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CENTRAL AND THE JAMES BEARD AWARDS.
Before the day ends, I want to write posts about the Vista health IT system, Obama's social networking achievements, card check, and other weighty topics. But there are bigger things afoot: The James Beard restaurant awards were announced yesterday, and Michel Richard's new DC bistro, Central, won for best new restaurant.
Richard is DC's most recognizable chef due, in no small part, to his own efforts. Central's interior is dominated by a massive, Warhol style portrait of Richard, beaming merrily down at his diners. I know this because I've eaten there twice recently, which makes me a James Beard award winner by association. But I'm surprised because Central is...pretty good. You gotta love the intent of the place, which is high level dining at affordable-ish prices. And the food, at its best, is tasty and playful: The Kit Kat bar dessert is fantastic, and the menu is full of sly takes on bistro standbys (burger! tuna burger! shrimp burger! lobster burger!). But in a couple visits there, nothing that came before dessert actually blew me away. A scallop dish with tagliatelle pasta was drenched in an inexplicably sweet sauce that overpowered both the surprisingly thin scallops and the pasta. Soft shell crabs in a wasabi puree (I think, it was a few months ago) were terrific, but could have used some sort of base to offset the the intense flavors of the crab and puree. The tuna burgers are extremely good, but they feel a bit overpriced at $19. The appetizers involving cheese are great. The vibe is relaxed -- I felt comfortable walking in wearing shorts the other day. And the dining room is loud in a fun, boisterous way. And dessert is, as I said above, arguably the best I've had anywhere.
My hunch is that the restaurant got the win for what it's trying to do rather than what it does: Namely, take a famous chef, preserve his style, and democratize his dining room. In that, it's a qualified success, and hopefully this award will push others to replicate the model. But so far as restaurants go, Central isn't even near the best that DC has to offer.
COMMENTS (6)
Considering the mountains of very, very good "substance" (food) restaurants out there and the relative paucity of very good "style" restaurants, it's not surprising that it got the award. The Beard awards have always been more about what food should be rather than what we already have loads of.
Posted by: Fnor | June 9, 2008 1:30 PM
For those who know how (and have the gastronomic and biz stamina) to make a success of restaurants - when most cities have a very high failure rate for them, 'democratizing' the biz requires singing "I will survive", early and often.
Note the cover story this month in Portland Monthly magazine. [article not online, but very good]: "25 Great Meals Under $25". This from a mag that definitely makes its living from upscale dining and living.
Even the Outbacks and other mainstays of the 'family' food trade are already in hard times. The $100 dinner for two leads to eatery extinction for all but the very best in an economy gone south for the duration (and likely that will be be 2-4 years given the extreme slowness of employment to rebound after business turnaround over the last 8-10 years.)
So, we must do our patriotic duty and continue, but more selectively on price, to keep alive those innovators on price, quality, informality, and GOOD EATIN.
Posted by: JimPortlandOR | June 9, 2008 1:36 PM
That would depend entirely on the quality of the tuna. Good tuna is difficult to acquire and exceptionally expensive when it's available.
Posted by: Unapologetic Andrew | June 9, 2008 1:41 PM
Wha? Umm, ok, the cheese puffs are great. The bar is good. But the last time I actually ate dinner at Central I was made ill from the fish and chips. For three days.
I'll stick with Les Halles down the street, thanks. Less pretense, better steak-frites. (Also, a PHENOMENAL chicken sandwich. Really. Everyone should try it.)
Or, Bistro d'Oc around the corner. Cuter maitre-d', better roti. And great desserts there, too.
Posted by: ajw_93 | June 9, 2008 1:44 PM
Ezra -- you might be interested to know that Vista (in its FOIA open source manifestation) has been ported to run on the OLPC XO laptop. Work is ongoing by the "hardhats" to port a client to the XO also. Goal is to make the system available to third world countries. See here.
Posted by: bemused | June 9, 2008 2:23 PM
If you like that Kit Kat bar, you've got to try the version at Praline, in Bethesda off Sangamore. Much better, IMHO. And the rest of the pastries are wonderful.
Posted by: vorkosigan1 | June 9, 2008 6:58 PM