Almost "Hook"d...Almost

C Says...

After a few scheduling SNAFUs, January saw J and I land at Hook for his birthday dinner (read: I pick up the whole tab). I've been wanting to try this Georgetown establishment for quite some time, and actually had it lined up for MY birthday -- so much for being born in February.

Walking into Hook, I was taken aback by how empty it was, then remembered it was a Monday night. However, by the time we finished dinner (around 9:30), the place had filled up. The decor has a slight modern bent, with cream colored chairs and booths and lightly colored walls featuring photographs of fish.

Once again, J and I picked a sustainable restaurant. This appears to be a theme! Hook prides itself on buying fish from sustainable fisheries and fruits and vegetables from local farms. Yeah! The menu is so that you're encouraged to select a first, second and main course. I opted for only two, and picked butternut squash soup and the cod. The soup was wonderfully rich and creamy and featured lovely small bits of squash throughout. One of the best I've ever had. The cod was quite lovely and was paired with lentils and a tomato puree. At times I found the puree overwhelmed the delicate nature of the fish, but all in all I enjoyed the light crust on the fish and the meal as a whole.

I was quite content with my meal until the bill came. I was STUNNED that the bottle of wine J had selected came to $72 (apparently all the wine is $55+). The entrees were reasonably priced for a G-town restaurant, so I suppose they gouge you with the wine. I'm not one to balk at a pricey meal, but I honestly found this a bit extreme, and next time will settle for a cocktail with my meal, or just tap water.

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J Says...

A long journey to reach my birthday dinner (a whole year!), C and I ventured to Georgetown for Hook, a sustainable seafood restaurant on popular M Street. I got there early for a drink...a single Jack Daniels and Diet Coke...and was a bit taken back by the $11 tab. I guess it was foreshadowing the evening ahead.

As C alluded too, the menu was a choice of categories for which I gladly participated: 1st course - scallops; 2nd course - mussels (naturally); 3rd course - Arctic Char (from Iceland!). Each portion was appropriately sized for its reasonable price, though the only one that fully delivered on taste and quality were the mussels. The scallops left me wanting, well, non-sustainable, fully-grown scallops...and, as it was my first experience with char, it will be a texture I will have to become accustomed too.

While the food was quite enjoyable, the environment clean and well laid out, and servers knowledgeable and attentive, it was the wine menu (and its excessive prices) that will give me pause about returning. When a bottle is marked up 10x from the retail price, it's difficult to swallow no matter how good the Shiraz was. Even the per glass selection was ridiculously priced. I agree...and apologized...to C for the costly purchase, though I know she'll return the favor in February when it's her birthday dinner (read: J gets taken to the cleaners!).

All in all, I may return during an afternoon of shopping and leisurely lunch, but I won't be needing the wine menu any further.


Hook - 3241 M Street NW, 202.625.4488, www.hookdc.com