Chef Geoff’s

Chef Geoff’s isn’t really a newcomer to the DC restaurant scene, but with four establishments in the area (one in upper NW DC, one in Penn Quarter, one in Tyson’s Corner, and an Italian focused Lia’s Chevy Chase), the brand name is definitely making a…uh, name.  For. Itself.

Shit.

Jen and I headed over to their Penn Quarter location to have dinner and sample some of the large number of available offerings on their menu.  I default to the description of ‘American Bistro’ for this type of restaurant because it fits so well.  The food is certainly contemporary but not absolutely at the forefront of haute coutre with flavors or presentation.

We started off with two appetizers, the Hush Puppies served with Maple Butter and the Crispy Plantain Chips with Guacamole.

Hush Puppies with Maple Butter

The Hush Puppies were exactly what I’d been craving for a few weeks now.  Large deep fried balls of dough, although not quite the same as the kind you’d get at the beach on a Memorial Day Weekend vacation.  The portions of the hush puppies were great, but the flavor was a bit lacking, with an absence of heavy seasoning that I expected.  Thankfully, a generous knob of maple butter comes in and saves this dish.  Definitely not the best hush puppies I’ve ever had, but they’ll do when you’re jonesin’ for some with no beach in sight.

Crispy Plantains with Guacamole

The Crispy Plantains with Guacamole, however, was a easy one knocked out of the park.  the deep fried plantain chips came lightly salted and crispy but not flimsy; the guacamole was made from fresh avocado and no added salt, which really pleased Jen, who considers herself to be quite the guacamole critic.  She commented that most places usually screw up one or both of the two factors that she considers to be important, using substandard ingredients, or killing the natural flavor of the avocado with too much salt.  Salting the plantains solves this problem perfectly, and makes them pretty tasty on their own.  Which really, you might end up having to do, because there isn’t a whole lot of guacamole that comes with the chips.  Still, a winner for both of us, and highly recommended.

Wild Mushroom Ravioli, Arugula, Truffle Butter

Jen’s main course, the Wild Mushroom Ravioli, carried the rich aroma of truffles from the butter, and had a nice ‘meaty’ taste to them.  The ravioli itself was delicate and and soft, a good sign of quality pasta.  A perfect pick for her, the dish offered lots of flavor and just the right amount of food for her appetite.  A highly recommended pasta dish for the diner with a light to moderate appetite.

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Collard Greens and Sweet Potato Gnocchi

My dish, the Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Collard Greens and Sweet Potato Gnocchi, evoked a bit of a mixed reaction from me.  The bacon wrapped tenderloins were juicy, hearty, and packed full of flavor.  The sweet potato gnocchi were well executed, and a great compliment to the tenderloins.  The collard greens were wilted to perfection, and great on top of the gnocchi.  The only problem I had with the dish was the loads of salt dumped into the sauce that covered everything.  This doesn’t come from someone who readily limits their salt intake.  I highly believe that sea salt and fresh ground pepper are fundamental seasonings, and put it on just about every carb dish I eat.  But this was a LOT of salt.  Not inedible levels, but still a bit much for me.  That being said, ordering this dish isn’t exactly the pinnacle of healthy choices, so I can’t completely blame the kitchen for liberally adding salt here, but I’d feel more confident in giving my full endorsement to it if it weren’t so over the top.

There are definitely some great choices here, but the menu certainly has some less perfect ones, too.  There’s no real way to tell what’s going to resonate with you and what’s not, but my suggestion is to order what you know you’re going to like…and maybe, just maybe, it’ll be one of the dishes that Chef Geoff can knock out of the park.

See Chef Geoff’s in Penn Quarter on a map here.

Recommended For:

• Comfort Food Diners
• Steak’n'Potatoes Patrons
• Vegetarians

Not Recommended For:

• Weight Watchers
• Carb Counters
• Cheese Eatin’ Surrrrrrrrender Monkeys