C Says...
Listen up you car-less DCites -- if you depend on Metro or cabs to get to your preferred destinations, you likely won't be able to enjoy what is an incredible restaurant. I recommend Zip-car-ing ASAP to experience this lovely restaurant nestled in the Palisades (and nowhere near any Metro stop). Upon walking in to Black Salt you'll be greeted by friendly staff and a fish market where you can select from fresh catches of the day and dry goods. When I chose Black Salt for my birthday dinner, I had no idea it was one of "those" DC places -- you know, the ones where the "stars" go. On this evening, we encountered some of DC journalism's finest -- Tammy Haddad and Linda Douglass. For a couple of DC star lovers, this added some major street creed to my pick.
Black Salt's decor is intimate and well-laid out. There is a side room that lends to an open view of the kitchen, which I always love. It's committed to sustainability of fish, which warms the cockles of my lovely liberal heart.
Many of the items on the menu trend toward Latin inspired dishes, and are essentially one-pot wonders. I ordered the Parazuela which consists of sea bass, mussels, shrimp, pulpito (baby octopus, okay, not so much a fan of that...it's the tentacles), and sweet potatoes in a coconut chorizo broth. This recipe hails from Peru and was simply incredible. It had sweet and savory flavors that were complex in their simplicity. The chorizo added a nice hint of spice and the seafood was made to perfection (I passed the pulpitos on to J for him to enjoy). This is a very stew-like dish and is super filling -- I quite literally had to have our server take my bowl from me. I would love to go back for the chef's tasting menu, but I'm not sure my belly could handle it.
Kids, really -- find a car and get thee to the Black Salt. It's well worth the trek.
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J Says...
The first pick of C definitely left me scratching my head – not because of the amazing feast I was about to have, but because I couldn’t quite figure out how to get back to civilization. Having only heard about the Palisades, it was an eye-opening experience to find its existence…and to taste the fantastic cuisine of Black Salt for my hard work (read: driving C).
While C was awe-struck with the A-list DC celebrities dining in the restaurant (living in LA for 5 years, I prefer the real stars), I was enjoying the level of details that this “fish market” had employed to really take you away from that stereotype. Comfortable, cozy and curious, I couldn’t help but eyeing the other tables to see which of the plentiful dishes they selected. As I could not find what I ordered on their standard online menu, I believe I tried the Chef’s special that evening…and I recall it went down quickly as I eyed dessert.
The entire experience was absolutely brilliant, until you receive the check. Not going to sugarcoat it…the sticker shock of the bill is perhaps the one downfall. You may be saying that I shouldn’t have ordered dessert or that additional glass of wine (we always order a bottle to start)…but really, the selections are too good to pass up. Thus, be prepared for the bill by making this a truly “for special occasions” place since this will ensure you don’t ruin the unparallel experience that is Black Salt.
Black Salt Fish Market & Restaurant - 4883 MacArthur Blvd, 202.342.9101, www.blacksaltrestaurant.com
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1 comment:
You guys are hot. You look like an old married couple. Just what I imagined two hip urban foodies should look be.
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