DBGB Kitchen & Bar

DBGB is Chef Daniel Boulud’s casual French-American restaurant located in CityCenterDC. Best described as "a little bit brasserie, a little bit bistro, half French, half American," DBGB serves seasonal Lyonnais-inspired cooking, seven varieties of house-made sausages, two gourmet burgers, and more for lunch and dinner seven days a week. The large, buzzy bar features a robust craft beer program and creative cocktails, in addition to an impressive but approachable international wine list.  Closest Metro is Gallery Place-Chinatown.

Image via Greg Powers

August 2015: We chose to visit DBGB for Restaurant Week Dinner this year.  However, the RW menu options seemed limiting and not reflective of the house main offerings, so we decided to order regularly a la carte instead.  We did take advantange of the RW wine specials and ordered a bottle of the red blend of Monastrell grapes with Syrah and Tempranillo, called 2013 Carro, Yecla, Spain.  It was a medium bodied blend with peppery notes and a sweet juicy finish.  Normally $40 on the menu, tonight it was featured at $28 for the bottle, so it was a good deal.

For a starter, we shared the Duck Pâté - foie gras with mushroom, served with pickles and dijon mustard.  This slice was thick, chunky, and salty with the consistency of a head cheese.  I thought it would be more spreadable on the sourdough bread, but it was not.  Regardless, the flavor was decent and paired well with our red wine.

Next, we shared a sausage duo of Boudin Blanc - truffled pork sausage with apple and pommes mousseline; and the Beaujolaise - pork with mushrooms, onions, bacon & red wine with lentils du puy.  The boudin blanc was tender and delicate, while the beaujolaise was more bold with smoky notes from the bacon and red wine.  Both were very tasty.

For my main course, I ordered the classic Coq Au Vin.  Made with mushrooms, lardons, pearl onions, and served with spätzle, the chicken was tender and the sauce was very rich.  I thought the dish might be too heavy for a summer's evening, but it was not at all and I enjoyed it very much.

Keith was debating between the duck dish and the beef.  Ultimately, he chose the Black Angus Beef Duo of hanger steak and oxtail, served with spring garlic, mushroom, heirloom carrot, and beef jus.  This dish was also very rich, but not too heavy.  The steak was cooked perfectly, and he cleaned his plate.

Lastly, for dessert we shared the Rocky Road Profiterole.  A dome of coffee-cardamom ice cream and marshmallow and hazelnuts was covered in chocolate, and then poured over with hot chocolate sauce.  The flavors were much more sophisticated than the average Rocky Road Ice Cream, but it was a fun play and was not overly sweet.  The chocolate was of high quality and the perfect way to end our meal.

The food at DBGB is fundamentally French, which we savored.  Everything was executed perfectly and not that heavy as expected.  Service was great and the ambience was jovial.  The dining room got crowded pretty fast, but I liked that the whole wall was open to the outdoors, which gave an open-air European feel.

May 2016: We finally returned to DBGB for dinner after catching a movie at nearby Gallery Place.  One thing I like about this restaurant is that they always seem to have a table open regardless if you have a reservation or not.  We sat in the same area as last time, and our server was very professional and on point the whole night.

We started with Snap Peas & Burrata - a bright Spring salad with basil, mint, sunflower, and creamy red wine dressing.  This starter alone would make a perfect lunch with a few pieces of French bread and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Next, I loved the Boudin Blanc sausage so much the first time we were here, that we had to order it again.  This time we chose to pair it with the Thai Sausage made with pork, lemongrass, red curry, and served with a little side of green papaya salad and basil fried rice topped with peanuts and a quail egg.  The Thai version was grilled and much more textured than the smooth Boudin Blanc.  But both were equally tasty and satisfying.

For my main course, I chose the Olive Oil Poached Cod that sat in a New England clam chowder with yukon potato and calabrian chili oil.  The fish was delicate enough to eat with a spoon.  The chowder had great flavor, yet was a bit overly salty.

Keith enjoyed the Duck Confit with spring onion, broccoli rabe, mushroom fricassée, and duck jus.  The dark meat was juicy and reminiscent of a turkey leg.

All in all we had another enjoyable meal at DBGB, and this place should remain on my Top 10 list.

Total Rating: 4.13
Food: 4.5, Price: 3, Service: 4, Ambience: 4, Accessibility: 5