D.C. eating and drinking: A Capitol experience

As a former Congressional employee, I get nostalgic when I reflect on the District of Columbia, particularly as it relates to my two favorite passions: great restaurants and exceptional wines. Back in those post-Watergate days, my income was insufficient to support the sybaritic yearnings I harbored; therefore I was not a frequent patron at the finer eating and drinking establishments in our nation's capitol.

However, I experienced just enough of the city's culinary virtuosity to know that it was a special place. Ditto, the beverage shops which were (and still are) permitted to directly import wines from all around the world, thus eliminating a step or two in the chain of commerce -- and consequently providing consumers with great variety and value.

Thankfully, over the past few decades, access to quality food and wine have only gotten better in and around the environs of Washington, DC.

Unfortunately, I would venture to guess that most folks' impressions of Washington restaurants are of vast steakhouses with glitzy martini bars where lobbyists wine and dine the political elite, and where the quality of the food and wine are secondary considerations to pomp, pomposity and pretense. While there is certainly some truth to that stereotypical image, you might be surprised to know that there are many excellent restaurants and a very large number of superb wine shops in DC.

Just recently, I visited my former stomping grounds for a little R&R, to sample the fare at a much-heralded restaurant and to graze through one of my favorite wine shops. First the restaurant.

Komi (1509 17th St. NW, 202-332-9200): Chef/owner Johnny Monis is a culinary virtuoso who, at the ripe old age of 27, has created a menu of exquisite Greek and Mediterranean-influenced dishes that will knock your socks off! This small, one-room restaurant located near Dupont Circle is staffed by a cadre of very knowledgeable young people who are superbly trained, yet unpretentious. The Prix Fixe menu is not inexpensive, but the delicious culinary ditties prepared by Chef Monis are eatable works of art and certainly worth the price.

My wife and I began this culinary adventure with a glass of Champagne, quickly followed by a succession of nine small appetizer plates. Here's a sampling: Mascarpone-stuffed dates; oven-roasted olives; fava beans and aged pecorino cheese; grilled asparagus with watercress and feta; tiny roasted padron peppers accompanied by a sun choke panna cotta filled with a quail egg yolk and topped with caviar; decadent discs of creamy boudin blanc (a veal-based sausage) seasoned with morel mushrooms that were braised in olive oil and finished with - get this - braised ramps! I chose a glass of a dry Sherry to accompany these appetizers while my wife opted for a glass of Alsatian Pinot Gris.

Surprisingly, these small starter courses only whetted our appetites for the courses to come. For the first course, my wife chose the gorgonzola raviolini with pears and almonds while I opted for the scallop ravioli with chorizo and cauliflower - both spectacular. For our main course, we selected the spit-roasted Katsikaki (baby goat), slow-roasted for 48 hours and served over creamy polenta. We accompanied these courses with a very good Santa Ynez Valley Pinot Noir. For dessert, we split Greek-style doughnuts with a luscious chocolate mascarpone pudding. Ahhhhh.... ! Komi is a special place where the food is wonderfully creative, the service unhurried and impeccable, and the overall experiece truly delightful!

WHERE ELSE TO DINE

Here are a few of my other favorite eating establishments in Washington, with a description of the style of cuisine for which they are noted:

DC Coast (1401 K Street NW): This American-bistro style restaurant is like Charleston's Blossom Restaurant on steroids. It's a very lively atmosphere with excellent food on a much larger scale. The hits here are seafood dishes and a great wine selection at reasonable prices. (You've got to try the mushroom crusted halibut served over truffle oil-infused mashed potatoes and swimming in a beef short-rib broth).

The Obelisk (22nd and P Street, 202-872-1180): Arguably the best Italian restaurant in Washington, this Tuscan restaurant features a Prix Fixe menu which changes nightly and focuses on the wonderful food and wine from that special part of Italy.

Vidalia (1909 M Street, 202- 659-1990): Excellent "New South" style restaurant with an extensive, eclectic and reasonably priced wine list.

Asia Nora (2213 M Street, 202-797-4860): Wonderful Asian cuisine with a healthful, organic bent. Love the Sansho roasted duck breast with shiitake mushrooms.

Café Atlantico (405 8th Street NW, 202-393-0812 ): The focus here is on Latin-based foods with an emphasis on South America. Fun place on three levels with huge cocktail and wine list.

WHERE TO BUY

When it comes to wine and beverage stores, Washington is one of the most competitive markets in the country with hundreds of retail establishments. My favorite shop, however, is Pearson's Wine and Spirits (2436 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-333-6666). Pearson's was founded back in the early 1930s, just after Prohibition, by legendary spirits impresario Walter "Doc" Eisenberg, who passed away in 2004 at age 98. The shop has a storied history and a great following. Current proprietors, Steve Silver and his wife Rae, know their wines and are very consumer-oriented as evidenced by their willingness to open just about any wine for individual customers to taste. The sales staff is also very knowledgeable and the store, in addition to having great prices, has a wonderful selection of wines from all the major wine-producing areas of the world.

On my recent visit, I sampled a number of wines before settling on a few bottles of red and white Burgundy along with a Bordeaux I had no intention of buying until Steve opened it for me to taste. Chateau Lascombes (classified as a second growth in the 1855 Bordeaux classification of wines) is located in the commune of Margaux and until the past several years had fallen upon hard times. But the new owners have resurrected the property using New World equipment and techniques which have improved the wines immensely. The 2004 Lascombes ($50 a bottle by the case) has a nose of coffee, spice and leather with deep, rich, jammy flavors that are somewhat obscured by the mouth-coating tannin that will allow the wine to improve for years to come. This is Bordeaux made in a new-world style from a classic Bordeaux vintage.

You don't have to spend $50, though, to find a great bottle of wine at Pearson's. I purchased several excellent wines in the $12 to $20 a bottle range. Anyway, next time you're in the District on business or to sightsee, stop at Pearson's, taste some wine and then buy a few bottles to take to one of the restaurants mentioned above. If you call ahead, you'll find that most will allow you to bring your own wine if you pay a corkage fee. Enjoy!