The Source (Downtown)

I can certainly see why all the accolades fell upon Wolfgang Puck's relatively new DC restaurant, The Source, which is attached to the Newseum. I went there this week with my old friend Becky, in town from Germany. While I had tried to find someplace with white asparagus on the menu given the season, she really has only one requirement for restaurants -- a tablecloth. I'm sure there are other less trendy places to go in the city which could have satisfied this requirement, but The Source has been on my list since it opened and won the best new restaurant in DC award. We started off in the bar on a crowded happy hour Wednesday where they served my new favorite spirit -- Hendricks Gin -- muddled with cucumber and served up. We also ordered a cheese plate for our wait since we showed a half hour before our reservations. Valet parking was simple and the bar had a lounge atmosphere, hopping with young hill staffers and a sexy vibe. Our table became ready before our cheese plate arrived and I was impressed at the seamless delivery of it upstairs to our semi-private table for two overlooking the staircase. Among the impressive wine list, we settled on a bottle of an Austrian Sav. Blanc -- the strongest grapefruit flavor I've ever tasted in this kind of wine. Very perfect pairing for my choice of the scallops, served with a coconut peanut sauce and a side of drunken noodles. The three scallops on the plate were large and stood alone while the noodles were served separately in a sterling covered dish. The coconut peanut sauce was a sweet complement to the savory and perfectly sauteed scallops. The rest of the menu was asian fusion and all looked good. I was particularly torn between the scallops and pork chop for its licorice honey glaze. Chef Scott Drewno certainly has a creative palette. Had I looked at the desert menu with my order, I would have pre-ordered the chocolate souffle as the entree was just the right size to be able to enjoy a sweet ending, however with the length of time required for that, I settled on the blueberry almond crumble with vanilla salted streusel and ginger ice cream -- heavenly. The service was spectacular. My wine glass was never empty. An empty plate was never static. And the army of servers were never intrusive. Our primary waiter was gentle, sophisticated and clearly knowledgeable. I was pleased by his recommendation of the scallops when I asked him to choose between my two selections. The upstairs decor is striking and modern with a wall of wine behind glass, walls of windows looking out on the rain storm, and tables that were not on top of each other. With the lack of restaurants in that vicinity, The Source brings a hearty competition to the posh Charlie Palmer Steak, just blocks away. Make sure to go with enough green in the bank though as any visit will surely make a dent in your checkbook.