Chef Pedro Matamoros is back in Silver Spring a year after bolting from Nicaro, the small, independent restaurant he helped found. The new place is a curious do-over—like its predecessor, committed to local ingredients and doing things the old-fashioned way, from rolling fresh pastas to making terrines from scratch. It’s a promising game plan, but some of Nicaro’s weaknesses turn up here, such as a predilection for cluttering plates with too many components and occasionally slapping a hefty price onto a puny portion. But at its best (read: at its simplest—charcuterie, a lavender-scented roast chicken, or any of new pastry chef Rita Garruba’s simple sweets), 8407 redeems its many promises.
Don’t miss: Cuban sandwich; seared scallops; goat-cheese flan.
For a full review of 8407 Kitchen & Bar, click here.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
