In 2015 a new restaurant opened on Capitol Hill -- Rose's Luxury. Bon Appetit said it was the best new restaurant in the entire country. They don't take reservations, so the only way to get in is to stand in line and wait. When they open the doors at 5 PM you can either sit right down, or ask to be put in the second seating and texted when the seats open up.Katy and I went to Rose's once before on a day that Katy just happened to be wandering by. Yesterday we went for the second time. We figured that on a hot day in August the line would be shorter and we could get in. We were right and it was worth the trip.
Like we did the first time, we chose to sit at the bar looking right into the kitchen. Half of the fun of the day is just watching the team work. There were more than 8 people squeezed into the kitchen working like clockwork. Almost nothing in the way of haste or disarray. That's Wendy, on of the lead chefs, in the center making one of our dishes.Meanwhile, the food was just fantastic. We've had one friend who didn't like it when they went, but everyone else we know has raved -- and so do we. We started with a small plate of Pork Sausage, Habanero, Peanuts and Lychee that was just an awesome bang of flavor. The Catfish came next with a great green tomato relish and a saffron aoli that was smooth to the taste. The Bucatini in a sungold tomato sauce tasted fresh and smooth in a way that red sauce does not. And the Brisket at the end -- well, it was as tender as we've ever eaten. Paul loved it; Katy (who doesn't like brisket at all) was even moderately appreciative. The homemade slaw and horseradish that it came with were as fresh as you could imagine. And we finished off with a fresh coconut milk ice cream.
The most amazing thing though, was the price. We bought a Vouvray Chenin Blanc bottle for $60. Total price for the meal with tax was just $159.50. Put another way, three small courses and a large family style meat plate, along with desert cost less than $100 -- and we got the view as well.
We'll be back -- and it is worth the trip if you can find the time.
