(ardeobardeo.com) – in the historic district of Cleveland Park, Washington, DC

How I heard of this place: Our friend, Eamon was celebrating his birthday, and what better way than to eat out with friends? His email introduced us to A+B.

Type of cuisine: A modern, American bistro and wine bar, a neighborhood favorite, the “restaurant underwent a major renovation in November 2010 to enhance the modern bistro and wine bar, uniting the two restaurants with a 24-seat island bar. Executive Chef Nate Garyantes has crafted a menu which features cured meats, soups and salads, savory snacks, seasonal vegetables dishes and brick oven baked flatbreads. Ardeo+Bardeo has become a virtual “Who’s Who” of Washington. Those who frequent include Madeleine Albright, Jim Lehrer, Alan Greenspan and the former first family, the Clintons.”

Ambiance: An unassuming entryway of two, glass doors separated by a small wall between, that meet in the middle, where a heavy, velvet curtain is draped down from the high ceiling, one enters the vastness of Ardeo+Bardeo. The long, rectangular space with brown walls, muted recessed lights and the faint natural light beaming in through the windows along Connecticut Avenue NW, seem out of place with the black and white 1950s inspired floor-to-ceiling murals along the left wall. Everything from an enlarged photograph of a diner, to neon-looking cutouts spelling Waffle, and a woman, in headscarf, biting the ear rest end of her glasses intrigue the mind and encourage the wandering of eyes. The white ceiling sits against crown molding edges, square-shaped light fixtures set within square-shaped hangings, while the hard-wood and tiled floors give a sense of warmth. A mysterious metal-rimmed handled staircase disappears into the darkness immediately facing the bar. Booth/Bench seating finds itself creatively placed in the center of the establishment, adjacent to tables and neighboring chairs. The uniqueness of the space offers “A modern design with insatiable energy“.

What I ordered: Our family dining experience brought a number of amazingly flavorful dishes to our table. These included: a bottle of still water ($7), two orders of the Cheese Fries ($6 each), fries served in a pool of aged white cheddar fondue topped with in-house brined and smoked, crushed bacon and mini chives;

crispy Brussels sprouts ($7) tossed with pistachios, dried apricots and served over a sweet yogurt;

one order of the Benton’s Country Ham ($8), thinly sliced, topped with arugula and mustard caviar alongside a deviled quail egg;

one order of the Sottocenere ($7), a semi-firm cow’s milk cheese with an ash rind and specks of black truffle;

from the Small Bites, we ordered a Corn Gnocchi ($11) with butter poached rock shrimp in a creamy corn emulsion;

the Pizzas di Grano Arso were hard to decide between, so we selected our top two: Mozzarella, tomato, basil ($12)

and Mushrooms, black garlic, sottocenere, fontina ($15).

Between the six of us, we also enjoyed the Corn Carbonara ($14) with grilled corn, basil, parmesan, egg and smoked ricotta,

as well as the Grilled Scottish Salmon ($20) chop served topped with an herbed corn and red bell pepper salad over a corn puree.

To end our meal, we savored each bite of our two desserts: Vanilla Mascarpone Cheesecake ($8, which was comped, perhaps in honor of the birthday boy?), a basil-balsamic dotted strawberry-black pepper soret over a fluffy vanilla bean cheesecake,

 

and the Banana-Cream Tart ($8), a ginger snap crust topped with a banana caramel cloud and served with coffee-hazelnut ice cream.

What I loved: My favorite item was the cheese fries, followed very closely by the salmon.

Why I loved it: What initially seems like a simple order placed by the waiter, turns into a feast for the eyes and the stomach!

Cost: Average to high ($12 for pizzas and pastas – up to $24 for meats, poultry and seafood)