As I mentioned a few days ago, I decided to try out a tried and true DC establishment for Restaurant Week, Kinkead’s. To be honest, I hadn’t really heard much about Kinkead’s but booked the reservation because it had availability for 5 on short notice. Once reserved, I took a glance at the menu online and was instantly convinced the opening was a stroke of good fortune. I was salivating.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by gracious hostesses accompanied by the soft serenade of a piano. We climbed the large staircase to get to our table, taking in the decor which would leave any five girls feeling like they were encroaching on a secret meeting at the Old Boys Club.
Considering I’d already taken a look at the menu online, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the entire menu was available as part of Restaurant Week – a rare find! Usually, you have a very limited selection of courses on a Restaurant Week menu. All of the dishes sounded so appetizing the waiter had to give us some guidance to help us reach our final decisions and I finally settled on the lobster and shrimp bisque, cod and chocolate lava cake.
The lobster and shrimp bisque by far the best bisque I’d ever had, impossibly creamy and robust with crunchy brioche croutons. This picture just doesn’t do it justice.
I also sampled the squid and the tuna soup and what struck me as the most impressive was the different types of flavors of each dish, they ran the full range of Italian to French to Asian – and they were all absolutely delicious.
For an entree, I ordered the North Atlantic cod with crab imperial, ham and scallion corn bread, sweet potato puree, and a mustard cream sauce. It was so enticing, I didn’t even have the patience to snap a picture before digging in. Trust me, you’d do the same. The portion size was perfect, the crab imperial was flavorful without overpowering the dish, the corn bread was salty and sweet and perfectly complemented by the sweet potato puree. I should mention that about halfway into this course, I was stuffed despite the smaller portion size. My girlfriends got the salmon, softshell crab and scallops and everyone was extremely satisfied.
Then out came the chocolate lava cake. It was tasty, but was not on the same level as the rest of the meal. Let’s face it, it’s chocolate so who is gonna say no but the best part was the caramel ice cream. I did have the self restraint to take a picture for this course though, mostly because I was so full.
All in all, we were a very satisfied, very full group. I’d recommend Kinkead’s to anyone looking for a nice, upscale dinner out. The wine list is very expensive, the cheapest bottle will run you $50 and glasses are $12 or more. So, if you’re looking to dine on a budget, lunch is your best bet, particularly since they are extending their Restaurant Week lunch menu through August 24th. Book your reservation now, you won’t be disappointed!