Whole Lotta "Art and Soul"

C says...

For October’s selection, I opted for Art and Soul on Capitol Hill – I blame Top Chef Masters given that Art Smith was a contestant and chef/purveyor of this establishment. Apparently, it’s one of THE places to be seen if you’re a dork who considers politicians, lobbyists, and strategists to be celebrities.

The menu offers up a Southern flare and pays homage to seasonal ingredients. I chose the scallops with sweet potato mash, and ham (more like thick slab bacon) with greens and fried green tomatoes on the side. The scallops were hearty and paired nicely with the saltiness of the ham and the sweetness of the sweet potato mash, which was incredible all on its own. I ordered the fried green tomatoes expecting 3-5, but out came probably a dozen of the little suckers. I can’t remember if I’ve ever had them before, but I’m officially hooked. They were amazing.

My only complaint with Art and Soul (and not sure many people would find this as a bad thing), but our meal lasted all of 45 minutes: from being seated, to ordering, to eating, to clearing of the table. The ambiance is lovely and the food fantastic, but it did have a “treat ‘em and street ‘em” feel – but hey, we are in the throes of reforming health care, so maybe that was apropos.

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J Says...

It was a comfortable fall night when C picked the Liaison hotel's ground-floor restaurant for our October dinner. The city has been insanely busy this season so the immediate seating when we arrived was a bit surprising, even with our Open Table reservation.

Both deciding to skip the appetizer - yes, I skipped the mussels - and only do a glass of wine each rather than a bottle, this night was like speed-dating. I opted for the butter squash ravioli with seasoned vegetables. For an added bonus, I had to have a side of the buttermilk mashed potatoes. The proportions are plentiful and the food was, as standard, bursting with flavor. It had been several months since I had dined at "Art and Soul" but it was certainly as I remember it: classic, comfortable and convenient.

For those looking for a true DC experience, the decor is simple as not to compete with the powerhouse personalities lounging and dining within the restaurant (on the night of our dinner, Senator Ben "Benator" Nelson was there). The service is reliably efficient. And the evening always seems to leave a smile on my tummy.


Art and Soul - 415 New Jersey Ave NW, 202.393.7777, www.artandsouldc.com