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In reviews this week, Washington Post's Tom Sietsema swings by two restaurants with "Table" in the tile: Jeff Buben's downtown Woodward Table restaurant, as well as Frederik De Pue's Table in Shaw. He finds items to praise at both restaurants.
As far as Table is concerned, Sietsema says he'd make himself a regular if his job wasn't to, you know, not be a regular. From his First Bite column:
If pan-roasted squid is among the choices, spring for the first course, a tender tube stuffed with spinach, Swiss chard, prosciutto and Manchego cheese. Traditionally rich choucroute garnie is rethought with pork belly and seafood: mussels, clams and prawns, the juices of which lend a lightness to a lush hedge of sauerkraut. [WaPo]
Woodward Table earns praise for items such as brisket and chopped salad. Lunch service doesn't go as well, and vegetarians get the short end of the stick here. The restaurant earns two stars.
I've made a habit of launching every meal with a flatbread for the table. Prepared in a pizza oven inherited from Potenza, the crusts are thin and pleasantly chewy. The topping I return to most involves shredded duck, diced sweet potato and petals of Brussels sprouts. A paddle of that, plus something potent from the bar, makes me a happy camper. [WaPo]
The paper's Good to Go column visits the new Johnny's Takeout, adjacent to Johnny's Half Shell on Capitol Hill, and finds it wanting.
I eagerly anticipate a shift of gears when the shrimp po' boy ($7.25) arrives on a fresh roll from New Orleans's Leidenheimer Baking Co. However, that flash of authenticity can't save it. The shellfish are barely spiced, and the advertised tomatoes, lettuce and pickles are minimally applied. Shrimp etouffee ($5.50) is a slightly better bet, yet it lacks deeply developed flavors or memorable flair [WaPo]
THE BLOGS: Borderstan would like to give three thumbs up, if it could, to Mari Vanna...Capitol Cooking can't stop visiting FirstBake...DMV Dining finds Medi to be a good quick stop for Greek.
