Thursday, August 14, 2008
Stop the presses for this fine restaurant
Larry Bly
Larry Bly runs an ad agency and does freelance writing in the Roanoke area.
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I keep reading that I'm the last of a dying breed: the avid newspaper reader. I admit it. I've always loved reading my morning paper. And here I am writing for the Internet! Life is odd, sometimes. I not only read our own Roanoke Times daily, but often one or two out-of-town papers, though not as often as I used to.
So what does this have to do with restaurant commentary? The Fourth Estate, which is how the press is generally referred to, is a restaurant in D.C. that's located in the National Press Club building on 14th Street. Its magazine ads claim "Washington D.C.'s finest restaurant." And while that may be up for debate, I decided to give it a try. I give it pretty good marks.
The restaurant is on the Press Club's 13th floor. Most Virginia elevators skip that number and go from the 12th to the 14th, so this took me aback. I'm happy to report that nothing untoward happened as a result of lingering on the dreaded 13th floor. In fact, I couldn't have been more inspired. This floor and mezzanine level are festooned (that's a high-class NPR word) with rows of photos old and new; of Press Club members and guests, which as you might imagine, is a who's who of famous people; a few old typewriters and the front page mastheads (in metal type) of famous papers the world over.
There are photos of a young Helen Thomas, the long-time White House correspondent. Helen, who still plies her trade in town, has covered presidents back to Kennedy and every one since. Though frail and elderly, she's still the one who gets to ask a question at every single presidential press conference. Other famous photos include the press gathered around a wheelchair-bound FDR and several of a sparky Harry Truman. There are photos of Walter Cronkite, David Brinkley, Eric Severeid, and hundreds of others famous and the not so.
While the bar is open only for club members, the restaurant is available to all. Service is quiet, quick and very friendly. My wait person had worked there for more than a dozen years.
There were no famous members of the press, TV news guys or even famous guests the evening we dined here. But drink service arrived immediately, as did some very wonderful artisan breads and herbed butters.
The three of us decided to dispense with soups and appetizers and go directly for the entrees. One can choose from a dozen or so appetizers, including hearts of palm with smoked trout salad, artichoke and smoked blue cheese salad, mini crabcakes with organic green salad, or grilled shrimp with rosemary salad. Soups include roasted tomato with grilled chicken, heirloom tomato gazpacho, and roasted corn and crab bisque.
Under the heading "Hot off the Wire" (get it?): sirloin burgers with fries, fried spicy calamari over organic cilantro salad, or wild mushroom and vegetable risotto, all in the moderate price for lunch portion and priced in the $10-22 range for dinner portions.
I chose a grilled sirloin steak topped with melted blue cheese and served with candied yams, ratatouille and demi-glace. While I prefer a filet, the sirloin, at nearly the same price, was perfectly done and the blue cheese melt was divine. Sometimes a nice sirloin is more juicy, due to the fat content, than a filet. This one had a crunchy outside, was tender, and had a bold grill taste.
One of my other guests enjoyed the pan-seared Chilean sea bass with tomato-crab tapenade. The fish was fresh and the tapenade a refreshing but not overbearing complement to the dish.
Another guest at our table had the shrimp curry over green pea risotto. The curry was a special chef's blend just for this dish. Our guest enjoyed the plump shrimp, which was said to be not overly filling. All of us had eaten large lunches and thus were going light on the entrees this particular evening. The chef's selection for dinner are impressive: grilled free range chicken; grilled lobster and shrimp with Caesar salad; seared tuna with fresh asparagus; avocado and fried plantains; pine nut crusted salmon with roasted fingerling potatoes and ratatouille; and fresh Maine lobster with chive whipped potatoes, plus plenty more entrees.
Entrees in the $25 and up range: grilled rack of lamb; filet mignon; grilled swordfish; pan-seared halibut with creamy risott;, and pan-seared diver sea scallops.
And though we were trying to behave, we could not resist a desert of bread pudding with sauce. It featured the pudding sliced and standing up with the sauce poured around its base. The pudding was out of this world.
The Fourth Estate offers a well-rounded wine list, with everything from California chardonnays to Austrian, German, and French varietals; Spanish and French rose; South African and California cabernet sauvignon; and merlots and zins from Chili, Africa, Argentina.
Oh, and there's an international cheese selection as well: Cahill porters from Ireland; Garrotxa from Spain; Byley Hazen Blue from Vermont; Buche Noir from Maryland; Gaperon from France; Rstico Pepe Nero from Italy; Romao from Spain; Harlach Somerville from the United Kingdom and Sotto Cenere al Tartufo from Italy. You may choose various combinations and platters at varying prices.
The Fourth Estate is open for lunch and dinner. Reservations are requested but not necessarily required. Just now, they're closed several weeks for renovations. Better call first.
They also have a lecture series, probably for members only. Next up will be Billy Joel at an Oct. 23 luncheon. Wonder what the Piano Man could possibly tell the press that they don't already know?
The Fourth Estate
at the National Press Club
529 14th St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20045
(202) 662-7638
