WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28 , 2019. THE WASHINGTON POST MG EE E5
more buttermilk fried chicken
and crunchy kale slaw between
slices of house-baked bun, the
goodness held together with
four-inch wooden spears. Be
warned: There’s no neat way to
eat the construction, including
tomato and Swiss cheese, some of
which you are likely to dismantle
to fit in your mouth.
Dinner has the advantage of
live music near the bar, seven
nights a week. Lunch is blessed
with relative quiet in a dining
room dressed up with modern art
on the walls and booths the
shade of rare beef. So grown-up.
So swell.
[email protected]7715 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda. 301-
656-9775. woodmontgrill.com. Lunch
entrees, $16 to $39.substantial “light” lunch.
Woodmont Grill could use
more vegetarian options, but
hurrah for a kitchen that serves
an omelet, tangy with goat
cheese, throughout the day and a
French dip — when’s the last time
you saw that anywhere? — built
with slices of roasted prime rib.
The kitchen apportions
everything as if two of you will be
eating a dish. The likelihood of
leftovers is strong and involves
more face time with the servers,
who deftly pack up what you
can’t finish at the table. Typically,
I prefer any remains to be dealt
with out of sight, but the staff at
Woodmont Grill is quick about
transporting leftovers from A to
B.
Anyway, it’s nice to open the
fridge the next day and discoveraccording to the establishment’s
website.
Then there are the hours.
Lunch extends to 5 p.m., a boon
to anyone who has ever found
himself looking away from his
laptop to realize oops, noon was
hours ago and he wants beef filet
or a rainbow roll ASAP.
You read that right. The all-
American chain added sushi to
its script in October, going so far
as to install a dedicated raised
kitchen in the dining room and a
bouquet of chopsticks on every
table. A warm little towel signals
the imminent arrival of some
pressed sushi: a glossy rectangle
of raw tuna atop a neat stack of
pearly rice, creamy avocado and
spicy tuna. Sixteen bucks gets
you five pieces, a kick from
jalapeño in the mix, and aPassion fruit custard decorated
with pinpoints of meringue and
beads of honey is designed as
much for the eyes as the tongue.
With two midday meals under
my belt, the only question I have
regarding the Oval Room is...
when’s dinner?800 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-463-- ovalroom.com. Lunch entrees,
$17 to $32.
Lunch at Woodmont Grill in
Bethesda always feels like dinner.
Part of it is the lighting, set to
dim even at high noon, and a
dress code that frowns on tank
tops, flip flops, hats in the dining
room and “provocative clothing
too casual for the dining
experience we provide,”spare for lunch. Clock-watchers
who don’t mind sidling up to the
trim bar have a bargain of their
own: A “dish” and dessert for
$20, with four options per
course. (Five bucks more buys
you a nice glass of white, red or
rosé.)
A recent quick lunch in the
lounge revealed food as
considered as anything in the
dining room. Housemade
spaghetti placed between a froth
of Parmesan and a brushstroke of
charred, pureed eggplant and
truffle came with directions from
the bartender: “The chef says to
push them together. That’s when
the good stuff happens.” For sure,
sir. Gilding the lily, Moscatello
slips truffle butter under the
pasta. The combination of
smoke, earth and fat — to say
nothing of spaghetti cooked so
that it retains welcome resistance
— is seductive. So is dessert.Lunch in your
cubicle? Why
bother when there
are restaurants
going out of their
way to reel you in?
Let me direct you to two choice
midday retreats, both better than
anything out of a bag.
When he thinks about what to
feed his guests, the chef at the
Oval Room in the shadow of the
White House knows his regulars
have certain expectations. “You
want the food to match your
location,” says Bryan Moscatello.
A prized address merits
something special on the plate.
The chef is delivering precisely
that at lunch, my favorite time to
visit the sole modern American
restaurant in the collection of
dining rooms owned by Ashok
Bajaj. Restaurant Week is over,
but a good deal lives on at the
Oval Room, which features a
three-course lunch for $35
Monday through Friday.
Customers select from three
options per category and there’s
not a bore in the bunch.
Rabbit meatballs rock — and
reveal a chef with a sense of fun
amid finery. Sporting caps of
ricotta chips and hit with pickled
mustard seeds, they come four
tender rounds to an appetizer.
Closer inspection finds even
more to admire: a fennel puree
and roasted tomato jam. Pork
belly in the meatballs, which
sometimes incorporate rabbit
kidney, lends juice to the first
course.
Next: firm, sweet stone bass,
an entree propped up with fleshy
crisped mushrooms and a bundle
of shaved, charred zucchini that
has me reconsidering my dislike
for the vegetable. After a bite of
fish swiped through the celery
gastrique on the plate, I’m an
even happier camper. Act III
proves a hit, too. The lemon tart
is a sliver of tang dolled up with
creme fraiche, candied pine nuts
and a dollop of spiced honey.
The Oval Room understands
that not everyone has an hour to
Tired of eating lunch at your desk? Two choice spots will get you up and away.
PHOTOS BY DEB LINDSEY FOR THE WASHINGTON POSTTom
Sietsema
FIRST BITE
Lunchtime diners at the Oval Room, left, which is two
blocks north of the White House. The rabbit meatballs,
above, are a highlight of the appetizer options. Clock-
watchers who don’t mind sidling up to the trim bar
have a bargain: A “dish” and dessert for $20, with four
options per course.The Thai tuna roll with avocado, macadamia nuts and jalapeño at
Woodmont Grill in Bethesda. It added sushi to the menu last year.
Lunch
WINE & CHEESE TASTING EVERY
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SALES DATES 08-28-19 THRU 09-10-19
NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORSMARYLAND
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BEER SALE
Miller Lite & MGD
30 Pack .................. $24.99
Coors Original & Light
30 Pack .................. $24.99
Budweiser Reg & Light
18 Pack can ............. $15.99
Stella Artois 12 Pack
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Heineken Reg, Light, Amstel
12 Pack Bottle ......... $15.99
Corona Extra & Light
18 Pack Bottle ......... $22.99
Dos Equis Amber Special Lager
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Modelo Suitcase Can ..... $26.99
Tecate Reg. Light
12 Pack Can ............ $10.99
Natural Light
30 Pack Can ............ $19.99
Angry Orchard Asst Types
6 Pack Bottle ............. $7.99
CRAFT BEER 6 PK & 12 PK SALE
Sam Adams 12 Pack Bottle
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Yuengling Lager & Light
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Goose Island 6 Pack Bottle
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Shiner 6 Pack Bottle
Asst Types ................. $7.49WINES ARE 750 ML UNLESS NOTEDOur Locations
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- 5100 Wisconsin Ave, 202-363-3466
BLOCKBUSTERS
Peter Vella 5.0L Box Blush & Delicious Red..............$12.99
Chablis & Burg .................................................$15.99
Apothic Red & White ...............................................$9.59
Kendall Jackson Chard ..........................................$12.99
Underwood PN ....................................................$13.99
Lamarca Prosecco ................................................$13.99
Beringer White Zinf & Moscato 1.5L .........................$9.99
AMERICAN WINE SALE
Woodbridge 1.5L Chard, Cab, Merlot, PN ................$11.49
BV Coastal Chard, Cab, Merlot .................................$7.99
Columbia Crest “Grand Estate” Chard, Cab, Merlot .....$8.99
Mirassou Chard, Cab, Merlot, PN .............................$8.99
Bogle Chard, Merlot, SB ........................................$10.99
Sterling “Vintner’s” Chard, SB .................................$9.99
Cab, Merlot, PN ...............................................$10.99
FRENCH WINE SALE
La Vieille Ferme Red, White, Rosé ............................$8.99
H.Beaulieu Picpoul de Pinet ....................................$8.49
La Marina “Gascogne” White ..................................$8.99
Dom. Bellevue Touraine SB & Rosé .........................$11.59
Duboeuf Beaujolais Villages ....................................$9.99
SOUTH AMERICAN WINE SALE
Finca Flichman Malbec ............................................$6.99
Los Haroldos Chard & Malbec ..................................$7.99
Alamos Malbec ......................................................$8.99
Gascon Malbec ....................................................$10.99
Concha y Toro 1.5L Asst Types..................................$7.99PRODUCE SPECIALS
Ginger Gold Apples ......$1.19 Lb
Blueberries 1 Pt ............$2.69 Ea
Navel Oranges ....................79¢ Ea
Anjou Pears ...................$1.19 Lb
Peaches Eastern............$1.19 LbCauliflower ....................$1.89 Ea
Eggplant ...............................89¢ Lb
Green or Yellow Squash ...$1.09 Lb
On The Vine Tomatoes ...$1.09 Lb
Idaho Potatoes 5 Lb ....$1.99 Ea
Not at White Flint Sale Dates 08-28-19 thru 09-03-19DC WINE & BEER SPECIALS
ALL WINES 750 ML
UNLESS NOTED
PRICES FOR
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*Select 6 Pack Excluded From The Sale*DC BEER SPECIALS
Michelob Ultra, Bud Light Lime
24 Pack CansMiller Lite, Coors Light,
MGD 24, Bud, Bud Light
24 Pack Cans$
18.99$
19.99- WHEATON, MD
4301 RANDOLPH RD (AT VEIRS MILL RD)
PHONE 301.946.3100 - WHITE FLINT PLAZA
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24-HOUR REFILL LINE
(202) 363-10415100 WISCONSIN AVE., NWWASHINGTON, DC
Marietta Lot 69 ................................$9.99
Studio Rose by Miraval ..................$16.99
Toad Hollow
Unoaked Chardonnay ..................$9.99
Clos Du Bois Asst Types ..................$7.99Ruffi no PG & Chianti 1.5L .............$10.99
Douglas Green SB ............................$6.99
Cousino Macul
Chard, Cab, Merlot .......................$6.99
Josh Cab .........................................$10.99BLOCKBUSTERS
Tinto Negro ......................................$6.99
Padrillos ............................................$7.99
Perrin CDR Red ..................................$7.99
Bernier Chardonnay .........................$7.99
Terrazas Malbec ...............................$7.99
Ruffi no Aziano Chianti Classico ...$11.99
Chianti Superior $7.99 PG .........$6.99
Mazzei Badiola .................................$9.99
Kenwood PN .....................................$9.99
Campo Tempranillo ..........................$6.99
Los Vascos Cab .................................$7.99
Pascual Toso Malbec ........................$9.99
Banfi Gavi ......................................$13.99
Coppola Claret ...............................$13.99Jadot Beaujolais Villages .................$8.99
Ratti Nebbiolo ................................$17.99
Liberty School Cab ........................$11.99
Tasca Red ...........................................$9.99
A by Acacia PN ..................................$9.99
St. Cosme CDR ...............................$11.99
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Colossi Nero d’Avola ......................$10.99
“J” PG.............................................$11.99
Codax Albarino ..............................$10.99
Simonnet Febvre PN ........................$8.99
Coppo Barbera L’Avvocata ............$11.99
Brotte CDRR ...................................$10.99
Chat. La Freynelle Blanc ..................$9.99LABOR DAY COOKOUT SPECIALS
Mohua ............................................$10.99
Cloudy Bay ....................................$21.99
Villa Maria ........................................$9.99
Kim Crawford ...............................$11.99
Brancott ............................................$6.99
Starborough .....................................$8.99White Haven .................................$12.99
13 Celsius .........................................$9.99
Matua ................................................$8.99
Spy Valley ......................................$11.99
Monkey Bay .....................................$6.99
Kono ...............................................$10.99NEW ZEALAND SB SALE
Canard Duchene ...........................$29.99
Mumm Cordon Rouge
Brut NV .........................................$29.99
Moet Imperial ................................$39.99
Taittinger Brut NV .........................$38.99Gruet Asst Types ...........................$12.99
Ruffi no Prosecco...............................$9.99
Montelliana Prosecco ......................$9.99
Biutiful Asst Types ...........................$9.99
Segura Viudas..................................$7.99CHAMPAGNE & SPARKLING SALE
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DISCOUNT GOURMET
Pilsner Urquel, Peroni, Redhook, Czechvar,
Eggenberg 6 Pack $8.99 ............................ Case $29.99
Port City, DC Brau, Atlas assorted,
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Hollandia 12 Pack $12.99 .............................. Case $19.99
Blue Point, 21st Amendment, Founders,
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Lagunitas IPA/Pils, Sierra Nevada & New Belgium,
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Devils Backbone Vienna Lager/ 8pt. IPA, Goose
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Flying Dog Truth IPA, RAR IPA, Dogfish Head
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Stella, Corona, Corona Light,
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Yuengling Suitcase Cans $17.99 ............Bottles $20.99
Natural Light/Ice 30 Pack ..........................................$16.9916 oz Cans
Peabody Heights Old Oriole Park Bohemian Pils
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Mahou 16 oz Cans 4 Pack $5.99 .................... Case $27.99
Beck’s 16 oz Cans 4 Pack $5.49 ..................... Case $23.99
Bitburger German Pils, Kostritzer Schwarzbier,
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Cider, Sparkling Seltzer
Wild Basin Sparkling Seltzers 12 Pack .................$14.99
Truly Sparkling Seltzers, White Claw 12 Pack ...$17.99
Bold Rock Ciders 6 Pack $9.99 ................... Case $34.99,
15 Pack Cans ...................................................................$17.99
Brooklyn Ciders, Austin Cider Asst. 6 Pack ........$10.99Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 L $14.99
RoastedRed & Yellow Peppers
12 oz $2.39
Albacore Tuna in
Olive Oil5 oz 2/$5.00
Crushed or
Plum Tomatoes28 oz $1.69
5/7 Ct
Artichoke Hearts14 oz $2.19
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