Cafe is a terrific value. The food is delicious, and everything is priced at $9. I particularly enjoyed the house-made hot dog with sauerkraut and coarse mustard and the fry plate (the deep-fried lemon slices were a surprise, but a nice counterpoint to the rich potato and onion choices). The service was excellent and the setting is refined, but relaxed. I wish I lived in the neighborhood so I could stop in here more often!
This visit was to the Palena Cafe (aka, the Bar Menu). I've become a regular here and always take friends who are visiting. What does Palena do that makes me rave about it? They take quality ingredients and prepare them simply, but with great skill. It makes you wonder why other restaurants bother with all their gimmicks and complicated preparations. All dishes on the bar menu are $9 and most of them will be the best (blank) you've ever had. Very warm service that hits the perfect pitch as well. Just go, it's one of the best spots in DC. And when you're flush or are celebrating, head to the back room for the full-on menu.
Everything on the "cafe" menu (or, in reality, the bar menu) is between $9-12. I ordered the "Palena cheeseburger," which was served only with two dill pickles and button mushrooms on the side. An additional order of french fries was another $9. The burger was served on an overly toasted and rather flavorless sesame seed bun with a dollop of mayonnaise and some melted cheese and was not particularly flavorful or juicy. I also ordered the "Palena fries" which were very tasty, but the onion rings and potato croquettes that came along with them appeared to be deep-fried from a bag of Ore-ida frozen appetizers. My boyfriend ordered the mixed grill, which was a very small serving, but he thought the flavor was spectacular so didn't mind the smaller portion size. The service on the whole was extremely attentive and quick, with a young and polite staff. However, I informed the staff that it was my boyfriend's birthday that evening, but they forgot to serve the dessert with the candle I'd requested, which was a bit disappointing. Luckily, however, the dessert (a pear tartlet) was delicious and very well made with nice presentation. On the whole, I would not go running back, but my boyfriend thought the place was great and enjoyed the formal ambiance a bit more than I did.
