701 Restaurant

This is the only picture that we got from 701 Restaurant, thanks to my crafty co-worker, Sarah. When we walked in the lights were dim and everything was very elegant...probably not the place to be snapping pictures! So this is all you get. And I'm sorry about that because the food was amazing. I was pleasantly surprised. Most of my Restaurant Week experiences have been good, but not really memorable. My entree reminded of a dish I had in Philadelphia at a restaurant called Alma de Cuba . It was a salmon dish with a lentil and banana salad. It was one of the most memorable dishes I had ever had. My experience at 701 Restaurant was very similar. I had the Rice Crusted Sea Bass. 1. I love Sea Bass. 2. It included pureed cauliflower and I love cauliflower in all forms. It may, however, be at its best when pureed. And, of course, if you add enough butter, cream and salt, anything will taste amazing. This cauliflower had so much of those oh-so-healthy ingredients that it tasted just like mashed potatoes. I actually asked the waiter if it was cauliflower or mashed potatoes. His response "Yes, it is cauliflower. They put it though this machine...." He did not have to go any further. I got the idea. The dish also included lentils, golden raisins, eggplant, chickpeas and a curry emulsion. It was delicious! Bottom line....701 Restaurant is a must-go restaurant, if in DC.