America.....The Pot Melted!......Diversity in Blandness at Washington's Union Station
Written: Jun 25 '02 (Updated Jun 25 '02)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Food and Presentation: |
 |
|
| Ambiance and Decor: |
 |
|
| Quality of Service: |
|
|
|
Pros: Best to sit in the main hall of Union Station-relatively cheap
Cons: Much of the food is ordinary, despite their attempts at diversity
The Bottom Line: I give this place a tepid recommendation. If you are in Union Station, you may find B. Smith's more adventurous with food, and more polished in service.
|
|
|
| tombarnes's Full Review: America |
With all of the choices available in Washington's splendidly restored Union Station, it is a pity that few restaurants stand out from the crowd. Downstairs, of course, is the ubiquitous Food Court, with its multitudes of chicken bits dipped in grease....The restaurants on the main level generally make more of an effort, but are still slaves to mass tastes. Some of the more pleasant ones have tables spilling out into the great Main Hall. Among them is the fresh-faced America, with a bright, upbeat atmosphere. Its perkiness is nearly irritating.
Atmosphere
I won't describe the building as such, as this is in Union Station, Daniel Burnham's contribution to the City beautiful movement at the turn of the century. After being turned into the National Visitors' Center in 1976 (really a glorified information kiosk, and a notable failure)it was rescued from oblivion in the 1980's. Union Station is both a working train station and a destination for tourists and locals alike.
America is wedged in one corner of the Main Hall of the station, and it takes some advantage of the architecture, at least the tables outside do so. Inside the restaurant, the decor is less subordinate to the architecture than it ought to be. As there are several different dining areas, this is not always so. Also , you should know that the place is very large, and is a favorite place for fundraisers.
I do like the terrazzo floors with their jazzy marble inset pieces in black and white. This has been carried to the wainscote as well. A busy place, its perkiness that can get on one's nerves after a while.
First Course
As with the rest of the menu, all of the offerings here are labeled according to which state they are purported to be from. Some of these labels are almost laughable. Know beforehand that the food here is not haute cuisine. In fact, it would be fair to say that this is a glitzy place with the menu of a fancy diner. Food is really not on the menu here, parties and power lunches at the bar are definitely on.
The first courses range from calamari to Clams Casino to a mushroom ragout. I have had the calamari on previous visits. Though quite fried, it was a generous mound of slightly chewy squid in a light golden batter. Not too bad at all.
The soups are tried and true. Clam chowder, alphabet noodle (from Kalamazoo??), split pea, and tortilla and corn. Not an exciting, award winning lineup, but serviceable.
This evening, I tried the Black Bean Cakes, supposedly a dish from New Mexico. The presentation was colorful and sprightly. A sprig of cilantro topped a bright pile of chopped tomato, guacamole, and sour cream. Underneath this bright confection was a bed of pulled pork, and supporting it all was the black bean cake itself, groaning under the weight. My thoughts? The pork had the requisite sweetness, the salsa was bright and cheerful, but I could barely taste it. The black bean cake was nearly mush after a couple of minutes.... There was almost no taste to it. I considered asking for hot sauce, but thought better of the idea. A good looking dish that should have been sent to charm school.
Main Course
The main courses are just as extensive as the first courses. A wide selection sometimes means that the kitchen is stretching itself too thin. Unfortunately, many of these dishes do not bear close inspection, having been included for the sake of interest or variety. For example, the jambalaya with shrimp (Texas on this one?) is a tepid sausage in a supposed Creole sauce with a few shrimp on top. Go to Louisiana for jambalaya.
There are several pasta dishes, but most of them are real yawners...bowtie noodles with cream sauce and bacon, penne primavera....Sorry, I'm sleepy from just thinking about them. Yawn....Where were we?
I had the Navajo Fry Bread with Spicy Chicken. While well presented, I could detect few hints of spice on the chicken. It came on another large plate, along with a glistening mound of crisp fried potatoes. To give them their due, these french fries were almost perfect. Not the slightest bit greasy, and they tasted like potatoes, not like the freezer.
The sandwich was slightly disappointing. The Navajo Fry Bread had sounded so good somehow. it wasn't bad, just another breast of chicken with those ubiquitous black stripes (some of them actually come this way to the restaurants--if you read Restaurants and Institutions Magazine or Restaurant Hospitality, they may just burst your bubble). All of this was festooned with shredded lettuce and another glob of guacamole. Bits of onion fought with the guacamole for second place with the salt.
Dessert
After all of this, there was no way I could contemplate dessert. On the occasions I have visited before, I have never bothered with dessert either. It was not mentioned on the menu, but I have seen some of the desserts before. Nothing too exciting in this department....the usual cheesecakes and chocolate cake, ice cream ad infinitum.
Wine List
I have never bothered with wine here, though they do have an extensive list. Wine is probably not their strongest suit.
Service
A small world indeed. I sat down at the bar tonight and the bartender's face lit up "I know you from Starbuck's!" Sure enough, she had made my afternoon lattes for months on end. Over here, she was quite attentive, though the place was nearly deserted on a Tuesday night.
On previous visits, I had found the service unremarkable, one way or the other. I looked around the place after having dinner. There was no evidence of a manager, but then, the place was not busy.
Republican or Democratic?
This place is owned by the Ark Restaurant Group which also owns Sequoia in Georgetown (another place known more for its rooftop terrace than for its food, Thunder Grill and the Center Cafe, both of which are also in Union Station.
The place is much larger tan it appears at first glance. There are three levels, the highest of which is the mezzanine of the Great hall itself. Much of this space is used for hosting receptions. In this town, that means political receptions. Lots and lots of them.
Cost
My dinner bill came to $21.89, including one drink. Slightly pricey for dineresque food, but how many diners have a backdrop like this? The most expensive item on the menu would be the Maryland Crab Cakes at $17.95. At this price, I would not be surprised if they used lots of breadcrumbs.....Don't say I didn't warn you.
Overall, the prices are fair, considering that this is Tourist Central in Washington. Of course you will pay more here, but the menu is geared to moderate lunches where more is spent on alcohol than food.
Reservations and Miscellany
The restaurant is open from 11:30 AM until 10:30 PM every day. If it is very slow on a particular evening, the place may close early.
All major credit cards are accepted here.
Parking is available, and though they will validate your parking stub, you must still pay part of the fee.
Overall
While a very attractive spot, it doesn't live up to the "Fifty Star Restaurant" hype they love to quote. Subtract forty seven stars and there you have it. Good, but not remarkable.
America
Union Station
50 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20002
Tel. 202-682-9555
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Relatively reasonable, bustling place. may not be suitable for children, esp. at night
Best Suited For: Friends
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
tombarnes
|
 - Top 100 |
|
Member: Thomas Barnes
Location: Fort Lauderdale & Washington, DC
Reviews written: 684
Trusted by: 441 members
About Me:
With Barbara in Miami, 2004
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.