“Would you like to let the wine mature, or shall I pour it right away?” Not what you’d expect to hear at a place where the star of the menu is a burger.
But this is the relaxed, no-reservations front cafe attached to Palena, Frank Ruta’s elegant dining room. In the cafe you get all the trappings of four-star dining—a proper fish knife arrives when you order a lemony cut of sturgeon—and casual doesn’t mean careless.
The rich spring-green aïoli next to Ruta’s terrific rabbit sausage is the best sausage-and-onions in town. A lovely poached guinea hen terrine comes with a mini chicory salad and no fewer than three kinds of pickled fruits and vegetables. And that burger? Its sesame bun, mayo, and pickles are all made in-house, and it’s sheathed with luxurious black-truffle-infused cheese.
While much of the ever-changing menu, be it a sharable plate of cod fritters or that dainty guinea hen terrine, hovers around $14 a dish, a cocktail and dessert will bump up the tab. Still, this is a chance to sample the cooking of one of the city’s most talented chefs without having to really splurge.
Open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday.
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.
