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Very Best Restaurants: Gerard's Place

Very Best Listing | Very Best by Cuisine | Very Best by Location

Gerard's Place ***
Washington, $$$

Once, when dining at the table of Michelin two-star chef Gerard Pangaud was surprisingly affordable, one did not have to rationalize doing so in a small, table-packed dining room decorated on a shoestring. Now, when a couple can easily spend $200 for a dinner with wine at Gerard's Place, it is not an easy matter to overlook the institutional carpeting, scarred wooden backs and worn upholstery of the chairs, and faded netting that droops from the ceiling.

It is a considerable tribute to Pangaud's remarkable cuisine that his longtime regulars are willing to pay his prices while taking a grin-and-bear-it attitude to the surroundings. Given the constantly changing nature of his menu, it is of little use to recommend specific dishes. Recent dishes that characterize the elegant simplicity of his culinary style are sauteed scallops with a parsley mousse, crisp nuggets of sweetbreads with wild mushrooms, mushroom-crusted cod with a sauce of mixed fresh herbs, and a confit of pigeon with a garlic sauce and a garnish of turnips and pearl onions.

For a comprehensive introduction to the cooking that earned Gerard Pangaud two stars in the Michelin Guide, turn to the $85 fixed-price, five-course menu, which includes glasses of a suitable wine matched to each course.

Gerard's Place , 915 15th St. NW, Washington; 202-737-4445. Open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday for dinner. MapIt!

QUALITY: ****Excellent; *** Superior; **Very Good; * Good
PRICE RANGE: $$$= Very Expensive; $$ Expensive; $=Moderate; ¢=Inexpensive

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