Review: Valentine's at Vinoteca DC

When I made a Valentine's Day reservation at Vinoteca DC on Thursday afternoon, I thought, "This could be good, or this could be bad."  Good, because I got a reservation anywhere but the Olive Garden two days before Valentine's Day.  Bad, because that might mean there wasn't demand for the seats -- meaning I might have picked a lemon.

Vinoteca, located on the corner of U Street and 11th Street in Northwest D.C., welcomed us, the restaurant's first patrons,  on Saturday evening.  The host handed my date a single red rose and seated us at a smallish table along the wall.  Our waitress stopped by our table shortly after and asked us if we had been there before.  Since we hadn't, she took the time to describe the menu and wine list to us.  She also mentioned their prix fixe menu for the night, which included six courses and wine pairings for each.  We decided on the prix fixe menu, and we weren't disappointed.

The first course of seared scallops with cauliflower puree and truffle oil, paired with an Italian Prosecco, was an excellent start to the meal.  The savory taste of the scallops and truffle oil with the sweetness of the cauliflower fired up the taste buds.

A butternut squash soup, garnished with a little cranberry bread pudding in the center and creme fraiche, came next.  The soup was rich and filling, and the bread pudding added a little sweetness.  The soup, however, overpowered the complexities of Vinoteca's "unique" California wine, which combined the flavors of sauvignon blanc, muscat, viognier, and chardonnay.

For the main course, I chose the bison steak topped with a roasted tomato and served on a bed of fried potato medallions and parsley puree not entirely unlike tabouleh.  The sides complimented the steak, but I enjoyed them more than the steak itself.  The bison was cooked medium, as requested, but it wasn't very tender and had a large amount of tough gristle.  It was paired with a mellow claret from Virginia that worked well with the dish.

The waitress brought us our cheese course, which featured manchego and Shropshire blue.  While I don't know much about wine and cheese pairings, I do know that the shropshire paired with the claret left an unpleasant bitter taste in my mouth.  

Before dessert, we got a half-glass of Champagne with strong strawberry notes, and large chocolate-covered strawberries.  It was a nice Valentine's Day touch, and the pairing worked very well.

Finally, the waitress brought us each a sticky toffee pudding.  The dessert was sweet, rich and moist.  It was paired with a small glass of a dessert merlot, to which they added some chocolate flavoring.  While the combination was an interesting experience, it led to a sweetness overload when paired with the dessert.  My date and I agreed: We could've easily shared one dessert. 

Overall, the food was flavorful, and the wines were complex and varied, but I'm not sure they got all the pairings right.  Our server was professional, and allowed us to spend almost three hours enjoying our meal.  The details, such as throw pillows in the booths, candles on the tables, roses for the ladies, and champagne and strawberries, were great additions to the Valentine's Day special, and makes me believe the restaurant was interested in making a memorable occasion for its customers.  The atmosphere was excellent as well -- we could talk comfortably, and the Motown and R&B tunes playing added to the mood.  The meal was expensive, but it was definitely a good value for six courses and three-and-a-half glasses of both domestic and imported wines.

Altogether, the experience was enjoyable, and I would recommend it to Washington's food and wine lovers.