Proof

PROOF
775 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 | (202) 737-7663 | http://proofdc.com/

The restaurant takes it name from the origins of its owner, Mark Kuller, a prominent US Treasury tax lawyer and wine aficionado. After years of dreaming, Kuller's vision of opening a wine centric DC restaurant was born. Featuring over 30 by the glass selections and over 1,000 bottles for true wine nerds, Proof is a wine lover's paradise.

Meridian Hill, Four Roses Bourbon, La Gitana Manzanilla Sherry, Honey Syrup, Lemon Juice & Grapefruit Bitters 14.  Fantastic and refreshing cocktail to start the evening.

Pan Roasted Hudson Valley Foie Gras. Sweet cherry short cake, pistachio, cocoa nibs, bing cherry jus $19. The combination here was truly heroic. I loved the coca nibs, it was certainly second to none and the foie gras itself was nicely done as well.

Gumbo of Shrimp, Oysters, Blue Crab & Andouille Sausage onions, peppers, celery, sassafras, rice, parsley, scallions 15. The gumbo here was especially tasty, not especially spicy either. Perfectly prepared in my opinion and served with an adequate presentation.  Nothing like the foie gras though.

Sautéed Lamb Chops with Ragout of Farro & Lamb Shoulder pistachios, dried apricots, whipped yogurt, almonds, sumac $35. The lamb chops were the highlight of the evening.  Sweet and tender, I cleaned my plate in no time. The farro (various grains of wheat) was nice and chewy.  I don't like it too soft so it was a nice contrast to the lamb. The creamy white yogurt provided a nice dipping condiment for the lamb.

Crispy Spiced Panko Crusted Organic Chicken Breast fragrant basmati rice, kohlrabi slaw, gingered tomato fondue, cilantro $26. The crusted chicken was a nice variation on chicken breasts and rice.  The slaw was excellent and the choice of the tomato fondue mixed well with the chicken.

Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake, almond streusel, vanilla ice cream $10. Known as Proof's most popular dessert, I can see why.  Our waiter told us that when it goes off the menu people clamor for it for months until it comes back on.  Delicious toffee pudding that slides down so well with the vanilla ice cream garnished with mint leaves. Absolutely orgasmic.

Of Note:

Proof features a lovely al fresco dining area. It is of note however that it is rumored to be bothersome by panhandlers passing by on the street (according to Yelp reviews).

Entrance to Proof.

Immediately apparent is the marriage of food and wine here at Proof.  In fact, I will say I think the wine selection outshines the excellent food offerings here.

Detail of the candle holder and salt and pepper shakers.

Wine bottles serve to decorate the restaurant boasting over 1,000 bottles on site.

Additional shelving for the wine collection.

A vibrant bar scene features happy hour.  "Proof offers daily rotating Happy Hour specials in the bar and lounge area Monday - Friday from 5:30PM - 7PM. Join us for $5 glasses of house red and white wine, $8 classic cocktails and discounted prices on selected beer and wine offerings."1

Dessert wine and champagne is kept chilling in ice buckets.

A well kept charcuterie and cheese station is kept adjacent to the dining area.

Twentieth Century, Bombay Original Gin, Marie Bizard White Crème de Cacao, Cocchi Americano, Lemon Juice 14.

My second cocktail of the evening. Very good.




























NOT SAFE FOR WORK CONTENT
My traditional restroom review:

Now I understood why I didn't see anyone under 30 in the crowd in the dining room tonight. I can only imagine what the ladies restroom looks like.  Certainly would not take a child in here.

Despite the questionable nature of the decor, the sinks were freakin awesome and I want some like that in my house.  Have to be careful about splashing through.  Ultra modern, ultra cool.  Me want.

Wishbone

Wishbone
4034 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (215) 921-3204 | wishbonephilly.com/ | BYOB

Per their website, "Founded by two seasoned chefs in 2013, Wishbone exists at the intersection of quick service and fine dining." I thought it to be an apt description so why change it. It is available to order from grubhub.com as well. It bills itself as a craft fried chicken establishment using locally sourced, organic, hormore free chicken that is made in small batches every day.  Wishbone also features side dishes including their delicious mac and cheese and a micro bakery featuring homemade pies.

The counter-top ordering and neatly decorated back drop earn this restaurant a cut above the typical fast food establishment. High ceilings and hanging incandescent lighting give the restaurant an open, modern feel amid an obviously farm themed wooden decor.  This juxtaposition just works.

Adjacent to the counter is a shelving area showcasing the Wishbone wares- Peanut Butter and Pretzels, Chocolate Raisins, Chocolate Almonds.

The main floor connects to an upstairs dining area seen above.

The whole made sauces: Parmesan Pesto, Pommery Honey Mustard, Buffalo Bleu, Don's XXX Hot Sauce, Madras Curry, Chipotle Lime Mayo, Modern BBQ.

The wares from the micro-bakery.  Homemade pies available for $4.00 each.

Additional wares from the micro-bakery.  I ended up getting a peanut butter and jelly donut which was nothing too great.  It could just as easily have come from Dunkin Donuts.

How can you pass up something called Cock Soda.  I'll tell you...it tasted like flat Coke. Nothing special.  In fact, I'd recommend getting the Coke in the glass bottle in the adjacent cooler.

The fact that they served San Pellegrino and soda in glass bottles does help to elevate the restaurant above a fast food joint.

The upstairs dining area.  Ho hum. Although they did decorate the ceiling to look like a tree with branches? (below)

I'm not sure what these random twigs were on the ceiling but it was kind of confusing and nothing to write home about.

Standard restroom shot.  If that sink got any smaller my hands would not fit in it.  Still was clean though. Little bit of a toilet paper trail going on but I'm just being picky.

Also, of note.  (see above)
In summary, Wishbone represents the intersection of fast food and fine dining on the continuum of restaurant elegance.  While seemingly derogatory, the best way I can think to describe it is a "high-end KFC".  The fried chicken and homemade sauces are slightly better and the side choices, bakery and availability of higher-end drinks take this a cut above KFC. At around $30.00 for 2, one can't complain. Carry on fried chicken aficionados, carry on.

The Treemont

The Treemont

231 S 15th St Philadelphia, PA 19102 | (267) 687-2237 | http://thetreemont.com/

Relatively new on the Philadelphia restaurant scene, this modern American cuisine restaurant opened just after April 2014, and is the 6th business enterprise of Chef Chip Roman, a Philadelphia native and owner of the Roman Restaurant Group. His business ventures include:

• Blackfish, opened in 2006, holds 3 Bells from the Philadelphia Inquirer and earned the number one spot in Philadelphia magazine’s 2011 “50 Best Restaurants” issue. 
• Mica, opened in March of 2011, also holds 3 Bells from the Philadelphia Inquirer and was named by GQ magazine as one of the “10 Best Restaurants 2012”. 
• Ela, opened in November of 2011 as a partnership with Chef Jason Cichonski and also received a glowing 3 Bells from the Inquirer’s Craig LaBan. 
• Tradestone Confections, a line of artisan chocolates and confections available online, as well as 
• Tradestone Café, offering coffee, breakfast, soups, salads and sandwiches, alongside the gourmet chocolate line.

Possibly one of the finest modern American restaurants in the city, the location is how shall we say VERY poor. Wedged in-between a group of bars including Tavern on Broad, The Good Dog, Fado Irish Pub, Fox and Hound and the neighborhood Applebee's, Chip Roman’s Center City debut sits amidst a pub crawling crowd.  Not to mention the huge Cheesecake Factory (the Walmart of eateries) moved in just up the street. So, will people put down their beers, cheesecakes, and $9.99 all you can eat appetizers and stay sober just long enough to enjoy the greatness of this exquisite restaurant; we shall soon see.  I hope the answer is is a resounding yes.

As soon as I walked in the door the bar area stood out.  Wow. Nicely lit and perfectly organized I knew I'd be in luck for some delicious, refreshing cocktails this evening.

The meal commenced with a delightful amuse bouche. Buckwheat muffin with agave nectar served with a chipotle butter.

Aptly named, the Final Problem, made of Rum, House Ginger, Lime Cordial, Soda, this devilishly tasty summer cocktail certainly could create quite a few problems after a few of them, as how shall we put it delicately, the final problem was solved as it swiftly slid down my gullet.

To wet the palate, we started with spiced almonds and marinated olives. The almonds were not very spicy but had a nice kick to them along with some sweetness which was difficult to discern the origins.  The olives were pitted (thank you), and were an apt accompaniment.

Foie Gras Terrine|Seabuckthorn|Macadamia|Brioche|Rhubarb...$17.  Things got rolling as soon as the foie gras came out.  Absolutely delicious.  My one critique is the terrine could have been served slightly warmer.  It clumped as I spread it onto my rich and tender brioche.  In my opinion, it should have spread more smoothly like a room-temperature butter. Seeing as terrines are normally served at or just slightly below room temperature, I thought it should have been warmer. The small orange seabuckthorn herbs were very tasty and the rhubarb added sweetness. Macadamia nuts were good, I might have chosen a sweeter nut--maybe a candied almond or cashew, but that is just artistic difference.  Overall, a 4.5/5 star dish with half a star off due to temperature.

Berkshire Pork Loin|Endive|Artichoke|Honeycomb....$24.  I loved the fact this was served with real honeycomb.  That MADE the dish.  Don't ever take the honeycomb away.  Your loyal customers will clamor until it is re-added to the menu. The sweet brown pork jus mixed well with the honeycomb and gave the already tender pork the juiciness it needed.  Well presented, and well plated, A+ for presentation.

Amish Chicken|Pumpernickel|Fingerling Potatoes|Asparagus|English Peas ...$22. The pea puree was probably the best part of this chicken dish. The chicken was tender and well cooked and the pumpernickel certainly added flavor. Fingerling potatoes were adequate.  Could have been served with a bit more asparagus in my opinion.  The chicken jus that was poured on top finished the dish well.

Sour cream pannacotta, pine nut brittle, passionfruit gel, olive oil powder.  Fantastic. Whipped, light and fluffy with the immense richness of the passion fruit and sweetness of the pine nut brittle, this dessert will leave you wanting more, more, more. 5/5 stars.

Of Note: 

A pristine restroom facility.

Close up of the bar area.

Spacious upstairs seating area with views of the street below.

A view from the staircase connecting the two floors.

A view from our seats, dining tables, chairs and wood paneling with backlit lighting.

Menu, plating, cutlery, and glasses.

Small al fresco dining area just outside the entrance with room for a few tables.

Candle & Glasses.