DC Harvest

DC Harvest is a scratch made kitchen and bar serving a seasonal menu highlighting a healthy approach to upscale dining. Cuisine is modern American, utilizing specifically sourced products from local farms and vendors. Local beers, wine and creative house made cocktails are offered to pair with your meal. DC Harvest is run by owners and brothers, Arthur and Jared Ringel, who bring over 40 years of local restaurant experience to H street. Their passion and drive for amazing guest experiences is evident in our customer-friendly approach and neighborhood atmosphere.  Closest Metro is Union Station.

 We ordered a bottle of 2013 Brooks Runaway Red Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon.  According to this month's edition of Wine Spectator magazine, 2013 was a very rainy year in Willamette Valley that produced a light and varied vintage that rates 88 points or "very good".  The wine had a vibrant light ruby red color, tart flavors, and aromas of fresh rhubarb, raspberry, cherry and pomegranate. The wine is light bodied and crisp with buoyant acidity and clarity, lively fruit and virtually no tannins.  It paired well with our mixed meal of seafood and meat.

We started with a half dozen of the Local Oysters on the Half Shell served with pickled watermelon mignonette.  The oysters were clean and fresh, but could have been served much colder.  I am not normally a fan of mignonette, but this version was tasty.

We also tried a special appetizer of the night - Sauteed Hudson Valley Foie Gras with multi grain toast, herb salad, and pickled kohlrabi and blood orange.  This fatty and decadent starter paired perfectly with the red wine, however was a bit too rich for me.  Keith liked the counter balance that the pickled fruit and vegetables added to the duck.

For my main dish, I ordered the Pan-Roasted Scallops with heirloom pumpkin, brussels sprouts, maitake mushrooms, and pumpkin seeds.  The scallops were cooked expertly, highlighting their natural sweetness.  Surprisingly, the star on the plate was the seasonal vegetable mixture.  The brussels sprouts were very tender and the mushrooms added an extra earthy element that made this light dish feel very rustic and satisfying.  I enjoyed it very much and cleaned my plate without hesitation.

Keith ordered the special of the night - Ribeye Cap Steak with Yukon Gold potato and celery root mash, crispy maitake mushrooms, and a Burgundy demi sauce.  The meat was incredibly tender and melted in his mouth.  The sides were also a classic pairing that rounded out the whole dish.

Lastly, we shared a dessert called Blood Orange "Creamsicle" - an olive oil cake with candied blood orange, vanilla bean ice cream, and black salt.  The citrus was sweet and tangy to cleanse the palate, and overall provided a nice ending to our meal.

The food at DC Harvest was clearly farm-to-table fresh with down-to-earth service.  The ambience lost a few points due to the small interior and loud sound - from the chatter to dropped plates/glasses both downstairs and upstairs - it was quite a ruckus and hard to carry a conversation.  However, the location is convenient on the west side of the Atlas District, and reservations are readily available online.  I would expect the menu to constantly change with the seasons, which warrants frequent returns for dinner.

Total Rating: 3.95
Food: 4, Price: 4, Service: 4, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 5