Komi in the Capitol

Never expected to be "wowed" in Washington. In the state perhaps, but not the district. And, yet last Thursday night I found myself in awe in our nation's capitol. Culinary awe. Where? At a little spot called Komi.

I joined colleagues at the restaurant's sole window table for a dinner that verged on orgasmic. Thankfully, all four ladies at the table - myself included - were in need of a dinner that satisfied on a multitude of levels. When we were presented with the dinner menu, none of us flinched at the idea of a $64 prix fixe multi-course tasting dinner. Same went for a bottle of H.u.M. Hofer Gruner Veltliner.

I liked these colleagues. We gabbed and cackled as we sipped the white wine, waiting for the "show" to begin. The parade of food began innocently enough with cured green olives, soft and sweet with only a slight hint of salt. Then warm thick dates stuffed with Greek yogurt and marscapone topped with rich olive oil and brackish fleur de sel followed.

The dates rendered the table silent. I was tempted to lead the table in prayer. And, yet I realized that the deafening silence at the table spoke volumes.

We were in for a night. A very good night.

The smiles on our faces never wained. Not through the burrata cheese with housecured anchovies and breadcrumbs. Not through the thin slices of mortadella with grilled bread and mostarda. Not through the toasted bruschetta slathered with salty tarmosalata and truffle-spiked tzatziki. Not through the warm testa with pickled celery. Not through the platter of crispy, tempura fried soft shell crab and codfish-stuffed zucchini flowers served alongside a refreshingly chilled salad of cuttlefish rings with black and white chickpeas.

I was concerned that we might get indelible smile lines. Botox might be a required dessert course.

Laughter served as an intermezzo as we awaited our pastas. The best of the bunch: homemade tagliatelle with smoky guanicale, bright green fava beans and sliced radishes. A bottle of deep carmine, jammy Cantine Sant'Agata Ruche 2004 was ordered. Our meat courses quickly followed. My wood grilled lamb sliced ruby red atop cardamom infused lentils was simply gorgeous. Scanning the grins across the table, it seemed that the rest of the entrees were equally luscious.

Damn! I was wondering if I could somehow convince the restaurant's chef to make the move to New York. Then again, I probably couldn't afford this meal in New York!

Cheese was next.

We were already spoiled. Swooning didn't occur.

We saved that for dessert.

The Greek donuts with chocolate and marscapone puddings, and a sundae that involved almond granita, strawberry sorbet and sauteed rhubarb did the trick.

The table was silenced once again.

What a beautiful sound.