2007 Fall Dining Guide
By Tom Sietsema
Washington Post Magazine
Sunday, Oct. 14, 2007

*** (out of four)

A window perch creates a romantic milieu for an early evening dinner in chef Andrew Evans's intimate dining room, where the last rays of the day reflect off soft green walls and tiny fish dart in glass globes atop each linen-draped table. The chef's time Down Under, where he worked in an Asian kitchen, as well as the bounty of Maryland's Eastern Shore, provide great reasons for hopping in the car and crossing the Bay Bridge. Vietnamese beef noodle soup is the most elegant version of pho you are likely to encounter: a golden, cilantro- and chili-laced broth dressed with shaved Wagyu beef. Plump quail, striped from the grill, resonates with the flavors of lime and chilies. Lamb sirloin with a mustard crust and potato galette speaks with more of a French accent, while tempura-bound soft-shell crabs revel in delicacy and nearby waters. It takes work to find flaws. Oh, the service could be a bit smoother, but I wouldn't change a thing about the house dessert, a sticky fig pudding that reminds diners where Evans has been -- and what a good study he is. Lovebird alert: Ask for Table No. 1, the intimate alcove. Chowhound update: The chef hopes to have the 26-seat Thai Ki, "a cozy hole in the wall," open nearby as early as January.