To kick off DC’s 2010 winter restaurant week (my favorite holiday), I went out with my office to Restaurant 3 for lunch. Nestled between such chains as the Cheesecake Factory and Harry’s Tap Room in the heart of bustling Clarendon, this southern gentleman of a restaurant ought to draw a larger crowd than was present, but perhaps the frigid temperature and Monday afternoon timeslot for our visit were not opportune.
Despite our ill-timed visit, the kitchen was ready to please. Led by Chef Brian Robinson formerly of Whitlow’s on Wilson, the Louisiana inspiration of his grandfather was pleasantly evident on my plate and clearly he learned to cook more than a burger from his old menu.
Three, being the third restaurant in the Whitlow family (Insert Monty Python joke... ONE, TWO, FIVE. Three Sir. THREE), came about when Brian wanted something more that Whitlows, and Whitlows wanted a third restaurant. Three also refers to the restaurant’s mantra of good food, good drinks and good times. I can vouch for two of the three given I only had a diet coke, but the wine list looked promising. Three (play Sesame Street's 'Count von Count' laugh track)
Amazingly, what erupted from this redefined relationship is nothing like its sister Arlington staple just blocks away. Three is a refined gathering place, with a number of dining spaces, each with their own personality. In less than 20 degree temps, the patio was closed, however the sunroom decorated with antique distilleries and a quiet fireplace provided a light-filled atmosphere for our business lunch. The stone and wood details aided in the warmth, although the awkwardly hard chairs did not.
Past the long bar were low tables and footrest level stools for the happy hour lounge crowd. While I have passed the place often during happy hour, I’ve never seen it packed and buzzing. I should hope that some group adopts it as their hot spot because Arlington needs more gathering places like this.
Of the options on today’s menu were the standard 3-course restaurant week selections from their traditional menu. Many places edit their restaurant week menu significantly, however I found everything I had wanted there and the edits to be at a minimum.
My meal began with a low-country dish of grits and scallops. It had bits of thick and smoky ham and shallots. The butter overpowered the richness so I couldn’t tell if there was any cheese in the dish. Even though the scallops were cooked with a tender middle, I would have preferred them on a higher heat and cooked in the grease of the ham to give them more flavor and a finished, blackened edge.
My coworker, Eric, had Wings in a Savannah barbeque sauce, which resulted in the debate over what is Savannah barbeque sauce. We decided it was a cross between Memphis’ sweet red sauce and the Carolinas’ vinegar based sauce as that’s the tangy flavor it gave. The sauce was integral to the supple amounts of meat on the bone instead of a gooey topping expected at lesser places. The wings had bite but were not tongue-searing hot.
The other appetizers selected were a salad with bacon vinaigrette that got some attention and a grilled porabello mushroom cap in what was described as spinach pate (blech).
My main dish was a panini made from their main menu’s braised short ribs with “caramelized” onions and goat cheese. With a tang that danced from the meat, the sandwich could only have been improved by actually caramelizing the onions that were simply just soggy cooked onions and with a bit less of the overpowering goat cheese crumbles. The side to this dish and three of the other plates chosen by my luncheon partners were 5-star rated fries – perfectly crisp with a soft center and battered like my great grandmother’s broasted potatoes.
Eric’s main dish was the grilled cheese sandwich with two types of cheeses: goat and smoky cheddar. But while the cheese was good, the bacon was nondescript, there more for crunch than flavor. An improvement would have been the cheese combined with a ham. The "soup of the day" that accompanied the sandwich was a brothy Navy bean soup but with kidney beans. It built in flavor further into the bowl, although the initial reaction was bland.
The other dishes chosen in my party were the pulled duck sandwich and the blackened grouper sandwich, both of which got high praise.
For dessert, to my demise, I chose the cheesecake, which was unfulfillingly filling and probably from Costco. I had a bite of Andrew’s chocolate bread pudding though and was in heaven. So rich, light and moist with sugar syrup and chocolate syrup double poured over the concoction, I was immediately jealous I didn’t choose this dish.
The friendly waiter seemed like a transplant from Whitlows. While perfectly attentive, considerate and overall deserved the good tip, he displayed a sloppy appearance not suited for this more refined cousin of Whitlows. Either send him back to the other bar or put a clean shirt on this kid. Also, first impressions count, so buy the host some slacks. My grandpa’s jeans on a college kid will not attract the upscale crowd the food at this place deserves.
No comments:
Post a Comment