Review: Consumed.DC Checks Out Newly Reopened Equinox

Photo courtesy of Equinox

When word got around last December that famed DC restaurant Equinox had suffered a crippling kitchen fire, the local restaurant and dining communities collectively gasped. Long praised as a go-to on the DC dining scene, its absence would certainly be felt as owners Todd and Ellen Gray recovered and rebuilt. We’re happy to report that the restaurant reopened on June 1 with a new look and seems to have hardly skipped a beat with their cooking.

Now in its tenth year, Equinox takes pride in being, “one of the frontrunners of the sustainable and seasonal food movement […] Chef Gray stays true to his mission of using community-farmed, organic ingredients grown within 100 miles of the restaurant, whenever possible. The name Equinox represents its commitment to seasonal cooking using products harvested in accordance with the environment and the earth’s natural tempo.”

So it’s understandable why eating at Equinox was near the top of the to-do list of a friend who is soon moving out of the city. While not a place we can afford to eat regularly, it turns out Equinox was perfect for this special occasion.

Luckily, last night brought a respite from the District’s recent heat and humidity and we were able to snag a table on their outdoor patio. Dinner started with a bottle of wine and the restaurant’s risotto fritters with chive crème fraiche and parmesan reggiano. With ten perfectly light fritters in the serving, the three of us had to engage in rather tense negotiations to see who would score the last piece.

For the main course, we decided to split several entrees and sides. Our wonderful server, Todd, helped us through a difficult decision-making process that resulted in:

• Caramelized Yukon Gold Potato Gnocchi with trumpet mushroom cream, local asparagus and crumbled boucheron – Perhaps the highlight of the evening among this gnocchi-loving crowd.
• West Coast Arctic Char Filet with fingerling potato risolle, Arrowleaf spinach, garden chive butter – Potatoes are easy to do well, hard to do perfectly. These are wonderful.
• Equinox Truffled Macaroni and Cheese with elbow macaroni and Vermont cheddar – Incredibly rich and well-suited to splitting.
• Roasted Patty Pan Squash with Dehydrated Tomatoes and Fresh Marjoram – A really nice balance to the creamier dishes; the seasoning was delicate, but flavorful.

Of course, no dinner would be complete without dessert. We opted for the Equinox Chocolate Cream, which comes with Tuscan Olive Oil ice cream, toasted hazelnuts, and praline powder. While it was good, we felt a little pang of regret for not trying the ice cream sandwich with pistachio macaroons, lemon verbena ice cream, and pistachio puree. Next time…

As we left for the evening (after a brief run-in with Chef Todd Gray!), we couldn’t help but think that, if Equinox is restarting this strongly after little more than a week back in business, even more amazing things are to come as they gain momentum in the months ahead. We’d highly recommend that you check it out—and then let us know about your experience!