2009 Fall Dining Guide

By Tom Sietsema
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009

In the first 10 minutes at the most exclusive restaurant reservation in town, patrons might encounter a pisco sour that starts out hot and ends up cold, a little tumbleweed of fried beet, a boneless chicken wing seasoned as if it came from Asia, a tiny steamed bun capped with caviar and lemon "air" and -- what's this? -- eel and shiso bound in a white web of cotton candy. Minibar, the six-seat counter that frames a handful of young chefs on the second floor of Cafe Atlantico, is by turns wonderful and crazy, but never, ever boring. "We have 27 courses for you tonight," one of the cooks announces. Fear not. The dishes are mostly single bites, and they come and go quickly. If you've visited before, you might recognize chef Jose Andres's fondness for rethinking familiar foods (the pencil-thin "Philly Cheesesteak" finds sheer slices of beef draping an airy, cheddar-filled pita) and his penchant for certain cooking techniques. ("There's a lot of foam," a friend whispers between all the tastes. "I'm just saying.") But each visit inevitably also showcases something fresh: maybe a riff on corn on the cob that heightens the vegetable's flavor and also slips in earthy Mexican corn truffle, or a tiny amber cube holding white chocolate and olive dust, a bite more delicious than it sounds. Not every creation works. Sea urchin roe, for instance, is wasted on shockingly tart, bright-red hibiscus foam. And that steamed bun is gummy. When the ideas are taken in concert, however, the spread is a fascinating journey into the imaginations of Andres and his white-jacketed teammates, and well worth the effort and cost involved in snagging a stool.

Fixed-price dinner per person: $120