| Address | 2121 P St., Washington, DC |
|---|---|
| Phone | (202) 956-6650 |
I had dinner in this space back when it was Gabriel something like five years ago. If you were ever at Gabriel, the difference is night and day, and I mean that near-literally, as Gabriel had some sort of sun-like logo and a bright reddish-orange interior, whereas Urbana, with its dim lights, dark wood, and grayish interior is clearly devoted to those who appreciate subdued lighting and late evenings. Urbana is a modern, sleek space with a classy wine bar area, spacious dining area, and a bar overlooking the kitchen. There is also an enclosed private dining area for groups of about a dozen.
I ended up having to make a last-minute choice for dinner for a group of six on Saturday night (8/12). I had been in Urbana a few weeks earlier for drinks, and wanted to try its menu, so I called Urbana around 7:15 p.m., and the hostess told me that she could seat my party at 9 p.m.
We showed up around 8:45 p.m., and the hostess seated us immediately. She informed us that we were being placed in the private dining room, an enclosed rectangular room in the rear of the dining floor, close to the lounge area. I did not ask, but I would guess that the long table seats about a dozen people. Our waiter informed us that we were only the second or third party to sit in the room since Urbana opened. He was apologetic, saying that the restaurant was still calibrating the lighting and sound system in the private dining room (though we noticed no problems with either).
The menu is fairly long (though still, unfortunately, unavailable on the restaurant's web site). The different menu headings include appetizers, salads, crostini, pastas, pizzas, and entrees.
We ordered the following:
Corn battered figs with Gorgonzola cheese: I did not eat any of these, as I generally do not eat cheese. No one was impressed with this appetizer, though no one actively disliked it either; everyone seemed to feel that it was an interesting concept, but the actual execution was not something anyone deemed worthy of ordering again.
Brandade beignets: Six fried, battered balls of pureed potato and cod served on a thin, white, rectangular plate, the beignets were universally lauded by the four of us (including myself) who tried them. Admittedly, it is difficult to mess up anything that involves battering and frying, but the beignets' filling had a soft texture, savory flavor, and enough fishiness so as not to betray the taste buds of fish fans, but not so much fish flavor that hesitant fish eaters will reject them. The garlic aioli accompanying the beignets was a good rendition of a now-ubiquitous condiment.
Crostini: The crostini plate is a simple piece of well-toasted bread that, though I may be wrong, seemed to be French bread, based on its flavor and thickness. Diners have a choice of three spreads. One involves heirloom tomatoes, though I do not remember in what form, another mushrooms, and the last one, which we ordered, was a white bean-garlic spread. The white bean-garlic spread was slightly cold and had a texture slightly thicker than I expected. It did not have a strong flavor, though the garlic was not completely mute. I did not mind the crostini, but, in light of a bread basket with both better bread and a better spread, I would not order it again.
Chilled Gazpacho with tuna tartare: I infrequently order gazpacho, so I am not going to compare Urbana's gazpacho to any other restaurant's. Our server, in answer to my pre-order inquiry, told me that Urbana's chef's version does not have any chunks of vegetables in it. The gazpacho came in a very shallow bowl and was thin, sweet, and well-served by my addition of ground pepper. I was ambivalent about the gazpacho, but recognized that it largely served to prettify the small mound of tuna tartare in the center of the bowl. The tuna tartare tasted exactly as it should, though it does not differ in any noticeable way from any other restaurant's version. Please note that this dish normally comes with black olives as a garnish, which I asked the kitchen to hold.
Heirloom tomato salad: This was one of the most attractive dishes in terms of presentation. It is served on a very long, white rectangular plate and features sliced heirloom tomatoes (green and red, from what I observed), mozzarella cheese, and a caramelized onion vinaigrette. I did not try this salad, but the diner who ordered it liked it enough to clean her plate (though we had to ask the waiter to clarify that the menu referred to a vinaigrette, not actual caramelized onions on the plate).
Bread Salad Nicoise: Crouton salad with lemon vinaigrette and minimal mixed vegetables, including cherry tomatoes. Really. If that sounds good to you, super, order it and you'll love it. If it sounds like a questionable use of nine dollars, order the crostini, break it up, and order a side of dressing.
Watermelon and fava beans: This is a relatively small, simple salad. Two large squares of seedless, sweet watermelon serve as the foundation for bitter greens and a white, sheet-like cheese. Fava beans ring the plate, tracking a thin ring of olive oil. I tried this salad (avoiding the cheese) and found the sweet/bitter contrast really appealing. I did not, however, see how the fava beans fit into the picture, though I enjoyed them separately.
Entrecote of beef: I did not try this entree, but the diner who ordered it said it was outstanding, appropriately tender, juicy, and flavorful. It came with an interesting potato side shaped to look like a cross-section of bone.
Quattro Fromaggi and Heirloom Tomato pizza: This is not a personal pizza. Served on a long, rectangular wooden board, this was a sizable pizza appropriate for two, or for splitting as an appetizer. It smelled great (and this coming from someone who does not eat cheese), and the person who ordered it and another diner said that the pizza was firing on all cylinders.
Pea Agnolotti Chorizo and Lobster: Urbana has four types of pasta available in half or full orders. Two diners ordered the agnolotti half-orders, and both enjoyed it. One, in fact, loved it so much that she was still talking about how good it was an hour or two later. The pasta actually plays a very small role in the dish. Served on a medium-length rectangular plate, the pasta pieces make intermittent appearances throughout small-to-medium sized chunks of lobster and thin discs of chorizo. The peas' green is a nice contrast to the reddish-orange sauce running the length of the plate. I had one bite of lobster, and it was delicious, not too chewy, and well-complemented by its sauce. I rarely eat pasta, but I would happily order this dish in the future (sans sausage).
Summer vegetable aronchini: My girlfriend and I ordered this vegetarian entree with zero idea what to expect. The menu description is brief, indicating that the dish involves carrots, peas, and asparagus. What we got was similar to risotto croquettes: creamy rice mixed with chunks of fresh vegetables and fried into brown cylinders, then halved. The kitchen was nice enough to split the entree into two (again, rectangular) plates for us, completely unprompted. The dabs of sweet tomato sauce on the plate are nice, but the aronchini was better paired with the aioli left over from the beignets. This entree was good, but unabashedly deep fried, to the point that the frying bordered on overwhelming the food. It also could have benefited from more veggies and less risotto.
Mushroom risotto: This dish made an unexpected appearance on our table (more on this later), but I can guarantee that the next time I eat at Urbana, it will be at our request. This risotto was of a different kind than the fairly standard risotto in the aronchini. Far creamier and more enjoyable, the risotto was grayish in color and packed with similarly-colored mushrooms. A few steamed chunks of carrots (and less colorful leeks) added a balanced solidity to the otherwise creamy dish. Thin sheets of fried zucchini rind gave the dish flair, and tasted very much like Rasika's famous fried spinach palak chaat. My girlfriend and I were already full when this dish showed up, but did not hesitate in putting a significant dent in it as soon as we had our first taste.
The six-dollar duck fat fries came highly recommended by our server, and were good, though maybe not worth their price, in light of the smallish serving in a shallow round dish. One diner mentioned that the duck fat fries reminded her of her father's home-cut fries: medium-thick, soft, with not much difference in texture between the interior and exterior, and colored a deep, dark brown. They were minimally salted and served without a condiment. Unlike Nage's truffle fries, Urbana's duck fat fries are actually good enough to be served unaccompanied.
The service last night is deserving of special note. The hostess who answered the phone was pleasant and accommodating, even though I was forced to call during what was, presumably, the busiest part of Saturday-night dinner. The hostess who greeted us (possibly the same person) was appropriately welcoming and made us feel special by notifying us that she had placed us in the private dining room. Our waiter, Joseph, was absolutely the most enjoyable waiter or waitress I have dealt with in memory. He was enthusiastic about the menu, knowledgeable about every dish we inquired about, gave us his advice about the highlights of each section of the menu (and noted the few dishes he felt were sub-par), and encouraged us to let him know our thoughts on everything we ordered, as the menu is still evolving, and he likes giving the kitchen feedback. He kept my coffee cup filled (and ended up not charging us for the coffee), sounded genuinely interested in how the dishes were received, and generally made us feel like he was dedicated solely to our table.
As I noted above, we did not order the mushroom risotto. The kitchen, as I mentioned, was nice enough to split the aronchini into two plates for my girlfriend and me. When the runner brought the plates out, he dropped one of the croquette halves (each plate originally had one croquette angularly sliced in half) on the floor, so that my plate ended up with only a half-croquette. That was absolutely fine with me, as I was near-full at that point, and I told the runner, who was apologetic, that it was nothing to worry about. Joseph noted what had happened and told us that the chef wanted to make it up to us by sending out an order of the mushroom risotto. We politely declined, not feeling any sense of entitlement over such a small error, but the chef ended up sending the risotto out anyway, and, as I said, the risotto very much ended the meal on a high note.
Two of us split the check, and we had no reservations about tipping Joseph slightly more than 25% (after tax) on a $235.40 check (which included about $50 in cocktails and wine). He earned every cent and, though some dishes were better than others, Urbana's food and service combined to make this one of my better dining experiences of the year.
