DBGB Kitchen and Bar - American Fare with a French Twist
When it was officially announced this past summer that renowned Michelin-starred Chef Daniel Boulud had chosen to open his 16th eatery in the nation's capitol - DBGB Kitchen and Bar - foodies around the city (and surrounding areas) rejoiced. Situated in the super fashionable, almost utopian-esque City Center, my gourmet friends, Laetitia, Kyle, Aparna and Cecilia, decided to try it out and the meal and experience were inoubliable.
Before I take you on my culinary journey, let's meet the two partners in delicious crime - Chef and Owner Daniel Boulud and Executive Chef Ed Scarpone. Originally from Lyon, France, Chef Daniel Boulud is no stranger to D.C. In 1982, Chef Boulud started his U.S. career working as the private chef to the head of the European Commission. The award-winning French chef and restaurateur now has many successful restaurants worldwide, including Maison Boulud in Montreal, Bar Boulud inLondon, db Bistro Moderne in Singapore but he is best known for Daniel in New York City. Executive Chef Ed Scarpone, originally from Long Island Sound, graduated magna cum laude from Johnson & Wales University. Chef Scarpone was most recently the executive sous-chef at db Bistro in New York City. Together, Chefs Boulud and Scarpone designed a menu for DBGB Kitchen and Bar DC that will tantalize the senses, including dishes from the original DBGB but also items that were tweaked to add more local flavor, like the 'Crabbie' (Maryland blue crab on a burger). Yum!
Distinguished by warm reds and browns, DBGB Kitchen and Bar, is a great mélange of a French bistro and American pub. It boasts a list of beers that every beer newbie or connoisseur would regal in and an array of sausages that every meat lover would clamor over. I have to admit though, one of my favorite parts of the restaurant are the plates designed by Chef Boulud's closest friends including Chefs Bourdain, Pepin, Chemel and Tosi.
Here are some of my favorites.
Now, let's get to the meat of this post .... the food ;-).
Appetizers As we all perused the menu, there were a lot of ooohs and ahhs, but we ended up choosing the rillons croustillants, hand-cut steak tartare and the tuna crudo, a staple from the DBGB NY.
Rillons Croustillants You will want to tempt your taste buds with this pork belly lover's delight. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the rillons croustillants were nicely complemented with a brush stroke of dijon mustard, mini tart cornichons and vitamin A drenched carrots.
Hand-Cut Steak Tartare It is only in recent years that I have developed a liking for steak tartare. Forkfuls of the rich flavor of the hand-cut steak pieces, an example of USDA prime at its best, topped with a little bit of the mini egg yolk will make your palate scream for more.
Tuna Crudo Or as I'd like to call it "melt in your mouth" Tuna Crudo. The tender square-cut pieces of tuna, topped with crispy rice were succulent, the pale pink watermelon was sweet, and the taste of each bite was enhanced by the spicy harissa-sesame sauce sprinkled with a hint of freshness from the cucumbers and radishes. This dish is just plain good.
Main Course We were then ready to dive into the main course. We all ordered our own respective entrées, but I will focus on my selection, which was Boudin Blanc. Boudin Blanc As soon as I saw this dish on the menu, my eyes lit up. Every New Year's Day, since I was a little girl, my parents would make boudin blanc aux pommes. This dish brought me back to those days and did not disappoint. The savory truffled pork sausage with the sweetness of the caramelized apples and the creamy and flavorful pommes mousseline was absolutely divine. It was so scrumptious in fact that I actually wish I had ordered two ;-) Hands down my favorite dish of the night.
Dessert Lastly, the sweetest part of the meal ... and we just had to try out Chef Boulud's famous Baked Alaska. Baked Alaska Named in honor of the territory acquired in 1867, this is also known in French as glace au four or omelette à la norvégienne. This delectable confectionery masterpiece was composed of sponge cake, raspberry sorbet, pistachio ice cream and topped with meringue, which was flambéed to perfection with chartreuse, making for a delightful show at the table.
Not only did we have a great time catching up, but we had the chance to meet and speak with Chef Boulud. As expected, we were all very impressed and Chef could not have been any nicer. Chef, c'était un grand plaisir de vous rencontrer!
If you have been, then this post will just reinforce the goodness that comes out of DBGB Kitchen and Bar. If you haven't yet tried it out, then I highly recommend that you make a reservation immediately and experience it for yourself. Believe me, you won't be disappointed. DBGB Kitchen and Bar is also active on social media. Follow them on these social media channels for the latest, greatest and tastiest - facebook, twitter, and instagram.
DBGB Kitchen and Bar | 931 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 | http://www.dbgb.com/dc/
