Restaurant Review: Mendocino Grill- Made it out of committee

It's restaurant week in DC. So it is a good time to try places. Currently a three course meal at lunch is $20.06 and for dinner $30.06. I had the pleasure of dining at Mendocino Grill with some friends. I thought it was good on my DC food scale I would say it made it out of committee and is waiting floor action.

Ambiance, modern and simple, good music I heard some dancehall, some alt country and some bob marley. It made me at easy. Our server was polite and attractive. It is a cozy restaurant and everyone can hear your dinner conversations. Overall the ambiance makes the experience inviting and warm.

In terms of food, I was with two friends for appetizer we had the pate and spinach salads. The pate was killer and it came with mixed greens, some chantrelle mushrooms, and a nice grainy mustard. The mushrooms were pickled and a little on the sweet side, the vinaigrette for the mixed greens was solid, the grainy mustard was ordinary, but the pate was good. I think its hard for people to get excited about ground liver with stuff in it, but one fellow diner was new to it and she loved it. I thought it was quiet good. If you go here this pate can be a meal within itself. The spinach salad was good, a little too much dressing but the bacon was good,smoky and not overdone. The starters were excellent overall.

For our main course two had steak and one had the chouctarie (sp sorry) plate, all sorts of good meat especially the duck. The main course were OK. The steak was decent it was a little rare for me but I fear cooking a organic steak might make it tough. The other person has a a good spread of meats. Overall the main courses were tasty but a little uninspired mediocre. I think it had to do with restaurant week. While I like the idea, concept and price of Restaurant Week, I think people get exposed to nice restaurants but it never allows people to really experience a restaurant and what they can do.

Deserts were on the same plane. Just kind of there, we had a chocolate pot de creme, a molten cake, and apple dumplings, all yummy but nothing outstanding.

Another drawback, was the coffee. Damn these restaurants make some good coffee. The last time I had a good cup in a restaurant was about three years ago for my birthday at Ruth's Chris. Since then it has all been burnt, strained through a dirty sock water.

I had a glass of wine with the meal called Coup d'etat, Alan Richman I think, it was good.

I did make the family mistake at the restaurant, I did not get the cheese plate. Damn it. Looking at the cheese menu, the had a Humbolt Fog and these Spanish cheeses paired with a pear chutney and I passed. I'm an idiot. Always get the cheese plate.

So go and try this place out. It is overall a fun, cool, cozy place and the food is tasty but don't go to be wowed.

I would go back again.