Tail Up Goat

Tail Up Goat comes to us from owners Jon Sybert, Jill Tyler, and Bill Jensen.  The restaurant's name is a nod to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Jill's childhood home and is how one can tell the difference on an island overrun with both: "Tail up goat. Tail down sheep."   The food is soulful and sophisticated with a special emphasis on pasta and bread along with idiosyncratic, food-friendly tipples and soft drinks. Closest Metro is Adams Morgan.

Keith and I went to see a movie at nearby Uptown Theater in Cleveland Park, and afterwards took a leisurely stroll on this lovely Fall day to Adams Morgan for dinner.  We were greeted with a shot of housemade Apple Cider that was seasonal and fun.  We then decided to order a bottle of 2014 Grüner Veltliner Blend, Gemischter Satz, Wieninger, from Wien, Austria, affectionately listed on the menu as "All of Vienna in a Glass."  It was very dry with a golden yellow color.

We started with the Bialy - a bagel stuffed with onion jam and pickled ramp butter, topped with trout roe.  The bread had the perfect amount of chew and crispy crust, and the onion jam had a sweetness that balanced with the salty roe.

Next, we shared the Cavatelli with spicy pork belly ragu, fermented hot peppers, and topped with Calabrian chili breadcrumbs.  Talk about spice upon spice upon spice. But it was tolerable and deep with rich flavor from the pork.  The fresh pasta had great bite and Keith really enjoyed this dish.

To cool off our palate, we shared the Stracciatella with winter radish, apple, and crystallized honey.  The cheese was delicate with the right amount of salt to accent the flavor of the crisp radish.  I loved this dish.

Lastly, we shared the generous Whole Stuffed Porgy.  This light white fish was stuffed with saffron and pistachio rice, and topped with fennel, citrus, and pickled raisins.  The fish was meaty with a few pin bones, but overall a satisfying dish.

The tables next to us ordered the Lamb Ribs for Two and the Porchetta special, which Keith envied, but the patrons stated were a bit too greasy and rich, and would have preferred something more light, like our fish.  We did not have room for dessert, but were happy enough with our full savory meal at Tail Up Goat.  Service was on point and timely, but the prices were slightly higher than most restaurants.

Total Rating: 4.5
Food: 5, Price: 3.5, Service: 4.5, Ambience: 4, Accessibility: 4