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2348 Wisconsin Ave. NW
(202) 337-3394
Hours of Operation and Prices
Lunch: M-F 11:45-2; Entrees: $8-$9.50
Dinner: M-Th 6-10, F-Sat 6-10:30, Sun 6-9:30; Entrees: $16.50-$22
Other Information
• Credit Cards: All major
• Reservations: Recommended
• Parking: Valet (fee) after 6 pm
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It's one of the smallest spots in town for fine dining, yet its kitchen boasts two chefs, both young Alsatians. Le Caprice is a tiny gem, polished brighter than ever. Alsace suggests foie gras. And here it is superb, satiny and buttery, served with toasted brioche. That region's frog legs are boned and wrapped in puff pastry, though the best part of this appetizer is the salad with creamy dressing and a fluff of fresh dill. Onion tarts are famous in Alsace, and Le Caprice's version with Roquefort is deliciously caramelized, oozing and earthy. Surely a rich, meaty choucroute will appear in winter, and the Alsatian wines here are tempting - not least for their modest prices. These regional specialties are endearing, all the more so for being served in two dining rooms as romantic as a chocolate box or on the sidewalk terrace.
The rest of the long menu, though, is inconsistent and often over-
reaching - particularly the elaborate entrees such as lobster and shiitake ravioli, tuna with Provençal vegetables, duck with cassis vinegar sauce or tournedo perched on a lacy potato pancake with layers of eggplant, tomato and zucchini alongside. Yet disappointments fade in light of the desserts. In this city smothered with chocolate desserts, Le Caprice's three-chocolate terrine is still a standout. A souffléd raspberry tart is flowing and creamy in its flaky crust, and a plate of assorted miniature desserts - with whipped cream pipings to keep the sauces from overlapping - is like a display of edible fireworks 3/4 a dazzler.
Mondays are couscous nights, and at lunch the buffet is as fresh and appealing as a picnic. The everyday menu has seasonal, fixed-priced dinners and à la carte listings. So whatever the day, whatever the hour, a meal at Le Caprice is always an event.
© Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company
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