Edifying DC Dining

BY Emily Kaiser | POSTED SEPTEMBER 4, 2007 AT 8:17PM EDT

In the November issue we're doing a roundup of the fun new restaurants that have recently opened in Washington, DC. The hottest place pulling in the power elite has got to be Hook, the Georgetown seafood spot from DC native Barton Seaver. Last Saturday I zipped down to check it out. The space is terrific—sleek yet intimate, with a low arched ceiling and fun elliptical chandeliers. I spotted the spouse of one former presidential speechwriter among the crowd waiting for a table, but got happily distracted from celebrity-watching by the color-saturated photos of sea life from EarthEcho International, a foundation run by the grandchildren of that saint of the sea, Jacques Cousteau.

As for the food, the execution wasn’t perfect – the crudo was masked by a heavier olive oil than would be ideal, and the peach in my grilled peach salad had surprisingly little flavor. But what I loved unequivocally (besides my corn-crusted Tautog with bacon-braised collards) was that our server was as informed and impassioned about the fish as a good sommelier is about wine. It’s good to know that the powers-that-be who fill Hook's dining room are getting such charming, informative tidbits of info about why bluefish is sustainably harvested as well as delicious.

Edifying DC Dining

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