DC Eats, Elizabeth’s Gone Raw

I recently jumped at the chance to join a vegetarian friend for a raw vegan tasting menu in Washington, DC. I’m not a raw foodist, vegan, or even vegetarian; but I am always up for great company and a new food experience.

Elizabeth’s Gone Raw gets rave reviews and is only open on Friday and Saturday nights, so we made reservations well in advance. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I met my friend outside the distinctive 19th century sage townhouse in the middle of an otherwise commercial district in Northwest DC.

The evening exceeded my expectations from the moment we opened the door to find an elegant space with a small crowd enjoying cocktails at the well appointed bar. The hostess greeted us warmly and took us upstairs to a beautifully furnished dining room, complete with white table cloths and area rugs.

Elizabeth’s Gone Raw was opened by a cancer survivor who discovered the health benefits of a plant-based diet. The restaurant offers a seasonal tasting menu for $80 a person. There is also an interesting cocktail menu and an extensive organic wine list. A wine pairing is available for $60.

My friend went for the cocktails while I ordered the wine pairing, so we could try both. The Rosemary Margarita had fragrant rosemary infused tequila and a heathy kick from agave-jalapeño syrup. My friend noted that classic jazz was playing at a pleasant volume and the diners were conversing in normal speaking voices. Quite the difference from the industrial decor, high ceiling, and high decibel restaurants that are common today.

The seven course wine pairing started with a lovely sparkling wine and moved through a variety of whites and reds. There were great wines from Italy, Spain and Portugal. The resident Sommelier was informative and spent plenty of time explaining each wine at every table. I decided to enjoy the drink and conversation instead of trying to document each wine. The most interesting was a white that was deceptively dry despite a strong scent of honeysuckle.

The amuse bouche was a watermelon tartare with wasabi cream and yuzu pearls. The Japanese inspired flavors provided for the perfect bite. I would have believed that the watermelon was actually maguro (tuna).

Next was a delightful white corn soup with baby corn, red pepper sorbet, red pearl onion, fava beans, horseradish leaf oil, and garlic blossoms.

The most eye catching plate was a beetroot hibiscus salad with pickled green tomatoes, cara cara oranges, coconut bacon, chervil vinaigrette, and cashew crème fraîche. Perfect rounds of cucumber and radish provided color, and individual blackberry pieces that provided the texture and pop of caviar. The smokiness of the coconut “bacon” provided a kick of umami. It was one of my favorites of the evening.

The plate of kale chips was an off-menu surprise. These kale chips put all other kale chips to shame. The substantial chips were shatteringly crispy. Nutritional yeast, several types of chili, and a long list of spices provided an unbelievably additive flavor.

At this point, my friend spotted another friend of hers who was visiting from abroad. The accommodating dining room staff reseated us all together at a larger table. We enjoyed a vegan whisky sour while our new dining companion caught up to the third course. Whisky sours were my grandfather’s signature cocktail. While it didn’t quite live up to Poppop’s recipe, it was a perfectly respectable cocktail that packed quite a punch. The more dimly lit new table added to the ambiance. Unfortunately it made things progressively worse for my attempts to discretely photograph the meal (which I continued to do against my better judgement).

The fourth course was a sous vide white peach with crispy black quinoa, English peach quenelle, and warm peach sauce. Served with paper thin crispy rice crackers, the dish was a celebration of textures. The white peach was firm and unexpectedly savory, while the quenelle was perfectly delicate and smooth. The tiny quinoa provided a supersized crunch while the sauce was a summery explosion of peach.

Next came the palate cleanser, a Poona Keera cucumber sorbet with green apple espuma (a fancy Spanish term for foam) and sea salt. Refreshing with a health degree of saltiness, it oddly reminded me of Japanese sports drinks – in a good way.

The chimichurri marinated Chinese eggplant with smoked oyster mushrooms, cashew cheese, and stuffed squash blossoms was the hit dish of the evening. The smokiness of the oyster mushrooms provided a depth to the dish and chimichurri had a welcome kick. I absolutely loved the stuffed squash blossom. It appeared to be deep fried and stuffed with gooey cheese, although it was neither.

Before the dessert course, the Sommelier gave me a choice of a dry rosé, or a Portuguese dessert wine that was not Port. Although I would typically go for the former without hesitation, my recent wine tour of Portugal made the decision considerably more difficult. The Sommelier generously gave me a half pour of each.

The meal ended with a celery verbena cheesecake with verbena finger lime ice cream, cherry compote, and butterfly pea flower sauce. The butterfly pea flower provided a beautiful blue hue. We all enjoyed each component of the dessert, although there was some debate as to whether the ice cream and cheesecake went well together.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this restaurant for a special occasion – to both vegans and carnivores. The entirely plant-based ingredients were transformed into something magical. The service was excellent and the beautiful dishes clearly showed the specialized skill, precision, and detailed preparation required. The whole experience was art, theater, and fine dining combined.

Elizabeth’s gone raw, and she’s eating very, very well.

Details

Elizabeth’s Gone Raw is located on 1341 L St NW in Washington, DC.

Phone – 202.347.8349

Reservations are available on Friday and Saturday evenings through https://www.opentable.com or reservations@elizabethsgoneraw.com