Dinner at Duke's

We ushered in the month of November with a trip down to the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. to check out Duke's Grocery for a #HappyTummyList dinner. Simone had purchased a new car a few weeks prior to our outing, so we used this trip as an outlet to drown her sorrows about having a car note once again. But at least we drove into D.C. in style, right?! We also had lots to catch up on---Simone and Joe had recently come back from an amazing trip to Mexico for a friend's wedding, and Damien had just performed a wedding ceremony for close friends up in Baltimore. And Duke's, which considers itself a "neighborhood pub and supper spot" with influences from East London, was a great place for this occasion.

Per usual, we started our evening with some drinks and appetizers. We have to do these things for the blog! Simone ordered the Moscow Mule, and Damien had a Founder's All Day I.P.A. The Moscow Mule was chilled, refreshing, and delicious, but it was not on Happy Hour (Duke's only offers Happy Hour specials on certain beers and wines). It had been a rough week, so the Moscow Mule helped to soothe Simone over a bit and she would definitely order it again! And if you are a fan of I.P.A.'s, Founder's I.P.A. is definitely a solid choice every time. For our appetizers, we chose the Earth to Sea Tartine and the Truffle Mac and Cheese (with bacon crumbles added, of course). The Earth to Sea Tartine looked like a sea of burgundy, and we were a bit mixed in our feelings about it. Simone thought that it was absolutely delicious! The dish featured red beet cured salmon on top of a goat cheese and hemp seed spread and a mint chive infusion spread, all resting on a piece of multigrain bread. The cheesy spread, mint chive infusion, and olive oil created a unique flavor bomb in this salmon and lox-like appetizer. This was lovely for Simone, but Damien did not love it so much. Damien felt that the beet and mint chive flavors and the size of the dish were a bit too overwhelming. Damien also isn't a big fan of lox, so that probably influenced his opinion of the dish. However, we were in complete agreement about the Truffle Mac and Cheese appetizer. It was creamy, perfectly cheesy, and flavorful. The mac and cheese was served in a warm skillet and was simply amazing. As we mentioned, the bacon crumbles were added at an extra cost, but sometimes you just have to treat yo' self because they were a great addition to the dish.

For our entrées, Simone had the East Side Brisket and Damien ordered the Bahn Mi. Simone's sandwich included salted brisket, swiss cheese, brown mustard, caramelized onions, and pickles served on sourdough bread. The sandwich was the perfect mix of savory and salty. The sandwich is definitely large, hence it doesn't come with sides and half of it went home with Simone. Damien's sandwich was equally as large and did not come with sides, but that was fine because it was delicious. The marinated pork loin was juicy and cooked perfectly, and the other elements of the sandwich---chicken liver pate, cucumber, coriander, pickled daikon, spicy aioli, jalapeños, and the baguette bread---all worked in incredible harmony in this richly flavorful, (somewhat) spicy, and savory dish. If you are a fan of this Vietnamese staple, Duke's Grocery's take on it is definitely worth a try.

We enjoyed our time at Duke's Grocery and would give it a 4.5 out of 5. The atmosphere of the restaurant was warm and welcoming, the service we received was great (our server really loved Simone lol), and the food was amazing. We were definitely mixed about one of our appetizers, but overall we really enjoyed Duke's food, and their menu definitely has something on it for everyone. We would love to return here for brunch, which might be an adventure in the summer. And Duke's is located near DuPont Circle, so this would be a short Uber ride or walk from the metro. Until next time, get on out there and enjoy a great meal soon!