Rogue24- Washington, D.C.
For two people that love the culinary amazement that is Alinea, but live 700 miles away, we are always up to try something in our neck of the woods that can woo us. The double-digit course restaurants have a lot of pressure to perform since so many courses can be easily forgotten or compared to others. Not to mention, it still has to TASTE good. You can make anything look pretty on a plate or create a foam out of everything in your pantry, but it only counts if it is still enjoyable to eat…and worth the hefty price. Rogue 24 seemed to have forgotten these important details.
Following suit with other upscale, blow-your-paycheck dining establishments, the place was impossible to find. Our cab driver didn’t want to leave us because he thought we were in the wrong place. It’s almost like a scavenger hunt just to eat dinner. I suppose it’s a part of their natural selection…if you don’t lose your temper trying to find us, you might not have a conniption when the bill comes. Wandering in heels down alley streets finally pays off and we get to the front door.
Opening up with a simple loft-esque décor (think brick/steel/natural woods) is the lounge area. Even though the place had just one other dining party at the time, we still were asked to sit down in the lounge. We had the Rogue24 version of an alcoholic lemonade that actually wasn’t too bad. The metal straw added to the already industrial ambiance. You have to sign a waiver before dining: no phones, no tweeting, no flash photography, commit to the 24 or 16 course, blah, blah, blah. Dietary restrictions these days shouldn’t be a big deal because everyone and their brother has some kind of food allergy. They still make it a big deal here though with their “dining contract”. I’m not cliff diving here, I just want to sit down in a chair and eat the food. The lounge pit-stop serves as place to get anyone that hasn’t already signed the dining contract, which is emailed to you upon making the reservation, to do so. The contract is to ensure all diners have a “valued experience”. We must be in for some show!
In the actual dining room, the kitchen is center stage with tables lining the walls around it. It’s a nice way to pack a place but still have everyone get a good view of your work. We prepared ourselves for sleek and delectable…little did we know we would receive sorry and detached. The servers were there for one reason only: to put in front of us what we should eat or drink. No personality, no warmth, practically no talking, and all business. The show must be solely the food itself. There is no menu, but you will receive a list of the items you ate when you pay the bill. The title of your food content? “The Journey”. Yes, indeed. It was the most expensive “journey” to BLT steak at 10 p.m. to finally get some food that tastes good and can be considered a real meal. Not to mention, a place where you can complain with your friends about spending that kind of money for nothing when you could have gone some place really good. You can also talk about how some of the dishes weren’t even original. The ossetra caviar was the twin sister presentation from The Inn at Little Washington. I really wished we had gone there instead.
The carrot terrarium would have been ok if the “dirt” hadn’t actually tasted like dirt. It was a huge turn-off for the rest of the meal for our dining party. Suspensions were fun in the first three course set. Once you get past the copycat presentation, the dishes were beautifully plated. Unfortunately, that is where all the heart was. No one in the overly staffed kitchen of garnishes seemed to care that these bite sized courses were completely unfulfilling once actually eaten. I can ooo and ahh all day at pretty things, but for dinner, I want my food to taste good and satisfy my hunger. Other restaurants in the “tasting menu” sector achieve it all the time, so I don’t think I’m being overly critical. Rogue 24’s story begins with a great opening hook of presentation, forgets to tell you the plot, and unfortunately concludes with blank pages.
“The Journey”
Gazpacho/compressed/solid/liquefied
Asparagus/arugula/hazelnut
Tuna/avocado/chilies
Pairing: Nitro Mint- death’s door whiskey/mint/snow.
Ossetra/cucumber/trout
Urchin/lava/corel/seaweed
Watermelon/everona/sorrel/embers
Pairing: Sineann- gewerztraminer/Yamhill 2010
Musk melon/benton’s ham/basil/yogurt
Violet Potato/sea grass/rouille
Madai/coconut/ginger tapioca
Pairing: Raspberry Flash- Plymouth gin/lemon/dolin blanc/raspberry
Little peas/pig’s ears/gels
Ray/brown butter/spinach
Garden leaves/duck tongue/leek
Pairing: Unibreau le fin du monde – from Quebec
Wagyu/smoked eggplant/radish
Foie Gras/benne/mango/curry
Artichoke/flowers/lemon
Pairing: Le Clos du Tue Boeuf “le brin de chevre”
Lamb/yogurt/cucumber/lettuce
Farm Egg/fowl skin/black garlic/nasturtium
Shashito/lime/pork skin/huitlacoche
Pairing: Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvee Pinot Noir 2009
Carrot/terrarium
Tail/celeriac/celery/onion
Rogue Blue/apricot/pistachio bliss
Pairing: Reserve Especial Tempranillo Rioja 2006
Passion Fruit/coconut/honey
Coffee/cream/carmel/hazelnut
Happy Endings/little things/small bites
Pairing: Le Flor d’Or Semillon Sauternes 2009
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