ILLUSTRATION BY EDWIN FOTHERINGHAM
Fresh-as-it-gets sea urchin, far left, and a savory dashi custard.
and flat. Other nits? Lamb loin leaves
the grill juicy and pink but also overwhelmed with cracked pepper: a $20 disappointment. A server’s lukewarm response to my request for a salmon-filled rice ball should have been my cue to skip the snack, an underperformer with just a suggestion of fish inside. Kushi would be a better place to dine if its beverage list included more background on the many sakes and suds it offers. Wine is an expensive afterthought here; of the beers, I’m partial to the red brew made from sweet potatoes, Coedo Beniaka. Servers are for the most part attentive, but I wish they’d remember to clear the used towels and plates that clutter the tables, and to bring everything I’ve requested. (Chicken meatballs will have to wait for another visit.) It’s telling, however, to glance
away from your meal and see so many Japanese diners in the crowd. Executives from Toshiba and Mitsubishi have already made their way to this hipster haunt. Norris and crew aren’t resting
vide and procuring for them pedigreed American staples. Kushi’s pork is Berkshire, its beef Wagyu, its chicken heritage breed. The designer labels don’t always translate to bliss, but they establish the tone. Grilled pork belly tastes deeply of the beast and melts on the tongue. Duck thigh reveals succulent flesh beneath crackling skin. Grilled chicken skin, or kawa, is flabby
Ask Tom
As an occasional solo diner, writes Diana Havlin, “I try to be cognizant of the impact that my lower tab has on wait staff. I don’t linger, and I tip well. I sit at the bar when I can, to keep tables open for larger, more lucrative parties.” However, nicer weather and more alfresco eating opportunities prompt two questions from the District reader. “Does it go against dining etiquette for a solo diner to sit outside? Do
wait staff look down on this practice?” No and no, according to a small survey I conducted of
restaurants with seating under the sky. While
multiple diners are likely
to run up a larger tab, managers told me, solo acts tend to order faster and eat more
quickly. Waiters should also appreciate another detail: Single diners, several restaurateurs noted, tend to tip as well as or better than moresomes.
With Love…
From Beatrice’ Kitchen to You.
RISTORANTE ITALIANOCAPRI
6825 Redmond Dr., McLean, VA 22101 703-288-4601 •
www.caprimcleanva.com
on their early success. Shortly after launch, they introduced a seasonally driven omakase (chef’s choice) menu Wednesday through Saturday nights. The word from Tokyo is that maki (rolls) featuring grilled meat are hot, says Norris, who recently introduced the toasted seaweed-bound treats to the menu. I have yet to explore more than an
airport in Japan. In the meantime, I have Kushi to remind me of what I’m missing.
Ristorante Northern Italian Cuisine
Lunch & Dinner 7 Days 4935 Cordell Ave., Bethesda, MD 301-951-4935
www.tragara.com Fine Italian Cuisine
Open for Lunch and Dinner Daily Dinner Specials
LA TRATTORIA
Free Valet Parking • 2 Banquet Rooms 4515 Willard Avenue.
Chevy Chase, MD 301.657.9133 • alfi
os.com
Tex-Mex Cuisine
Sizzling Fajitas, Tex-Mex Specialties & Seafood Specials Lunch & Dinner • Free Parking • Open 7 Days a Week
703.243.9811/9812 •
www.elpasocafe.net 4235 N. Pershing Dr. • Arlington, VA 22203
“Fun For Date or Night Out.”
121 Congressional Lane Rockville, MD 301-770-5999
www.mykonosgrill.com
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