It doesn’t take long to determine how well executive chef Peter Schaffrath fits into the hushed dignity of The Lafayette dining room of the landmark Hay-Adams hotel, just yards from Lafayette Square and the White House. Keeping up with such prestigious neighbors really requires a similar setting and a chef who can produce a prestigious menu.

Consider this: an appetizer of roasted beet root carpaccio with ash-ripened goat cheese and crushed pistachio nuts drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, and for an entrée, char-grilled veal paillard with warm farro grains, zucchini and black olive concassé. Not your average steakhouse fare.