Saturday, February 11, 2012

Tabard Inn - Dupont Circle, DC

I need to do the whole 'brunch thing' more often. Heading into the city without traffic on a late Sunday morning for breakfast food is my kinda deal. I met my friend and former college roomie at the Tabard Inn, which has one of the most popular brunches in DC. They offer valet out front for $7 until 3pm.

This 40-room hotel has a multi-level restaurant that reminds me of a row house. Cozy, small and Victorian. Thankfully we weren't in the main room (it can get loud and cramped), but were seated next to a window on a higher floor. They have a nice garden patio for when the weather is nice.

It's advised to make reservations 2-3 weeks in advanced. So plan in advance and give them a call!

The menu is inspired by fresh, seasonal, local ingredients and consists of mostly savory items. All dishes are a la carte, and due to high volumes during brunch, there are no substitutions folks!

While waiting for our dishes to arrive, we received a basket of  sweet and salty selections like muffins and cornbread.

My friend went the savory route and ordered the Scrambled Eggs with cream cheese and chives, house-made Toulouse sausage, home fries ($14). She loved her dish! I tried the eggs and potatoes, which were both amazing. We've been inspired to add cream cheese to our eggs in the future.

She also ordered a side of Cheese Grits, which wasn't listed on the menu as an a la carte item, but our server said it was possible.

Isn't this so pretty? It was very simply plated, but tastefully done. I went the sweet route, and ordered the Lemon Buttermilk Waffles with raspberry-plum compote, whipped cream ($12). You can taste a hint of lemon in the batter, which goes along well with the fruit compote. Fluffy texture, and I didn't need to drown them in maple syrup. It was very sweet on its own, which would've been perfect with a side of bacon.

Very nice, and cozy place. All of the items on the menu looks delicious and we've heard about the donuts they make, but we didn't get a chance to try them. Our server was very knowledgeable when we asked for recommendations. I definitely enjoyed trying my friend's food and will probably go the savory route the next time.

Tabard Inn
1739 N St NW
Washington, DC 20036
202-331-8528
www.tabardinn.com/restaurant
Tabard Inn on Urbanspoon

1 comment:

Lisa said...

I love Tabard Inn, but have never been for brunch. Your review (and that picture of the sausage) have convinced me that that needs to be corrected ASAP!