To judge by the crowds at Bourbon Steak in recent weeks, the recession hasn’t hurt everyone. And to judge by the calorie counts on some of the plates here, the well-heeled crowd at the new restaurant and lounge in the Four Seasons can also afford to spend a few hours at the gym each week.
This recipe of decadence plus affluence clearly works for celebrity chef Michael Mina: The Georgetown location is his 16th restaurant, his fourth named Bourbon Steak (the moniker a nod to Kentucky’s Bourbon Stockyards, which, until its closing in 1999, was the nation’s oldest continually operating cattle/livestock yard).
The Scene: Regulars to the hotel will scarcely recognize it after a lengthy renovation. The Garden Terrace lounge, formerly an unremarkable — if light filled — space, has been replaced by a bar and lounge area that is dark, dark, dark. On almost any night, groups at the long lounge tables vie for space with trysting couples. Down a couple steps is the main dining room, which is all earth tones and dark woods. The design eschews white tablecloths in favor of embossed leather place mats. During the daytime, prime tables overlook the C&O Canal; at night, ask for one of the booths that bisect the room.
The Pour: Cocktails are serious business here: Juices are squeezed fresh; sodas and mixers are poured from glass bottles. No surprise, then, that you can find well-made versions of classic drinks like the Vesper, the Sazerac and the “Hemingway” Daiquiri. Wine lovers will find a list 500 strong, replete with trophy bottles such as First Growth Bordeaux and white Burgundy. The by-the-glass list may even be more interesting. The 20-plus glasses have included of late an aged Austrian Riesling, a Krug Grand Cuvee Champagne and a 1998 Bordeaux.
The Taste: If you’re not careful, you could be full before you even order. A trio of duck-fat French fries, each with its own dipping sauce, hits the table not long after you do. Then it’s on to rolls brushed with black truffle butter. Followed by an amuse bouche, which might consist of a winter soup or a raw clam. The menu, you ask? Well, the centerpiece of the proceedings is undoubtedly the steaks, which the servers pain to tell you are slow poached in butter before being finished on the grill. What does this mean? Not much, as far as I can tell. The prime New York strip tastes exactly like a $46 steak should taste: rich, earthy and well marbled. Other cuts get a similar treatment: Lamb loin is poached in olive oil, while the delicious pork trio of loin, cheeks and belly is poached in bacon fat. But like BLT Steak and Charlie Palmer Steak in the city, this is also a chef-driven kitchen. As such, you’ll find plenty of composed appetizers and entrees. The best include tuna tartare tossed tableside with chiles, Asian pear and mint; and Mina’s famous lobster pot pie, cooked in a copper pan and reconstructed tableside. Other dishes weren’t so successful: crab beignets emerged doughy and dry; a flat cavatelli pasta with chicken didn’t justify its $17 price tag. Fish too often leads to a shoulder shrug as well. Grilled and served with lemon vinaigrette, the catches of the day often pale in comparison to what else is on the table.
The Touch: Mark Politzer, late of CityZen at the Mandarin Oriental, leads the dressed-to-impress service team here. Not only are they courteous and efficient, but they know their stuff, too.
Don’t Miss: The expertly prepared desserts. My picks: the delicate pear tart and the bitter chocolate cake.
Why You Won’t Go: Because while you may have champagne wishes and caviar dreams, your wallet may wake you up. You’d be hard-pressed to get out of here for less than $100/person.
Why You Will Go: Because you’re an aspiring socialite: This dining room (and more so the lounge) is fast becoming the place to be seen in Georgetown.
If you go
Bourbon Steak
The Four Seasons
2800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
202-342-0444
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 10 p.m. Monday-Wednesday; 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday; 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday; 5:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday
Prices: Shellfish and appetizers $9 to $25; entrees, steaks and seafood $29 to $145
Bottom Line: Recession be damned, the expansion of Washington’s fine dining scene continues apace. Don’t let the name fool you; there’s plenty to love here besides the steak.
