| Address | 1819 Columbia Road, Washington, DC 20009 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (202) 797-1819 |
| Fax | (202) 797-0048 |
I recently read the review by dcdiner and will completely disagree with the review. I have been eating at Casion's for over 5 years and John and Justin have done a great job maintaining the standards that Ann set for this restaurant.
I dined at the restaurant on Friday and had a really great oyster appetizer and for my entree I had a scallop dish with a curry sauce. John continues to work with new ingredients, but maintains clean flavor profiles. Justin continues to refine and improve the wine selections and the services is always top notch.
I have taken many friends, clients, and dates into the restaurant and have never had anything less than a great experience and continue to rank this among my favorite dining places in DC
I posted this as a comment to the last review, but thought I'd post it here as well:
I tend to disagree with the review; I’ve been eating at Cashion’s for 12 years. The last 3-4 years of the Ann Cashion era were when I didn’t like it — the menu never changed, and the food, while relatively well prepared, was just boring. Since the changeover, though, things have been far more interesting. My wife and I ate at Cashion’s this past Friday night (2/12), and had a quite-nice meal: I had a sumptuous soup and extremely well prepared fish; I forget what my wife had, but she was quite happy with it. And speaking of the bread, it was perhaps the best I’ve had at a restaurant this year; so good that I asked if they baked it themselves. They do not; they get it from a bakery in Alexandria that deals only with restaurants (they told me its name, but I don’t remember it.) The wine list continues to have a wide variety of quite interesting wines on it, fairly reasonably priced — especially if you are willing to leave the old standbys behind. All in all, I was very pleased with our dinner, and I tend to be quite a harsh critic.
Re vegetarianism: I'm a pescatarian. They do have veggie options, so veggies can eat here. They have a habit of putting meat in many of their fish dishes (though I've always seen these disclosed), but in the past they have usually been able to do interesting substitutions or to omit the meat.
The reviews here are very old, when Cashion's was in fact a wonderful restaurant that I visited frequently. Things have gone downhill dramatically.
In fact, the departure of Ann Cashion has had disasterous consequences. I had a Sunday brunch there on 01/10/2010. The food was pedestrian at best - tasteless scrambled eggs and boring potatoes. We could have eaten at any number of nearby (cheaper) diners and had much better food at less cost. On top of that the waitress, without the slightest hint of concern, announced there was no bread because of "delivery problems". Sorry, at a place like that you expect some wonderful muffins or rolls at brunch, not a surly waitress announcing "tough luck".
DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY - my once favorite restaurant is long gone, and the current management, made aware of these issues, made it clear they're not interested. ANN CASHION - WHY ARE YOU ALLOWING YOUR NAME TO STILL BE USED BY THIS POOR EXCUSE FOR "FINE DINING"?
Went for dinner, seated outside, which can be somewhat distracting because of the foot traffic, but pleasant. Table next to us had brought their dog, who started barking at every other dog that walked by--management eventually asked them to leave (maybe should re-think dog policy overall?). Overall very good dining experience--knowledgeable waiter, interesting dishes (particularly the sides). Had the tuna tartare followed by the wahoo, and a banana "french-toast" dessert. Wahoo was probably the least exciting of the dishes--fish was nicely cooked, but side of swiss chard was slightly bitter and purple cowpeas could've been more tender.Tried the fried sweetbread appetizer and they seemed perhaps a tad soggy. Doesn't seem to be a place for vegetarians, although perhaps they can whip up something special for you...
Went to Cashion's on a Friday evening with the boyfriend. The most memorable part of the meal was the rediculous amount of time it took for our food to come. We waited 45 minutes for our appetizer to arrive, then it was another 20 minutes for our main courses - way too much time to wait for a meal! Our main course ( we both had the same thing) of stuffed soft-shell crab and ratatouille was very tasty, but was it worth the price? No way!!! And the appetizer of frito misto (fried veggies) was extremely disappointing, although I must say the fried lemons were inspired. I want to like this place, but the price just isn't right; I can make the same food for a third of the price.
I ate here on a Saturday night with my fiancee and her parents.
I had the wild mushroom fricasee with polenta cake to start. While it was good, the polenta had been sauteed with too much butter and the mushrooms weren't anything special. The mushroom ap at Bistrot Lepic spanks this one. Father-in-law to-be had the gumbo to start and it was one of the best I've ever had (yes, been to N.O.) As far as the main courses, we all had trouble choosing. I ended up going for the filet of nairagi (think striped marlin) with a Japanese-inspired preparation. It was sushi-grade so it was seved rare. The other entrees were duck breasts in a North-African/Mediterranean preparation and halibut with a vin blanc and mushroom sauce. (Two of us got the nairagi). For the duck and the fish, I think Cashion's needs to work on how they describe them on the menu. Neither sounded particularly appealing, yet each was very good. I felt like I was taking a big risk by ordering the niaragi, but it wasn't so unusual as the menu would have me believe. It makes me wonder how the other dishes would actually turn out. For dessert we just split the pistachio ice cream with hot fudge. I would say it was the best pistachio ice cream I've ever had, but I don't eat much of the stuff in the first place. One other note, the waitress seemed to downplay everything we ordered, as if to lower our expectations. "Oh, you want the nairagi? Hmm, well, let me just tell you that it's going to be very unusual and the chef likes to serve it rare and the flavors aren't going to be very recognizable. Are you sure you still want it?" Who wants to hear that? I mean, tell me if the dish sucks, but this is Cashion's; everything's supposed to be good.
I had three appetizers at the bar and each one was unique and full of flavor: spring asparagus with tomato that tasted summer ripe; buffalo mozzarello on toast with anchovies, and lamb liver that was sublime - absolutely delicious. The wine by the glass choices worked well with my food and the service was friendly and attentive. This is world class food in a friendly setting; the bar is perfect for a lone diner.
While the food was excellent, I found the ambiance somewhat lacking. Though I had made reservations more than a week in advance picturing an intimate meal, our table was cramped and crammed inbetween two others. We literally had 10 inches between us and our neighbors and spent the evening trying to block out their conversations. This is ok for a cafeteria but not for a place that one can easily spend more than $100 for a meal for two. I hate to say it, but I was disappointed by my experience there...
Cashion's is certainly a culinary gem in the middle of a bar/ethnic scene that is Adams Morgan. The intimate interior wisks the diner away from its outdoor surroundings and into a space designed almost to look like a familiar living room. The food iteself was excellent, with a number of choices for every pallate from Mexican influenced dishes to a bison steak and some clever fish ensembles. The appitizers were amazing -- don't miss out. Our waitress was excellent.
Trying a new restaurant is like going on a first date—every little detail counts.
The introduction was promising enough: 2004 James Beard Award recipient of Best Chef Mid-Atlantic. What followed was disappointing.
There were painfully long drawn out periods of silence while we waited between each course. The waiter apologized a few times for the delays. Appetizers were good but the entrees did not make any sparks. The pulled pork served with tacos, beans, and rice while good made you think Chipotle's carnitas burrito but twice as expensive. The crispy duck and duck confit crepes were cooked to perfection. Sadly they were wading in a pool of cranberry mint sauce so thick that it tasted like eating spoonfuls of cloyingly sweet jam. We steered away from desserts and settled on the cheese plate.
Unfortunately, we won't be going out on a second date with Anne Cashion.
This is my favorite place for brunch. The little pastry basket is just irresistible! Always warm and fresh.
I had the best service ever for brunch once. Our waitress was just great!
Dog friendly at the outside tables. Avocado and grapefruit salad was delicious and the mussels bruschetta was pretty good. The entree - soft shelled crab - left something to be desired however. Perhaps too early in the season. Struck me as too expensive for what you get.
Gourmet brunch with nothing held back here. The service was fantastic - I didn't learn our server's name but she was a make-your-day great. Apparently she works there every Sunday (brown, shoulder length pony tail). She was on top of the service and the food just about knocked our socks off. Expensive it might be, but goo-ood!
I downgraded service because of the wait for the table and our waiter forgot to put our appetizer order in and we had to remind him. Other than that, everything was wonderful.
The food can sometimes be a little inconsistent and it's best to eat early since dishes can sell out quickly. However, the restaurant's atmosphere is such that it's hard to leave Cashion's feeling anything other than happy with the world and your place in it. At least for a time...
I think I've rated Cashion's before -- but I usually eat in the bar, where the friendly bartenders are great about steering me toward their favorite selections on the menu and finding me a wine to go with. This time, we waltzed in at peak dining hour with a party of four -- and immediately got a table. We had appetizers, entrees, and dessert, plus a nice bottle of red that were all up to the usual high standards. My duck was particuarly good -- cooked perfectly rare as I'd asked. The huckleberry ice cream was the biggest hit -- the angel food cake with huckleberries was ruled bland by comparison. Desserts haven't been the strong suit here since Ann Amernick left, but the appetizers are knockouts and the surroundings so welcoming, the blues-laden background music so perfect, that I always want to come back.
food was solid. wine list was a little weak. espresso angel food cake dessert was a little dry. duck and lamb were perfect. service was decent, but not friendly or entirely considerate.
I often eat at the bar at Cashion's, usually one or two items off the appetizer menu (such as seared rabbit, sweetbreads served with spinach and pine nuts, beet/goat cheese/arugola salad, or the corn cake -- polenta really -- with a ragout of mushrooms) and a glass of whatever the knowledgeable bartender recommends. The lighting is soft, the music is blues and jazz, and the others also having a light dinner at the bar all seem to know each other from the neighborhood. It's a comfortable environment in which a woman can dine alone.
