Restaurant Week Report: Mendocino Grille

The California cuisine and intimate but unpretentious atmosphere drew my group to Mendocino Grille to kick off Restaurant Week on Monday. Though Restaurant Week isn't always the best time for a place to show off its charms (particularly in the service arena), we still had a fine enough experience for us to gravitate towards the restaurant again...that is, when we all get raises.

Mendocino's menu is already on the small side, so when they limit the Restaurant Week options by tacking on $5 and $7 upcharges to the majority of the appetizers and
entrees (even on some desserts), the selections which allow you to stay in the $30 range become pretty limited. Still, all six of us managed to enjoy our meals while avoiding the upcharges (yeah, we're those customers the management loves this week; at least we ordered alcohol), though not all were wowed with every selection.

I started with the duck confit appetizer. I'm not a huge fan of sweet dishes, so I was pleased that Mendocino's offering stayed squarely in the "savory" category; not necessarily a guarantee when you're having duck. This one sat on a bed of meaty white beans, and the skin was nice and crispy. I was pleased with my entree, thinly-sliced hanger steak on a bed of pureed potatoes and broccoli rabe, accented with a peppercorn sauce. The dish was slightly marred by the omnipresent whole peppercorns, but delicious overall. The biggest surprise for me was dessert - there are few around that suit my tastes, but the goat cheese cheesecake with citrus sorbet had a just-right combination of tartness and creaminess for me. Overall, the portions are measured, if not generous.

Friends raved about the beet salad and striped bass, but were underwhelmed by mushroom consumme and house cavatelli (which should be noted was the only vegetarian choice of entree). No dessert, whether it be banana ice cream or chocolate pot de creme, was consumed without praise.

Mendocino's charms that might go unnoticed during a Restaurant Week excursion include an extensive wine list with many by-the-glass options (I had no qualms with the tart "J" Pinot Gris I chose) and a wonderful cheese selection; it has much in common with its trendy sister restaurant Sonoma on the Hill. Service wasn't impeccable - it was rather slow and two parties' credit cards were wrongly charged - but was polite and gracious throughout the meal. While my budget will likely put me back at Sonoma than have me returning to Mendocino, the food convinced me that the restaurants' purveyors deserve my patronage in either context.

Mendocino Grille
2917 M Street
Washington, DC
20007
202-333-2912