| Address | 3311 Connecticut Ave., Washington, DC 20008 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (202) 244-6750 |
| Fax | (202) 244-8960 |
Yet another disappointment in DC. A chef friend used to work in this kitchen so we thought to give it a try. The food was really hit or miss. Foie gras was fantastic, the rillette that accompanied it was so so. Otherwise, the whole table enjoyed their apps. The main course was near disaster for all of us. My friend who had a vegetarian pasta dish- her pasta was a salt lick. No one bothered to check the pasta water when it was sent back - restaurants keep one big huge pot of water boiling for all pastas. Well, by the time it was our turn to get our dinner, all the water had obviously evaporated and left only a shallow pool of salty brine. My lamb loin was ordered rare, yet it was dry as a bone. My husband took the pork which was also dry. Clearly the chefs are letting our meat not just rest but sit in the hot kitchen while they wait for the "firing" of our main course. The tuna received good reviews, as it is the only thing that can be cooked as it is plated. The service was excellent - though we didn't get 2 of the wines we ordered but the maitre d' was gracious to provide us with a Croze Hermitage that was to our liking for a reduced priced. Service is excellent - but the chefs need to step up to meet the standards that the front of the house wishes to set.
Always consistently good, I've been a fan of Ardeo since it opened. I almost always get fish, and this time was no different. I had the halibut and it was simply wonderful sprinkled with some sort of exotic mushroom in a light scallop sauce served. I didn't have dessert this time, but I can tell you from visits past that they are exquisite. There used to be a cherry bread pudding on the menu at the sister restaurant Bardeo that sent me into near orgasmic delight.
I like Ardeo. The service is great, and the food is wonderful too. it is a bit overpriced, but that's nothing new in DC. They have more vegetarian options than many of the other new-ish upscale restaurants, at least 2 veg entrees, and they are accomodating to special needs.
My friends and I went to Ardeo for dinner during restaurant week. We were a pretty large group - 8 and the restaurant handled it well. We had 2 late arrivals, but the waiter handled it in stride. Other service was a little slow - our drink orders were taken before water was available. But overall it was good.
We were generally happy with our meals. There were a lot of vegetarian options as starters but only one for entrees so 3 of my friends had to get the same thing. The Pistachio crusted goat cheese salad got rave reviews. No complaints about the calamari and the Mussels were really good (that's what I had). As for entrees - the veggies were happy with their only choice - asparagus risotto. I can't remember everyone elses meals, but they didnt complain. The chicken looked good, and my mahi mahi was delish.
Finally for dessert - the chocolae peanut butter bomb was loved by everyone. The lemon tart was ok - was mostly lemon curd piped over a cookie.
All in alll it was pleasant. We were all pretty happy. It was a nice place to have a larger group, we could talk and hear each other but didn't feel like we were taking over the restaurant.
Unfortunately Ardeo is one of those places where the descriptions on the menu far out do the real thing. Grilled mahi mahi with vanilla almond foam and apricot mint couscous sounds like the perfect balance of savory and sweet, but in actuality it lacks balance and complexity; the barely warm fillet and couscous cake are drowned out by a blanket of cotton candy sweet sauce. the pork tenderloin with beluga lentils scored better in terms of texture and temperature, but the nuances of flavors were also lost in an overbearing smoked tomato compote. the highlight here is perhaps the pistachio crusted goat cheese salad with beets and arugula, though this standard pairing of ingredients is executed better elsewhere -- viridian being the current standout example. Though Ardeo likes to differentiate itself from other DC restaurants with its use of high quality seasonal ingredients, it is obviously still struggling to let those ingredients shine beyond their mention on the menu.
There are a lot of overpriced continental cuisine restaurants that serve the same thing: seared scallops, risotto, duck two ways, and whatever else is trendy at the moment. Very few restaurants are brave enough to serve a fish that no one in our party had heard of, something called lasagna that my Italian grandmother wouldn't recognize but would heartily enjoy, or a cherry financier described as "a cake...uh no...a bread pudding...no..." which was phenomenal no matter what it was. The service was polite and thoughtful, we even got reading glasses for a far-sighted member. The lasagna was so good, I'm craving it now. The risotto and scallops were substantially better than your average continental cuisine, but skip them for some of the more unusual and very tasty dishes.
The space and ambience (nice jazz always playing, but never so loud as to drown out conversation) make this place worthwhile. The food is always fresh and non-fussy, but tilts towards the bland on occaision, particularly soups and entrees. Fish dishes seem to be a strong point and the price point of entrees are $10-15 below comparable cuisine in the area (e.g, Cashions).
I had been to Ardeo's twice before, but this occasion was a special one as it was a first date. It very imortant for me to have an atmosphere that exuded a simple elegance, so as to decrease any anxieties that my date or I may have had. I arrived 30 mins late, but was seated wth 5 minutes of arrivng. The maitre d was most helpful and cordial. Combined wth the fine meal that was ordered, the night was a total success!
Great food for a reasonable price. We sat in the front window which was perfect. We had a great view of the passerbyers as well as the restaurant. The recommended dessert was the only slight disappointment. Would definetly go back!
I liked the fact that although it is a small restaurant, we did not feel other diners were on top of us. We could not hear their conversations at all.
