Greetings All!
Over this Valentine’s Day weekend I visited what now goes down as one of the top restaurants that I’ve ever visited (and I’ve been to several). The name of the restaurant was The Source which is Chef Wolfgang Puck’s Washington, D.C., restaurant. For all of my Washingtonians, this is most definitely a ‘must visit’ restaurant. I’m speaking highly of this place is because I’ve factor in such categories as location/scenery, atmosphere/setting, customer service, price, and overall taste based on the menu offering.There were a few specialty dishes that were on the menu because of this being a special type of occasion (yes, I understand that Valentine’s Day is not that special for some and for what it’s worth, this was the day after). On this day, it was another February with the love of my life (blush).
Anyway, we took our usual Uber option in terms of getting to the restaurant. The Source is located off of Pennsylvania Avenue in Northwest DC, next to the Newseum (the name says it all). The place has large glass windows that offer a pretty good view (depending on your angle) once inside. We were greeted with excellent customer service upon arrival. The interior was absolutely marvelous. I felt as though the vibe was very posh and exuded what DC dining is all about. On the main floor, I viewed the bar area briefly and from what I saw it seemed to be pretty stacked in terms of variety and on this night, a decent crowd in terms of clientele. We dined up-stairs with a decent view of the main street from where we sat (though there weren’t really many people out walking given the weather). Our server was great had a great understanding of the menu to include recommending some of the popular items on the menu.
Of course, we kicked things off with a little champagne for the occasion. Though I’m not a really big wine person, champagne always has the right balance of taste for a romantic dinner. They also had their own cocktail menu that consisted of around sixteen special cocktails. The price for cocktails are a little more than some locations as I remember them being around $16. We didn’t try a cocktail on this evening so I can’t really speak on them from a taste/mix perspective. Given the way the place operated, i’m sure they may have been pretty good mixes.
Champagne Campaign
For the appetizers (yes, an s) we went with the Crispy Frog Legs with Blistered Shishito Peppers, Thai Basil and Fresno Chilies, as well as the Calamari Salad with Jalapeños, Cucumbers, Scallions, and Chinese Mustard Vinaigrette. The portion size was very generous for two and the price was on par with other restaurants in DC. As a matter of fact, given that this is one of Wolfgang Puck’s establishments, the prices were very reasonable for all menu items. I must say that the appetizers were very delicious. I don’t know many people who are fans of frog legs but these were breaded and spiced to near perfection. I’ve always been a big fan of calamari and this was one of the better calamari dishes that I’ve tasted as well. I won’t just strictly say it was the best calamari dish because of the fact that I’ve tried so many forms. Overall, these were to excellent pairings for my taste. In addition, they provided a small green bean dish with roasted walnuts to each table, compliments of the Chef. This was a cold dish but very good.
Our main courses collectively consisted of the Pan Roasted Rockfish with Red Thai Curry Shrimp and Golden Pineapple Sambal, and a Whole Maine Lobster dish which isn’t a regular menu item. I did not try any of the Rockfish but my girlfriend spoke highly of it. Plus, she ate every bit which is something she doesn’t often do unless the food is really good. From a presentation standpoint it looked as though it would be fulfilling from the moment they brought it out. I had the lobster dish and they actually brought the cooked lobster out, separated the meat from the shell, and plated it in front of us. There was some type of spicy puree that was spread over the lobster meat which gave an extra kick. Having cooked lobster on my own on several occasions, I did enjoy their variation. Coupled with the appetizers, the meal in general was very satisfying.
We finished off with a dessert called ‘Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate’ that consisted of Chocolate Soufflé, Chocolate Sorbet, and 10-Year Chocolate Sauce. It’s basically a downright chocolate overload. We typically don’t do many desserts but this one was good though may not be for everyone.
Overall, I stand by what I’ve stated in regards to this being one of the top restaurants that I’ve visited when taking everything into account. This is an Asian Fusion restaurant the dishes aren’t the typical you might expect. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there and it turned out to be well worth the visit. I will visit this restaurant again some time in the future because it left that much of an impact. I recommend everyone check it out if you’re in the nation’s capital. Until then, keep living!
