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Ask the Critics
Housed in a Federal townhouse, 1789 offers both an escape from the city and a place where you can impress out-of-town guests by treating them to dinner in a room that features a manorial fireplace and a vintage print of George Washington and his companions after a day of hunting. For an intimate dinner for two, a corner banquette in the Pub Room provides the sort of coziness rarely found in the city. Whatever seating the occasion merits, make reservations early: Regulars from the neighborhood and adjacent Georgetown University are favored over outsiders. And request a table in the main dining room or a banquette in the Pub; otherwise you might find yourself scaling an Everest of stairs to reach one of the upstairs dining areas that accommodate the overflow.
On this traditionally brief bill of fare, such standards as the house-signature rack of lamb and the beef filet with seasonal garnishes take precedence over contemporary creations. This season, if you want to indulge in the best of what the kitchen has to offer, hope that the daily menu offers the lobster pie, a crisp tartlet crust filled with a creamy mixture of lobster-claw meat and mushrooms. The kitchen also does an impressive version of shrimp and grits, lent a bit of complexity by the addition of caramelized onions and country ham.
Among main courses, consider the seafood stew or the honey-glazed duck breast. For dessert, the apple-stuffed crepes reflect the comfort of a leisurely dinner at 1789.
- Robert Shoffner
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