Westend Bistro Downtown DC

I've got some good friends. Really. This lunch was a gift from one of them. Of course he benefited as well, as this is a nice place. We started out with some Goat-cheese Fritters. They were served with honey. Fresh from the fryer and piping hot, as they should be.

I know there was a burger hiding in there. Mike ordered that. It was a tasty burger.

The burger, however, wasn't nearly as good as my Skate in a browned-butter sauce. It's nice that the folks here take the time to actually filet the wing and serve it without the cartlidge. It was done perfectly.

We had a side of fries with herbs de provence. Interesting.

For the curious, I took a shot of the menu. They have different menus for lunch and dinner, so don't be fooled by the limited offerings. The winelist is quite nice too. Thank you for a very pleasant lunch Mike and Mr. Ripert. I hope to be dining with you again soon.

Black Market Garrett Park

The main dining room is small. A real estate agent might call it cozy. I think it's one of the nicest places around to get lunch/brunch. This is a shot of the main dining room. They have taken over most of the rest of the former Post-Office building since they started their project in '03.

Crushed ice in your Diet Coke. Nothing could be better on a summer day. The restaurant has a patio too, so when the weather is nice you can sit out front and watch the train go by. The neighborhood it's in is a quaint, quite place. Except for when the train rolls through.

I asked the server if the soup of the day, French Onion, was made from scratch. She said, "Of course it is!" Had to try it. Nicely done. The burgers here are always good. Nice flavorful bacon. None of that microscopic stuff that tastes like shaved nothing. The onion straws are crispy-crunchy-salty goodness.

This was my entree. The smoked turkey/bacon/havarti grilled cheese. Good stuff.

Overall? I recommend this place highly. I always have. It's good for a romantic dinner, or a lunch with friends. The food from Barbara Black's kitchens is always good.

Thanks for reading folks. I'll be writing again soon. My next post should be about Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert.