2009 Fall Dining Guide
By Tom Sietsema
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009

Editorial Review

Critic Rating:

(3.5 of 4 stars)

Part of the pleasure of introducing this sleek restaurant to first-timers is watching their jaws drop as they cross a koi-filled pond and stroll into a dining room with 25-foot ceilings topping walls of glass. It takes a masterful chef to compete with a lakeside view and an original Rodin, and 2941 stocks one in its gleaming kitchen. Bertrand Chemel sent out one of the most exquisite dishes I've encountered all year: a sheer dumpling stuffed with pureed langoustine and foie gras, topped with shaved summer truffles and circled with a clear-but-spicy lobster consomme -- a single-bite, four-star salve for our having waited and waited for menus to be passed out. Much of what came afterward approached the same level of artistry. Autumn (and India) unfolded in every spoonful of the French native's ginger-scented butternut squash veloute, enriched with coconut milk and set off with a fan of crisp apple and apple compote. A thin crust of chorizo added heft and heat to steamed Japanese mero poised on squid ink risotto. Luscious little touches distinguish each plate, be they the golden squares of mashed potato supporting caviar-paved snapper or the ribbons of hearts of palm and clove jus nudging lamb loin to greatness. Pastry chef Anthony Chavez dazzles diners right to the finish with clever takes on familiar subjects. A downsized floating island, breezy with lemon, is lighter still for its wafer-thin cookie made with fennel pollen. Kudos, too, to the sommelier for pointing out a bottle of wine that was less expensive than, but just as worthwhile as, the ones this bargain-hunter was mulling.

Fixed-price dinner per person: four-course menu $58, six-course tasting menu $95

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