Grit & Glitter: Four Seasons DC Review – Bourbon Steak Restaurant

So it’s not exactly in Richmond, but it’s close enough and awesome enough to be relevant.

If you get out of the financial crunch the recession may or may not have put you in, definitely check out the Four Seasons’ restaurant in their Washington, D.C. hotel. It was pretty amazing.

First of all, the service is not that of a typical restaurant. All I needed to do was order my food, and after that they took care of everything. I never even had to ask for a refill of wine. Never had to worry about flagging down a waiter for anything. Never had to worry about being hungry while the food was cooked (they served two bread dishes before bringing out the main course). Never had to focus on anything but the conversation and fun my table was having.

The food was … well, amazing. I hate to repeat that word so much, but it’s the first and best word that comes to mind for the whole experience. After studying the menu and sighing at the prices (most entrees were in the $30+ category), I decided on the chicken, ham, egg, red pepper, bread, and sauce concoction. It sounded like a weird combination that somehow made sense.

The sides all sounded good- from the black truffle macaroni and cheese, to the general tso’s broccoli, to the beef fried rice. Our table got one of each, as well as the magic mushrooms (no joke, that’s what it said on the menu).

Before the appetizers came, they brought out the bread. Only instead of it actually being bread, it was six different silver cups, three of which were each filled with a different type of French fries and three of which were filled with a different type of sauce. I can’t explain what a perfect start to the meal this was.

After the appetizers, another bread dish arrived. This time they were truffle and feta rolls. They looked like mini cinnamon rolls, but clearly, were cheesy and buttery and the epitome of baked bread bliss. I would do anything to go back to D.C. and order an entire to-go box of just those rolls.

The chicken dish was a perfect combination of tastes and textures, and was perfectly cooked. Only one person in the entire group had any sort of complaint about their dish (which was that some fish had been overcooked) and when he requested a new dish be made quickly (I believe it was tuna tartar), they had no problem delivering and even had a chef come out to prepare it table-side on a little cart. And they of course did not charge him for his first dinner. As I said, the service is part of the reason to go to this place.

The sides dishes were all a hit and ended up pushing us over the edge of fullness by the end of the meal.

And let’s not forget drinks shall we? Red and white wine were both consumed and of a very high quality. Very few were offered by the glass though and the cheapest bottles were in the mid $50 range.

So if you go to this restaurant, you pretty much know you’re in for a good diner, just don’t forget about the price as you go. Every side dish was amazing, but at $9 a pop, you’ll probably want to settle for one. Especially since they feed about three people each.
Overall, a fancy restaurant done the right way. If you get the chance, check it out.

French Fries as bread - who woulda thunk it?