Washington DC: Central Michel Richard

Washington DC has a food scene! And Central Michel Richard is one of the key players. Did you know? I didn’t…. until Saturday. For dinner the evening before the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile run we went to Central Michel Richard, based on Quinn’s recommendation. One of the greatest perks of writing about food is meeting like minded individuals in other cities who can share the best restaurants, cafes, and dessert nooks.

Central Michel Richard boasts classic American dishes with French flair. To me, the restaurant was decidedly French, especially after I learned I should be pronouncing it cenTRAL and not CENtral. Très embarrassant! Our reservation was for 5:30 PM, the only time they could take us, but perfect since we needed a good night of sleep. When we arrived the restaurant was dead, and I did not understand why they insisted we show up on time for our reservation. 10 minutes later, however, almost every table in the restaurant was full.

PhillyBoy and Jon were not afraid to drink the night before a race, so they ordered a really interesting dark beer. Although it was dark in color, the flavor was very light. Cheers!

The space was simple with clean, modern lines and lots of natural light. The kitchen was partially open which I love, and the service was magnificent. Our server knew the ingredients to every single dish and guided us through our dinner.

Appetizer: Gougeres (cheese puffs) & spinach goat cheese torte for the table to share

First Course: Chopped salads for the girls, shrimp remoulade for my husband, mussel chowder for Jon

Second Course: Roasted salmon for me, fried chicken for the boys, and mushroom and cheese sandwich for Kristine

Dessert: a long walk home…

The bread brought to the table was delicious. It was chewy and soft on the inside with a nice crust, and the unsalted butter served with it was fresh and creamy. The spinach goat cheese torte was the highlight of the evening, with fresh early summer flavors and just the right amount of cheese. Jon’s mussel chowder had the most incredible fragrant broth, and I may have had slight food envy. PB’s shrimp remoulade was dressed smartly, with just enough bite to leave you wondering what secret ingredient the dish contained.

However, my favorite dish of the evening was the side of brussels sprouts I ordered at the last minute. They were some of the best I have ever had (rivaling the ones we had at the Outstanding in the Field dinner in November) and I could not stop eating them. I would go back just for the brussels sprouts.

I could keep writing and writing about the dishes we ate, but really, you must go and try it for yourself.

I am only disappointed to say that we did not have any dessert.
And that I pronounced it CENtral for the duration of our trip.

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While I loved our French flair dining experience, I am half Italian! The latest Into the Heart of Italy webisode takes you on a lasagna making adventure from the very beginning (collecting the eggs) all the way to enjoying the final dish. This webisode is special to me because the lasagna looks much like the one I grew up eating, with bechamel and a ground meat sauce. Check out the video! Three winners will receive a coupon to try one of the Bertolli Frozen meals. Watch the video and email me (sabrina at rhodeygirltests dot com) the name of the famous Egg Man they meet at the beginning of the video. The winners will be randomly selected this evening at 9 PM.