Smith & Wollensky 1112 19th Street NW, Washington DC 20036 (202) 466-1100

DC Restaurant week just finished and I just finished the BEST week of eating.  For those on a limited budget (like me) DC Restaurant week is by far the easiest way to sample our area’s top restaurants.  You basically get to taste culinary excellence at a fraction of the cost.  And 3 courses is plenty, more than what I normally eat and at $20.08 for lunch and $30.08 for dinner DC Restaurant Week is a STEAL. 

I got to sample 4 greatrestaurants in DC and it ended with a bang at Smith & Wollensky.  Now I’m not a huge steak fan as I used to be … I eat lots of fish and veggies but I do crave a nice steak once in a while.  After eating at Smith and Wollensky, my steak craving jumped from infrequent to frequently – especially if it’s a steak from Smith and Wollensky. 

Yesterday Dottie and I were treated by my mom and dad to S & W.  The S & W restaurant week menu was simple.  For starters your choice of classic ceasar salad, iceberg wedge salad or soup du jour.  I ordered the iceberg wedge salad – a chilled salad which consisted of a wedge of iceberg lettuce and a slice of tomato covered in blue cheese dressing.  The fresh crispy wedge and juicy tomato came alive thanks to the blue cheese dressing which was very light but full of flavor.  I tried Dottie’s ceasarsalad which was excellent as well.  Romaine lettuce topped with ceasar dressing and aguette slice with toasted garlic and topped with anchovies.  Great starters for the table.

Mom always says when you eat at  a steak place order steak, when you eat at a seafood place order seafood etc.  Simple advice right.  So guess what everyone ordered from these choices – fillet mignon, salmon or chicken?  Yup, fillet mignon for the table.  I was definitely in the mood for “tender and flavorful USDA Prime steaks, dry-aged and butchered on site.”  When the steaks were served, plated with fried onions and sauce, my mouth was drooling.  The first bite is always the best – the fillet was so TENDER that I couldn’t remember in all my years of eating steak, biting into a steak this tender, incredible!  “Oh my gosh” “Wow” “MMM” said mom, dad and Dottie.  It was as though we’ve never had food this good before.  What brought out the flavor even more was the sauce, which tasted subtly sweet … my guess a red wine reduction.  The fillet was perfect, tasteful and absolutely delicious. 

Next came dessert with the choice of apple strudel or cheesecake.  Mom and Dad were so full that they just took their desserts home.  Dottie and I ordered one of each which was more than enoughfor the four of us.  Typical Filipino style – two desserts and four forks.  The rich cheesecake melted in my mouth, not too creamy or hard in texture, just right.  The warm apple strudel, wrapped in a flaky, light dough and filled with raisins and apples, tasted great.  Not too sweet like some desserts.  Dad was the only one that ordered coffee but they served a mini-pitcher for dad.  And in true Filipino style, we all shared Dad’s coffee because mom could not see the whole pitcher going to waste.  I just had a sip … or two.

It’s easy to see why Smith & Wollenskydons excellent write ups from the Washington Post and the New York Times.  With only 9 locations in the US, Smith & Wollensky is a must for everyone, even flexitarians like myself.  During DC Restaurant you will get a sweetheart of a deal – 3 meals for only $20.08!  Their normal menu is expensive but it’s easy to see why.  An excellent steak house and IMHO one of DC’s best!

4.5 out of 5 Stars!