We decided to take in a new adventure last weekend and checked out Chef Harper McClure's new restaurant, The Federalist, on the corner of 15th and M Streets, tucked on the side of the Madison Hotel. You will learn that one of us is not a fan of restaurants tucked inside hotels...but when the other one of us makes a reservation...we occasionally end up tucked inside a hotel. This time...I won ;)
We were coming from a show, so we were dressed appropriately, but this place will take you in jeans and a tee just as kindly. The host was adorable and sat us in one of their "booths"- elevated up on the side, in a U-shaped couch. They have fun lounge seats, a big farmers table and a few other 4 seaters along the wall. Nice decor, somewhere in the 1700s. Cutting to the chase, the experience is what made The Federalist blog-worthy.
The menu is a portfolio of Chef McClure's visions encompassing fresh foods that resemble farm-table delights, BUT and a giant BUT...this is NOT your gamey, farmy, icky, wanna beeee 18th century restaurant. You know exactly what we are talking about- those places that locate themselves in Old Town or in Williamsburg and dress their staff in butter churning outfits and serve roasted duck that looks like a...roasted duck. The food at The Federalist is modern and delicious.
We approached our meal the way we always do...what appetizer or two can we share? What entree will we share? What sides will we share? We are eaters, but lovers of appetizers and sides...so the entree is typically the short sale. So, as we approached the menu, we identified three appetizers- Roasted Baby Beets, Veal and Cabbage Meat Pie and the cheese-off (we'll explain)- Cremont (Vermont Creamery) vs. Chaource (Burgandy, France). They pair two cheeses- new world vs. old world. Let us stop right here and tell all of you brie or chevre lovers to go to the nearest cheese shop and beg them to carry the Chaource...OMG, fantastic!
For entrees, we were eying the Chicken Roulade and the Pork Belly. As per our usual, we considered the Brussel Sprouts and Baked Macaroni for the sides. We were a little torn because everything sounded good and yours truly was starving...so we punted to our waiter. Both of us found him to be everything that you want in a waiter- not the least pretentious but the most knowledgeable and encouraging. He gave us time to think after he explained the minutest details of the cooking techniques used for both the Roulade and Pork Belly. Being the eaters that we are and the suckers for an awesome "pitch" by a server, we skipped the meat pie and ordered the Cheeses, the Beets, and two entrees (Chicken and Pork), passing on the sides.
As noted above, the cheeses were fabulous- served with amazing honeycomb and toasted bread (they should probably splurge on an additional piece of bread). The pairing was delightful. The honeycomb with a sliver of the Chaource or Cremont...melt in your mouth, take you to another level kind of flavor. The beets were served with watercress and a fun peanut creme. Flavors were great, portion was a little wimpy. Again, we're eaters...we want more!!! And they are beats- so...FEED US!
Onto the Chicken Roulade...where to begin. The roulade was made with chicken and fennel sausage. It was beautifully presented and not the least bit dry. Maybe even more notable was the potato puree with tarragon jus. The flavors on the plate linked one thing to the next and left you wanting the experience to continue...and fortunately, we had pork belly to move our attention to! Our waiter said that the plate would perform like a beautiful pulled pork plate...and in a way, he was correct. Similar to an amazing plate of bbq, this plate kept your attention as you sliced through the crispy pork belly and moved your fork through the creamed savoy cabbage. Honestly, when you think of creamed cabbage...well, who thinks of creamed cabbage?? It was AMAZING...multiple times, we said "WHAT IS THIS?!" (Remember, menus are picked up after you order and you always forget something that accompanies the main dish...)
We found ourselves filled to the brim so we turned down dessert...and in truth, the desserts did not match the excitement and creativity on the rest of the menu. We recommend trying The Federalist if you're in the mood for great food, outstanding cheeses, a solid wine menu and fun servers. Chef McClure deserves a high five- great addition to the McPherson Square scene!
