I suppose it is about time for me to review OUR restaurant, the one where Jasper proposed to me, where we spend most of our anniversaries and special occasions – Marcel’s. It is a romantic, old world, French restaurant. Marcel’s gives you the ability to choose how many courses to have in your tasting menu – 3,4,5, or 7. You may chose multiples of a dish, choose all appetizers, all desserts – whatever you want! You may also order a la carte, but I wouldn’t recommend it. You will want to be able to try many things. The Pre-theater 3 course menu is also a wonderful option (remember that you will have an amuse bouche and several additional sweets in addition to the 3 courses). If you valet your car, they will arrange to drive you via towncar to the Kennedy Center, and bring you back after the show. You can even opt to have the dessert course when you come back after the show. The wine list here is, of course, impressive. Leave yourself in the hands of the excellent sommelier – he knows what he is talking about.
The absolute best thing on the menu is Chef Robert Wiedmaier’s signature Boudin Blanc – a fluffy, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth, mousse filled white sausage. I get this absolutely every time I come. If there is foie gras on the menu, get that too – they know how to do it right. Usually it will be served on top of brioche, which is good for sopping up all that blackberry or truffle sauce – yum. Jasper loves the Diver Scallops, I love the raw fish crudos. Anything with lobster, especially if it is with pasta, is fantastic. The cooked fish courses are consistently good (especially turbot), as are the snails, when they are on the menu. The entrees are always good – I typically go for lamb, duck, veal, or anything involving phyllo pastry. Jasper tends to go for the beef. Sometimes I skip the entree entirely and order everything from the beginning of the menu. Sometimes I don’t even get dessert *gasp*! Though, of course, they are very good. They change constantly, so I can’t offer any specific review, except to say that I have never been disappointed on the few occasions I have chosen sweets over cheese. The cheese course is top of the line with cheeses like Roquefort and Taleggio, and accompaniments like honeycomb and Sauternes syrup.
I know that this review is a bit vague, so the next time that we go, I will bring back a report of exactly what we ordered to give you a better idea. Trust me though, this is a special restaurant, and special things will happen to you here.
By the way, Chef Wiedmaier practices the philosophy of using the whole animal. His other restaurants include Brasserie Beck, BRABO, The Tasting Room, and Mussel Bar.