The final stop on our “Oh crap” tour takes us to Washington Place, a bistro tucked away in the neighborhood of Little Italy. I didn’t know a whole lot about them, but I was quite pleased with our experience. The only negative that I can think of is the parking – almost all the streets around it are resident-only parking, so about the only option is valet, unless you manage to find something and are able to walk a bit (and we looked). Aside from that, it had a nice ambiance, and we sat in a room with lots of windows, almost along the lines of an enclosed porch.
Our starter was a roasted beet salad, with candied almonds, fennel, and a goat cheese ranch (from nearby Mackenzie Creamery). With a variety of beet colors, it was just as much a pleasure to look at as it was to eat.
S had the Mack and Cheese, with (clever name) more Mackenzie cheese, chorizo, and a goat cheese strudel. Really creamy and rich, with a tinge of spice. All mac (or in this case, penne) and cheese should be made with sausage. The strudel was a very nice addition too – wrap anything in a flaky crust, and it makes it that much better.
I went with a duck confit, which came with an apricot-ricotta gnocchi and a mix of sautéed greens and root vegetables. The duck was perfect. The gnocchi was a nice idea, but the apricot flavor was hard to detect – a little more of that sweetness would have been great.
And for dessert, we had a bread pudding made from Presti’s (a local bakery) donuts. Bread pudding made from donuts, topped with vanilla creme anglaise and ice cream? Yes they did.
The verdict: Washington Place gets 5 1/2 stars out of 7. The food was all quite good, the prices aren’t bad, and service was more than adequate. And they have bread pudding made out of donuts.
We were there last night celebrating Kristen’s birthday. On Wednesdays they have a 2 for 40 deal (1 ap, 2 entrees, and a bottle of wine for $40). She had the Salmon and I had the above mentioned Mack and Cheese. Both delicious. Also because it was her birthday our server brought us the Presti’s bread pudding dessert on the house. Was definitely impressed with the great service, tasty food, and fantastic price.