La Tomate: the Ideal Seat on the Veranda in Springtime Washington
Mar 22
Burrata on Arugula, Angel on Heaven
La Tomate
1701 Connecticut Avenue, NW
(202) 667-5505
On a recent day in search of the ideal spot in the sunshine for a pre-theatre dinner, Jeff, Sasha, and I found ourselves on the veranda at La tomate. As for our 4 p.m. “dinner,” I feel like, well thank goodness they seated us indoors when the wind picked up and the cold air began to freeze us out. Now, if only they’d also seated us in the super cool upstairs loft area, we could give the whole place a review from literally every level.
La Tomate’s environment is really nice with loads of pluses no matter where you sit. If you’re in the bar area, it’s a comfortable space with tons of light, tons of windows. If you are in the loft area, you look down on all the action including the cool little prosciutto bar.
From the Prosiutto Bar
And if you are on the veranda in the sun on the corner of Connecticut and R, your friends who have just had their nails done at the salon can show off their latest manicures. In the heart of Dupont, I’m not sure there is a better seat to be had.
Let me begin by quoting James as he remarked about our server, “I suppose he’ll see how displeased I am with the indifferent service, once I leave the ‘tip.’” Indeed after the third request for lemon to help make the unpalatable D.C. tap water go down better, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the near complete lack of service.
I should also add that this absence while it didn’t make our hearts grow fonder of the service, it did lead to a great story from Sasha about same whack-job investment banker whose story became an internet meme about leaving a 1% tip for lousy service. But instead of just leaving a lousy tip, he also wrote on the bill, “You should get a real job.” Really? In this economy? It’s a little hard to complain when you are eating out and perfectly able to afford it. So in an effort to stick to a more precise review of the place, I’ll move on to the food.
The cheese wasn’t on the menu (see photo that is at the top of this blog post), given that it’s a prosciutto bar that gets prime placement at La Tomate. However, the quality of our $12 BURRATA starter was outstanding. Having said that, I must register disappointment with the single-serving portion. It was a little small for my liking, especially as we had mentioned we’d be sharing it. But on its sweet little bed of arugula, it was an ideal cheese spot on a sunny day for one. I’d come back just for the burrata.
Bog Standard Green Salad as a Bitter Green Celebration
The insalata mista is just a bitter ball o’ greens, which they do not warn you about–which for me is a bit unpardonable. However, I enjoyed this stand-out salad for only $7. Now, as you can guess, I love actually love bitter greens sometimes. So since they don’t warn you about the bitterness, I’m here to help.
And my Iberian ham board (again, see the image above) was perfectly carved and deliciously nutty and salty all at the same time. Ideal with the burrata. Did you know that Sauvignon Blanc as a single varietal can come from the DOLOMITI? This fact was was a revelation to me, and their $8 white from the Dolomites not only exists, but also, for that price, it doesn’t offend the palette on a sunny day at Connecticut and R.
Entrees for us included the duck and mushroom ravioli and the skate.
Duck and Mushroom Ravioli
As some of you might know, no fish or seafood passes these lips, but James raved about his fish. The smell was non-existent, always a good sign for fish. And the presentation was a classic California cuisine platter. I was entranced by how balanced the dinner looked.
The ravies on the other hand were thick and rich. I am not complaining; I’m just sayin’. You don’t eat these to stay thin, and they just sit there in a lousy presentation. In the end, you won’t care; you’ll gobble 12 raviolis and fall asleep during the play.
Dessert was a disappointment.
Boring Dessert 2
While James did enjoy his tiramisu, both Sasha and I found our dishes lacking. My zabione was lovely, but the berries really aren’t an early springtime thing yet. These were straight from Chile, and you could tell. I think they need to hold this dessert until the late sumemr.
Zabaione with berries
On a side note, we didn’t see a play. Instead we attended D.C. SPEAKEASY. If you are in town, it’s well worth attending. It’s not a regular occurrence, so you have to plan for it. It’s a loose collection of talented and semi-talented monologuists who tell their stories around certain preselected topics. Check out the site, and if you are coming to D.C., be in touch. Happy to give further travel and eating advice!
| La Tomate | |
|---|---|
| Food Quality |    |
| Drinks | |
| Environment | |
| Price | |
| $40 per person, depending on what drinks you order | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
- See more at: http://www.alunchboxblog.com/a-sunny-spring-day-on-the-verandha/?preview=true&preview_id=2667&preview_nonce=e7d706c770#sthash.yelmGykA.dpuf
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