Better Know a District: Citronelle
@CitronelleDC was the best meal I’ve had in my life. I realize many of you will balk at me for throwing that out there, but for me and my husband both, it’s true. We kind of gave each other a “seriously?!” look when discussing it, but we stand by it.
We’ve been to all the great restaurants in the area - Inn at Little Washington, Komi, Minibar, Volt, CityZen, L’Auberge Chez Francois, Marcels, etc. All of them were fabulous, all were memorable, all served us an outstanding meal, but Citronelle, from start to finish, was absolutely flawless.
The occasion was our 5th wedding anniversary. We wanted a special meal at a restaurant we’d never before been. Citronelle had been on our list for years, and we decided this was the year to try it. Going in, I don’t think either of us thought that Citronelle would move to the #1 spot to beat out Inn at Little Washington, which is the meal we enjoyed the night we got engaged. Perhaps it was helped by the fact that after five years of marriage, we are that much more in love.
Citronelle is a multi-tiered restaurant tucked into Georgetown’s Latham Hotel. The interior is clean and crisp, with warm and modern touches. White tablecloths, minimalist china, glass walls separating the dining room from the wine cellar, and light panels which rotate colors, adding a dream-like glow to the room.
We were greeted by the kindest wait staff. If felt like we had a whole team attending to us, and it occured to us throughout the meal that each one of them seemed to have a personal relationship with the food. They helped guide us through the menu with a real, deep-seated passion for the food.
After we placed our order, they quickly served the amuse bouche. All three melted in our mouths, but the chive and gruyere tart was my personal favorite.
Our sommelier was not only knowledgeable, but also conversed with us as if we were old friends, talking about friends, family, and experiences in our lives. She helped us pair 2 glasses of white wine with each of our first courses, and gave a welcome seal of approval on the bottle of red my hubby chose for our main course. The wine selections were splendid.
For his first course, my husband ordered the signature Tuna Nicoise. The dish was prepared “napoleon style” with layers of thinly sliced tuna and potato tuile. The “egg” you see perched atop the napoleon isn’t actually an egg. The “egg white” is mozzarella cheese, and the “yolk” is made of a yellow tomato confit. Michel Richard’s dishes are skillfully and playfully created by the hands of not just a chef, but an artist. My husband says it was the best appetizer/1st course he’s ever had (and he’s not even normally a tuna guy.)
The calamari risotto was also much more multi-dimensional than I had anticipated. It was a medley of seafood, including calamari and mussels, and the risotto was topped with house-made raviolis, poached quail eggs, and what tasted like house-made cocoa puffs.
Our entree was the star of the show: the 60-hour braised short ribs with peppercorn sauce, served for two. Handmade French knives are brought out for cutting the meat, but in all honesty, a fork was all that was needed - it was that tender and juicy. I would give anything to see with my own eyes the sous vide technique for cooking this meat. It melts in your mouth. The waiter was grinning with excitement when he brought it out, and I can understand why.
Served with the short rib are sauteed vegetables, a napoleon of potato tuile and mashed potatoes, and house-made tater tots. The creamy and crunchy textures of the potato napoleon made it the perfect accompaniment to the short ribs. The tater tots added an almost over-the-top element, in terms of the richness of this course. We could have done without them, while still being just as blown away by this incredible dish.
We’re both chocolate-lovers, so for dessert, we ordered the Chocolate Degustation, featuring a chocolate bar, a dark chocolate tart, a bite-sized chocolate chip cake, and a chocolate ice-cream pop. Divine. Just when we thought we couldn’t put another bite in our very happy bellies, a small tray of petit fours was brought out.
I don’t know Michel Richard personally, but I do know that he is an incredibly talented man who has a gift of sharing his love of food (and art) with the world. You can’t eat in his dining room without feeling exhilarated and transported to a place you’ve never been.
