Pull a chair up to Table

Tags

gelato, Mt Vernon Square, mushroom, root vegetable, Shaw, Table

There’s been a lot of buzz around the newly opened Table in the Mount Vernon area. We checked it out the other week to see how the vegetarian fare….fares.

Table’s decor is stylish yet cozy and comfortable, with friendly service and an enthusiastic staff. Hand-written menus are sweet but kind of hard to read (wow, I sound old). We sat at one of the chef’s tables which overlook the prep area, so we had a view of the appetizers being prepared and plated.

I passed over vegetarian cauliflower soup with capers and started with mushroom toast with poached egg and trumpet puree. It was earthy and rich, almost as filling as a main course. I’m not normally a fan of poached eggs but here, it mixed with the puree and mushroom juices to form a satisfying sauce. Yum.

Mushroom toast

Currently there’s only one vegetarian main course, which is to be expected in a small restaurant with a small menu. I wasn’t sure how excited I could get about a dish called root vegetables, but they were a pleasant surprise, flavorful and beautifully executed. On the plate were more woodsy mushrooms, gorgeous purple potatoes, fennel bulbs, sweet onions, carrots, and a wedge of roasted winter squash, all accompanied by a bright dollop of parsley lemon pesto. Every component was cooked and seasoned perfectly. If Chef de Pue can make a plate of vegetables taste this good, I’d love to see what he can do with a vegetarian pasta or savory pastry.

Root vegetables

For dessert we tried apple crostata with honey truffle gelato. The crostata was great – super crispy and flaky with tart fruit. The gelato, on the other hand, was a bit low on honey flavor and the drop or two of truffle oil felt like an afterthought. Next time we’ll go for hot chocolate mousse.

Apple crostata

Table serves simple, expertly crafted dishes in a relaxed atmosphere. Because of its limited menu, Table is better for a small dinner or date rather than a group of vegetarians. I’d also suggest that you check the seasonally-driven menu to make sure you like the current offerings – for example, I’ll wait for a new spring-inspired main course before I return.

903 N St NW
202-588-5200