If you’re looking for an excuse to #treatyoself to a fancy dinner, look no further than Plume in the Jefferson Hotel. The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in late 2016, when the much-anticipated Michelin guide finally arrived in DC. HungryLobbyist was invited to come try their Spring 2017 menu – and it did not disappoint. To really get the full experience, I cannot recommend enough that you include the wine pairing. Go big or go home – right?
To start off the evening, we had some pre-dinner cocktails at Quill. Right now they’re featuring their “Triple Crown” cocktails, inspired by the official drink of each race in the Triple Crown. We also tried a few drinks off of their regular menu, including “Spudnik: Potato Space Program”, “House of Orange”, and “Next Door Neighbors”. In case you’re wondering, the “Spudnik” included roasted beet-infused Boyd&Blair vodka, lime, and ginger beer. Not what you’d first think of for a cocktail, but it was one of the most interesting and original drinks I’ve every tried.
After those amazing cocktails, we made our way into Plume. Plume’s dinner menu is offered as either a 3-course prix fixe menu or a 7-course tasting menu. We all opted for the 3-course option. As good food bloggers, we all made sure that we ordered something different for each course so that we could try everything. As we made our choices, the bread and butter was brought to the table. This was easily the fanciest butter dish I’ve ever seen – composed of pats of black garlic, salted, and lovage butter. We then sampled the “amuse bouche” – three bite sized morsels.
Then the real food started – and the wine. Again, I really recommend going for the wine pairing with your dinner. Not only are the selections excellent on their own, but they made the already delicious food that much better. For my appetizer, I had selected the diver sea scallops, which were garnished with red beet gnocchi and paired with a California Sauvignon Blanc. Another stand-out from the appetizer selections was the oxtail consommé with beef tartare and a foie gras medallion.
Next up were the entrées. I’d never tried bison before (and figured this would be a great time to do so) so I opted for the bison strip loin, with barbecue spice and a yellow corn souffle. To be perfectly honest, this was one of the best dishes I’ve ever eaten. There is not one bad thing that I can say about this dish. It was paired with a fantastic Italian Cabernet Sauvignon and I was one happy diner. One of the coolest items to order off Plume’s menu is the king salmon, which is prepared in a “bento box” of Amish beeswax. I’m not kidding – it is prepped tableside and we all couldn’t stop trying to get the perfect shot of it (my best attempt is below). It is finally plated along with a browned butter emulsion.
Last, but certainly not least, came dessert. Since I couldn’t pass up something chocolate-y I selected the Tart Carabica, with Ethiopian Arabica tropilia mousse and a choclate sablé. Garnished with hazelnuts, it was the perfect way to end the meal. Most unexpectedly, it was paired with a Madeira. Not being very familiar with Madeira, I can only say that it tasted great and I will never question Plume’s sommelier.
As a final touch, diners are sent home with a sealed copy of their menu to mark the experience.
All in all, every single bite of food was delicious and I’m still dreaming of that bison steak. My recommendation to you is to find a special occasion in the near future and make your way over to Plume at the Jefferson Hotel. It’s an experience worth remembering.
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