Palena

3529 Connecticut Avenue NW
(between N Ordway St & N Porter St)
Washington, DC 20008

(202) 537-9250

www.palenarestaurant.com/

If you've ever watched a cooking competition (Top Chef, etc) or read culinary reviews you will hear over and over again "perfectly seasoned" "under-seasoned" "over-seasoned" and I have discovered in all my restaurant experiences the incredible importance of accomplishing this task well.

That's why Palena is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. Every bite of every last piece of every tiny item presented to you is PERFECTLY seasoned and dressed. If you look at my picture of the Mozzarella & Prosciutto salad right below, you can see each tiny bean glistening, coated in just the right amount of olive oil and sprinkled with just the right amount of salt and pepper. Simple task right? But it makes all the difference in magnifying a natural flavor of a food, making it richer or sometimes more delicate. And Palena has "perfectly seasoned" mastered, and not just that as you will see below.

Mozzarella & Prosciutto salad with Spring Vegetables - The veggies in their salads are always fresh and flavorful, you won't leave a single one on the plate.

My friend ordered this Gnocchi and I was worried because he doesn't like Gnocchi, and the dish didn't have any meat and you know how boys like their meat. It turned out to be one of his favorite dishes, I can't tell you how they managed to get that much flavor out of a potato, but they did, it was delicious.

Palena Mixed Grill - Lamb Chop, Shrimp, Rabbit Sausage.

Strawberry Tart - I actually didn't absolutely love this dessert, I think it was a combination of the pastry cream being a bit too light and the crust not being crispy enough. The strawberries, however, like all their fresh produce, were sweet and succulent.

The other thing I really like about Palena is that you can order from the fixed-price dining room menu even if you're sitting at the Cafe. The Cafe menu is also outstanding, with a Roasted Half Chicken that is juicy, so flavorful, and comes with all these amazing vegetables that have been roasting with it and for only $13 it's a fantastic dish. The Cafe menu prices are unbelievably moderate and the dishes on it are always so accessible due to their simplicity. It's a menu I could order from every single night and there are definitely not many restaurants in the city I can say that about.