Written by Anita
November 1, 2009
For over 10 years, Equinox has been a force on the DC dining scene. Executive Chef Todd Gray and his wife Ellen Kassoff Gray offer a sustainable and seasonal menu, featuring the best local ingredients, that has won the restaurant numerous awards and accolades. But with new DC restaurants opening all the time, it’s easy to forget the place that’s been there all along. It’s certainly time to fall back (in love) with Equinox.
We recently stopped in to sample the work of Equinox’s newest addition, pastry chef Thomas Wellings.* Formerly of Fiamma and Maestro, chef Wellings deliciously marries sweet with savory flavors in dishes that are not confined to the dessert menu. We loved an appetizer pairing perfectly seared Hudson Valley foie gras with chef Wellings’ homey quince tart tatin—pastry filled with tender slow-cooked quince puree, layered with quince slices, and topped with a honey vinegar gastrique. Dessert menu highlights included the “toffee and coffee” (a warm Medjool date cake filled with coffee/toffee sauce and served with a creamy ricotta gelato) and the Quince “Panzanella” (quince braised in white wine and sugar with fragrant thyme, served with a smooth Mahlab ice cream).
In addition to chef Wellings offerings, you still can taste chef Gray’s award-winning cuisine. Our current cooler-weather favorites include the uber-rich parsnip and Chincoteague oyster velouté and the scrumptious caramelized potato gnocchi with Sunshine Kabocha puree, fried sage, and sage-brown butter (it was also topped with crumbles of chef Wellings’ buttery Amaretti di Saronno cookies on the evening we sampled it).
Still not enough reasons for you? Then don't miss Equinox’s “repurposed candy" happy hour this week (Monday, November 2 to Friday, November 6) where mixologist Simo will turn leftover Halloween candy into fun and delectable libations! The Bazooka Fizz will certainly take you back to your trick-or-treating days. It combines a housemade bubblegum infused vodka with lime juice, fresh sour mix, and simple syrup. A little agave nectar on the rim and a sprinkling of pixie stick powder complete the drink (and yes, it really tastes like Bazooka!) Other “repurposed” drinks include the Jolly Rancher martini and the Atomic Fire Ball hot chocolate.
So what are you waiting for? Set a date night with Equinox.
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*Mark your calendar—You also can catch chef Wellings at the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show November 7-8. For more details, click here.
