Thu, 04/05/2007 - 9:32am

Review of "Poste Moderne Brasserie" in downtown Washington, DC

This trendy, upscale brasserie features modern American food set in an historical environment. Located in the Hotel Monacco, Poste is situated in the original sorting room of the 1841 general post office. This is most noticeable when you enter the restaurant and look up at the 16 foot ceilings and skylights, which are also the originals.

Poste’s menu consists of American food with a heavy emphasis on locally grown organic ingredients. The chef tends his own herb garden off of the back terrace where he grows his own herbs that he uses in his cooking. To couple with the tasty treats at this restaurant you will find a wine list that offers mostly California and French wines. Some of the wines are a little pricey, but you can find a decent selection of moderately priced wines on the menu as well.

The atmosphere at Poste is best described as bustling. With an open kitchen the staff performs on a nightly basis as a real live exhibition. Due to its prime location across from the Verizon Center, Poste almost always has a full bar stacked with a young crowd, so if you can make a reservation for dinner, I would recommend it so that you are not forced to wait for a table.

Once seated you will find the menu tempting and loaded with some real inticing dishes. All of the servers at Poste are knowledgeable and friendly and can make recommendations from the menu, since there are an ample number of selections for each course and menu items are changed seasonally based on meat and produce offerings. Appetizers offer everything from a cheese plate and Portabella tart to escargot.

For main dishes, Poste offers: beef, chicken, seafood, veal and duck, with the Amish chicken being one of their featured menu items. If you are a meat eater, the beef bourguignon is a real standout among the main courses and one of the main highlights of the entire menu. Perfectly seasoned and cooked, the meat tears easily with a butter knife and gives new meaning to the word mouth-watering. If you are looking for something a little more basic in terms of entrees, I would also recommend the steak frites. This is prepared with a quality cut of hanger steak and the thin, crispy fries are garnished with a splash of truffle oil that adds a unique flavor to what might otherwise be considered just French fries.

A three and five course tasting menu are also offered as dinner options and can be enjoyed with or without wine pairings. Although the dessert menu looked enticing, I was too full from my appetizer and duck entrée to sample any.

I think this place is a great restaurant to try if you are in the area, but be prepared for the fact that all these tasty organic foods come at a price. Count on spending about a $100 a head if you have an appetizer, entrée, and wine with dinner.

For more information visit www.postebrasserie.com

About the author
Daphne Butas lives in Arlington, Virginia with her husband Aras and their bulldog Abby, where Daphne works as a freelance writer and editor. The couple is expecting their first child this April. In her spare time Daphne enjoys cooking, hiking, traveling, snowboarding, and of course, eating out!

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