Our new favorite restaurant
Written: Jun 17 '03 (Updated Aug 02 '04)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Food and Presentation: |
 |
|
| Ambiance and Decor: |
 |
|
| Quality of Service: |
|
|
|
Pros: Fantastic service
Excellent food
Great ambiance
Cons: Quiet tables are hard to get and the bathroom is hard to find.
The Bottom Line: Fabulous restaurant. I highly recommend it for its attention to detail and extreme class.
|
|
|
| knotheadusc's Full Review: 1789 |
My husband and I have visited 1789 four times in the past year and we plan to go back again Friday for my birthday. Each time, we've enjoyed outstanding food and fabulous service. The first time we went was the night he proposed to me. We had a charming Cuban waiter who, at the end of the meal, presented us with a classy card congratulating us on our engagement. We went back again on the anniversary of that night and were rewarded with a free dessert and another card. One time, when I got up to use the restroom, I came back to find my napkin neatly rolled up for me. Now that's attention to detail!
We also had brunch at 1789 on Mother's Day, which also happened to be my sister's graduation day. That was the only time we've gone when the service was not as good. I attribute it to the fact that 1789 is not usually open for lunch or brunch and it seemed shorter staffed than usual. Most of the time, there's a team of waiters, each taking turns doing different jobs with different tables. For example, one waiter would take a drink order and serve the wine, another would serve the first course, another would serve the main course, and another the dessert. All the while, the busser would be certain our water glasses were full and our silverware was replaced as necessary. On Mother's Day, this was not as much the case and we noticed.
But a week later, we went back to celebrate my husband's graduation, taking advantage of a specially priced menu offered by the restaurant-- there was a choice of two salads, two main courses, and two desserts with coffee, priced at $20.03 each-- and we were very pleased. The special was also offered at lunchtime and this time, the waitstaff was back to it's usual excellence. We ordered a bottle of wine and despite the less expensive menu, found that the food was still excellent and beautifully presented.
1789 specializes in hearty fare. My sister, who loves vegetables, commented that the spinach was the best she had ever tasted. She said that most places get it wrong-- it's overcooked and mushy. I've sampled their beef, which was among the most tender I've ever tasted, and their salmon, also delicious. My husband has enjoyed pork and chicken. I also once had a salmon appetizer there that looked just like an ice cream sundae! We've also enjoyed their creme brulee and pots d' creme for dessert. I just wish their breads weren't so crusty!
The restaurant is in an old townhouse in Georgetown and consists of several dining rooms on three floors. Bear this in mind if anyone in your party is handicapped, although I'm certain there's an elevator somewhere, you'll want to check that out when you make reservations. Also, the restroom is tucked in an alcove, located on the second floor, and can be a confusing endeavor to find. I'd imagine after a few drinks, it might really be a challenge to get there if you don't know where you're going!
Even the one time when the service was not as good, we still had a fine time. 1789 was giving out flowering potted plants to all mothers for Mother's Day. Technically, I'm not a mom yet, but all of the women in our party got plants. Mine is still blooming on my window.
My husband and I plan to take advantage of the summer sizzling offer, which is a coupon that allows all patrons to get three courses for $35. To get the coupon and other great offers, all one has to do is get on their mailing list, a task that is easily accomplished by visiting their website at www.1789restaurant.com. That's quite a deal for the quality of food offered at 1789. His birthday is July 7th-- the coupon is still good then-- if we're still as enchanted with 1789, maybe we'll be back again to celebrate his birthday, too!
Just an update-- we visited 1789 on my birthday and had a great time. We decided to dispense with the coupon, although I'm sure it would have been honored. My husband just wanted us to have a good time.
I asked for a quiet table and we were seated at the very same table we sat at on the night we became engaged. I enjoyed a glass of Taitenger's champagne, then we had first courses. I had a carpaccio of beef with an arugula salad and a bread stick. The beef carpaccio is basically chilled cured beef-- it's cooked, but not with heat, so the waiter told us that if we didn't like it we could send it back. I must admit it was interesting and tasted fine, but I probably wouldn't order it again! Cured beef is an acquired taste. My husband had a delicious bowl of black bean soup with sour cream. It had a real Mexican flavor to it. I found myself wishing I had followed my first instinct by ordering the soup instead.
For our second courses, I had a delicious asparagus polonaise with a cold potato chive cream and my husband had a Caesar salad. We've both had the Caesar at one time or another, but I noticed that this time they changed the presentation by using whole leaves, which my husband didn't like. I had taken a chance with my salad and I was not disappointed in the least.
For dinner, I had the beef filet with gruyere potatoes and spinach and my husband had grouper with rice. The dinner was complemented with a nice bottle of Cambria Chardonnay, a nice California white wine. After dinner, I had a flourless chocolate peanut butter torte which was garnished with whole peanuts and my husband had a strawberry ice cream sundae, garnished with biscotti. I tried his ice cream and I have to say that it was delicious! The strawberries tasted so fresh, almost like they had just come straight from the field! My torte was good, and topped with a birthday candle, but had I had it to do over, I think I would have chosen the ice cream. It was really impressive. My husband has commented in the past that 1789's coffee is not always good, but it was better on my birthday. I guess it just depends on luck... and when you happen to request it.
The service was good, although we did have to ask for coffee more than once. Once again, we weren't disappointed.
Here's an update
Bill and I went to 1789 on Saturday, January 17, 2004 for Restaurant Week. The restaurant offered three courses for $30.04. Since so many people were coming in for the event, 1789 made the entire menu available at that price with the exception of a few pricier items, which were still offered inexpensively. They just added a $5 to $10 surcharge.
Last night, I had beef tenderloin with cabernet sauce, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Beef tenderloin at 1789 is a real experience. I ordered it medium and that's how I got it. It was as soft and tender as butter. My husband ordered and very much enjoyed his venison with red cabbage, spinach and sweet potato au gratin. For appetizers, I enjoyed a salmon cocktail, which was presented in a martini glass with fraiche potatoes, caviar, capers, and garnished with a lemon slice and a cucumber slice. There was also a dill cracker included. My appetizer was so beautiful I didn't want to eat it. Bill had a lobster tempura roll, which was sushi served with a mustard miso sauce and a seaweed salad. It was garnished with a shiitake mushroom cap.
For dessert, I enjoyed a white chocolate Grand Marnier parfait garnished with a cookie. It was smooth, orangey and delicious, but I could only eat half of it because I was stuffed. My husband had a double chocolate torte with whiskey cream. He believes it was a flourless cake because it was so dense and rich. I noticed that he managed to finish his dessert. The coffee was just what I needed after way too much red wine... We ordered a bottle of Mazzocco Cabernet to go with our hearty meal of red meat. It was vintage 1999 and came out of Sonoma, California.
As always, the service was impeccable-- professional, courteous, and not a notch less than what it should have been, even though the price of the meal was drastically lower than usual. We were waited on by our favorite servers and we rewarded them for good service (and a particularly obnoxious table who were harrassing them as we were sitting down... as a former waitress, I can empathize with drunk, overly familiar restaurant patrons).
As an aside, I'd like to comment that we've been to 1789 over a half a dozen times and we've consistently seen the same people working there and they all seem happy to be there. It must be a great place to work. Having worked in a couple of restaurants myself, I can comment about how servers often get abused and burned out. Turnover is often high and keeping a good attitude can be hard to do. But the folks at 1789 almost always make their jobs look easy and they generally look like they enjoy their work. Watching them work makes me almost want to consider getting back into table waiting myself!
As always, 1789 remains our favorite restaurant in DC for its great blend of wonderful food and fine service. I never feel like I'm in a snooty restaurant, yet the food is certainly on par with the best that DC has to offer. I offer kudos to manager William Watts and chef Ris LaCoste for what they've done to make 1789 such a special place. It feels like someone's special pride and joy, not part of a corporate owned group of restaurants. In an age where restaurants all look the same, a place like 1789 is a refreshing change indeed.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Beef, pork, salmon are all excellent!
Best Suited For: Romantic Evening
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
knotheadusc
|
 in Books |
 - Top 500 |
|
Location: Germany
Reviews written: 1093
Trusted by: 203 members
About Me:
A lucky shot by the photographer on Vision of the Seas...
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.