James Beard Award-winning chef Spike Gjerde and his Baltimore restaurant Woodberry Kitchen have earned a reputation for making locally sourced ingredients the stars of their menu. It should come as no surprise that his much-anticipated arrival on the D.C. dining scene at the Line Hotel's Rake's Progress is bringing both great fanfare and long waits for reservations. The food is excellent, and despite some inconsistencies with the service I intend to go back with seafood lovers to work through the raw bar and cocktail menu.

The physical space is breathtaking. Located in Adams Morgan, the renovated Christan Science temple provides a backdrop to one of the District's most impressive dining rooms. All three dining options at the Line Hotel share the space, but Rake's top floor position is most impressive. When we arrived for our 7:00 o'clock reservation, the entire room was bathed in the glow of the setting sun streaming through the stained glass windows on both ends of the vaulted space. It was beautiful and made the near 20-minute wait for our first cocktails bearable. Granted our final guest arrived at 7:10, but not having a drink until 7:30 was irritating if not mostly because it derailed my hopes of two cocktails before starting the wine.

The wine list and cocktail book were all creatively designed to fit into vintage, hardbound copies of the Rake's Progress (I should have checked to see if they were scores, librettos, folios of paintings, something else entirely). And, while long, they are divided into logical sections that make it easy to navigate. The dinner menu, delivered folded and sealed with a wax stamp, is divided into several sections: "raw bar," "cured," "small plates," "to share," and "supper." Very au courant, and as it is with all these types of menus, somewhat vexing when trying to figure out how much to order in the company of people whose tastes and appetites vary. That being said it was refreshing to be spared the usual "let me explain how the menu works" lecture from the head waiter.

Our waiter (whose name I asked for, and unfortunately forgot) was excellent: personable, attentive, well-informed, and accommodating. The sommelier was also on point. Their suggestions for cocktails, dinner, and dessert wines were all excellent. As good as they were it was the support staff that fell short. While none of their actions ruined the experience, their mistakes were notable. They did not keep the table clean. They put replacement silverware down awkwardly and in one case improperly (if they were told to put the fork on the right and the knife on the left to inspire some whimsy, it didn't work). Worst of all, a haphazard tableside preparation made what should have been a great salad mediocre (too much dressing and ingredients hacked apart unevenly thus making it impossible to distribute evenly).

This level of inconsistency is distracting and unfortunate because the food was excellent. We started with a trio of domestic hams (good), an off-menu cheese board (outstanding) and riff on a mille-feuille with savory pastry cream and a variety of vegetables (delightful). The "Crown of Duck" which included both a roasted breast and cassoulet was perfect (some might think it too salty, but not me). It was impeccably carved tableside and presented beautifully. My picture doesn't do it justice. The other two entrees: roast pork and lamb shoulder were both received positively. Dessert was good on its own but made great with wine pairings suggested by the waiter. We were treated to some delightful petit fours to end the night.

Rake's Progress is a nice addition to the D.C. dining scene, but to earn the love and loyalty of the sophisticated diners that can support it they need to deal with the support staff. "Being new" is not an excuse especially considering the $200 per person tab.

NOTE: Stravinsky is my favorite composer and while I'm not a huge fan of the opera that shares this name I love the story of the spendthrift son who squanders his father's fortune of gambling, liquor, and prostitutes. I decided to listen to the opera as I wrote this and would love to know why they chose the name.

★★★
$$$$/$$$$$
1770 Euclid St. NW, Washington, DC 20009
https://www.thelinehotel.com/dc/venues/
(202) 588-0525