Recently, me and one of my besties headed out for our "date night," which was to consist of dinner and a movie. She opted for a neighborhood restaurant, Acacia Bistro. My bid was for the newly opened, Masa 14. Me being me (because who else would I be) and being "tardy for the party" (as usual) ended up with the short stick and found myself at Acacia Bistro. Now I must say that while I was disappointed that the locale was a bit off the beaten trendy path, I was soon over that and impressed by the service and the food of this cute, little jewel in the Van Ness area.
We began our fete with the house marinated olives, a flight of white wine and a French Rose, Domaine de Triennes Vin de Pays du Var Rose 2008. I'm not a huge olive fan, but I must say these olives were quite delish. While catching up over the olives and admiring each others fashion picks for the evening, the chef sent over another tasty treat, eggs in tomato sauce with fontina and basil. This pairing may sound a little odd, but I must assure you it was not. The tomato sauce was seasoned perfectly and the eggs...the eggs, oh my! The eggs left us pining for more. Sadly, we did not indulge as we both have figures that we must mind. Alas, don't fret as we did proceed with our main course.
Feeling a bit risque and wanting something...er, different, I decided on the garbanzo bean and lamb sausage salad with shaved fennel. And was I rewarded! The lamb sausage provided my palette with an awakening and stirring that I don't believe she will soon forget. As I enjoyed a palatial stirring, across the table, my companion delighted in the Catalonian flatbread with chorizo, manchego, fresh tomato and cilantro. Both meals could have been set before royalty, they were so very well prepared. Each bite was a delectable treat, making an evening of catching up with a great friend even more special and grand. Over the course of the night, our servers sent over wine tastings that were similar to the wines which we paired with our meals and although we declined dessert, the chef could not resist and sent out a tasty pistachio treat with which our host complemented with a house champagne. And while we did not end the night there, I must say Acacia Bistro was just the right start and hit just the right spot for a couple of ladies looking to reconnect and unwind and maybe even cause a little mischief on a cold rainy night in the District.
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