When You Are Hot You Are Hot

He’s been anointed the number one restaurateur by Washingtonian Magazine’s restaurant guide, and is the Nation’s Capital’s celebrity chef par excellence. Michel Richard’s creativity at Citronelle, located on M Street, NW in Georgetown, is legendary. And the time has come for him to make his second mark on the DC food scene. The chef has been on the hunt for other venues (and hotly pursued by many developers) but was waiting until the time was right.

Georgetown has had many incarnations. It gained world-wide visibility when Jack and Jackie Kennedy lived there before the Senator was elected President. It’s home to some of Washington, DC’s most notable cliff-dwellers (and wannabees) who live in Federal and Victorian mansions and even, once-upon-a time, slave quarters. There’s no such thing as a “cheap” house and the moderately priced ones are invariably gutted. Space is at a premium.  Parking is nearly impossible.

DC’s new restaurant area has migrated east of the White House towards the Capitol, where office and apartment buildings are mushrooming. The Washington, DC Convention Center, which opened in the spring of 2003, revitalized what was a formerly a forlorn area where few people ventured after dark.

Following the trend, the constantly-in-motion, Michel Richard opened Central and the restaurant is receiving kudos. He’s converted 7800 square-feet of raw space into this year’s “in” eatery, where if you don’t reserve in advance, you’ll be disappointed. Contrasted with his flagship restaurant, the chef wanted this one to be more moderately priced than what it costs to eat in the inner sanctum of Citronelle. Give this inventive man a 2000-square-foot kitchen and graduates from some of the US’s best culinary schools and Michel Richard is inspired to create what he terms “American cuisine.”

The décor is a melding stunning; blond and hickory wood walls, tables and accessories, stone looking ceramic floors, dramatic modern lighting, a real bar (remember, there’s no smoking) where people can eat as well as drink, Michel’s  Statue of Liberty etched in glass, a state-of-the art open kitchen highlighted with chrome lighting, glass walls containing wine storage and a private room behind the kitchen where 10-12 people can have a business meal and/or a dinner complete with wide-screen TV and other audio-visual equipment.

Why would anyone want to watch television rather than staring at the food?  People from the Hill might prefer eating some of the most delicious food in Washington at Central rather than sitting in a Congressional staffers’ cafeteria.  When shot a quizzical look, Mel Davis, the chef’s Director of Public Relations (and picking up the pieces that undoubtedly follow this man who probably rarely sleeps – or if he does, dreams of yet another culinary masterpiece), quipped that people could watch the Academy Awards while eating in the private dining room.

My first dinner at Central consisted of duck rillettes & foie gras terrine, incredibly delicious lightly fried oysters, an onion tart served on a paper thin crust garnished with a light tomato sauce, crème fraiche and lardon (tiny pieces of lean bacon). Everyone was forced to taste the frites (yes, French fries), that were served in a cylindrical spiral chrome cone filled with the best fries I’ve ever tasted. The fries were served with home-made mayonnaise and were scoffed down as if there were tomorrow. Friends had asparagus vinaigrette, Central’s rendition of a grilled hanger steak, and fried chicken with mustard sauce and pronounced them “sublime.”

Our group ate two “signature” dishes: the 72-hour (cooking time) short ribs with a special sauce, a lobster burger that consisted of huge chucks of lobster and bore no resemblance to any burger I’ve ever eaten; although diners can order a regular hamburger or a tuna or a shrimp burger.  We were temped by the lamb shank accompanied with creamy corn polenta but that will have to wait for the next visit.

Michel Richard insists he’s cooking American food. I take exception. This man with a very heavy French accent is incapable of cooking anything without a French touch or more.  He doesn’t need to be in the kitchen and rarely, if ever, works the line during service. Mel Davis says he spends hours each day working with the kitchen team insuring everything is perfect. As is the tradition with some of France’s finest chefs, such as Christian Constant, Richard trains his team to perform and some may eventually become stars on their own.

One of the dinner’s participants, Bruno Goussault, Chief Scientist for Cuisine Solutions, praised Richard as being one of the world’s great chefs. “I’ve worked with some of the finest and Michel is an inspiration.”  When  Richard left to shuttle over to survey the second seating at Citronelle, Goussault stood up, drank a final sip of wine from his glass (Richard drinks exclusively from oversized wine glasses ….or, champagne flutes).  They both said goodnight as the duo took off at a gallop. Michel (bien sur) hugged and blew kisses to his many friends and fans.

Michel Richard exudes a bigger than life passion for everything. “Moderation” is not his middle name as he surveys everything taking place.  Some would accuse him of having ears and eyes in the back, as well as the front of his head. It’s amazing he can carry on a conversation (and he does) since he’s constantly calling over a staff member and informing them of something that’s wrong. “Alors,” he says, pointing, “That group doesn’t like its table,” or “Take that back to the kitchen – it’s wrong.” The staff never questions his (frequently barked) commands and obviously respects him even though Richard is capable of causing Excedrin headaches.

Even though Richard has been in the US for the majority of his professional life, you can’t take the French attitude and style out of this man. And, who’d want to?

Central:
Currently open for lunch and dinner during the week and for dinner on Saturdays.  Watch the web site. Before too long, Central will be open seven days a week.

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