i love restaurant week

it's restaurant week here in dc. i took full advantage of this opportunity to visit some of washington's best restaurants for much cheaper than usual. the prix fixe menus cost $20 (lunch) or $30 (dinner). this is an extraordinary price, considering what i ate. wednesday, i went to Ceiba for lunch. thursday for lunch, i went to Cafe Atlantico. thursday for dinner, i tried Poste.

ceiba:
my starter was cuban black bean soup. the waiter brought me a large white eye-shaped bowl that was empty save for a small lump of fried ham and cheese that was sitting in a nest of pickled red onions. the waiter poured the black bean soup over the lump and nest. the broth needed salt but it was delightful combined with a bite of the fried cheese lump and a sliver of the vinegary onion.
my entree was absolutely phenomenal. i ordered the sugarcane skewered ahi tuna that was served over peruvian fried rice. the tuna was seared rare and melted in your mouth. the rice was doused in an orange oily sauce that was spicy, salty, and intoxicating. both of my dining companions chose this entree as well- all three plates were licked clean and all three of us were practically sobbing with delight. our orgasmic reaction to this dish was almost embarrasing.
for dessert, i chose the guava bread pudding with citrus moussse. it was sweet and warm and soft, as expected, but i didn't fall out of my chair. frankly, after the tuna, it would have been impossible to please me further. i left ceiba with quite a food high.

cafe atlantico:
my starter was poached shrimp served over liquified corn and lemon foam. i took each little shrimp and coated it in the corn sauce and lemon foam. pop. i didn't want it to end.
my entree was a sandwich. oh but listen. a spicy seared salmon, goat cheese, and cucumber sandwich! the salmon was perfectly still dark in the middle and when i squished the sandwich and tasted it, the flavors all drooled together and it was messy and spicy and satisfying. plaintain chips on the side. i would have prefered another sandwich on the side, but i guess that's not normally how it's done.
dessert. oh holy heaven. this was hands down, the best chocolate cake i have ever eaten. picture a cupcake sized and shaped ball of cake. looks totally normal. but cut into it and - - oh, oh, oh, chocolate sauce! you came oozing out all over! this delight was served with banana mousse and little lime-coated banana slices on the side. again, my dining companions and i all ordered the same dessert and again, we were sliding out of our chairs with gooey chocolate smiles on our faces. i wanted to smear the banana mousse on my face, get inside the chocolate cake cave, and swim with the sauce, using a banana slice for floatation. it was that fucking good.

poste
my final (sob!) meal was also spectacular. for my starter, i chose the soup of the day, which was a sunchoke broth served over a smoked whitefish and caviar. like at ceiba, the bowl came out with the little smoked fish in the middle topped with caviar and then the waiter poured the broth over it. now, i am usually not that adventurous but i was so glad i ordered this soup. it was light and mysterious and fun. the little caviar beads popped in my mouth and i finished my glass of shiraz with rosy cheeks.
my entree was a black striped bass served over potatoes and topped with a merlot-poached egg, a caper sauce, and some greens. another slam dunk. striped bass is a very solid fish and held up well with the other flavors. i was hesitant about the poached egg, but it lent a necessary elegance to the dish that made it even more special. i polished off my second glass of shiraz and felt victorious, warm, and simply adored by the chef. he or she must really love me to prepare me a dish like that. i also felt adored by my dining companions. ah- it could have been the wine at that point.
dessert was a philadelphia almond cake, which consisted of a round almond-based shortcake covered in sweet cream cheese, apples, and nuggets of powdered-sugar dusted crumbles. another success. although i probably will never really fully enjoy another dessert again after my chocolate cake bath.
finally, we were served with three types of petit fours- an almond bar, a pomegranite gellie, and a chocolate-dipped gooseberry. lord help us all.

ah life. i am full, adored, pink, and puffy. three extraordinary meals in two days. yum.