in 2018, I showed up at the Dabney quite early to squeeze into the bar area and order from the bar menu, though at the time you could also order a la carte from the regular menu. Ah, those were the days!
People lined up to get in, though you could manage to eat there without too much hassle if you showed up early enough. The bar menu included a couple of copious side dishes for $8 served with a gorgeous slab of grilled bread. Featuring Chesapeake cuisine, the menu had a hearty bowl of red island peas that were totally amazing, as well as sweet potato with charred greens. From the regular menu, I had squash cooked ‘in the fire’ at their roaring hearth. Served with a brown butter vinaigrette. This meal was worth a few exclamation points.
Fast forward to the post-pandemic world in which we live. Now in 2024, and a Michelin star later, even the bar area is reserved for an eight course set menu. The bar menu is served outside on a tranquil patio area with really good heating. With a sweater on, it is perfectly comfortable and quiet. We were the only ones seated there.
The portions as well as the aesthetic are a bit more precious now. So are the prices. We started off with a locally grown tatsoi. it was ok, and I’ve had this cooked just as well at a Chinese restaurant with good wok skills.
Next up were crispy catfish sliders on a sweet potato roll, and again I’ve had this kind of thing done better elsewhere. As you can imagine the sweet potato made the rolls a bit gummy.
We went on to six tiny yet exquisite oysters, served with a lilac vinegar mignonette and a small bottle of their own hot sauce, both delicious though I ate the oysters plain.
We got their cornbread cooked in a small skillet on the hearth, and it was divine, halfway to being spoon bread. Served smokin’ hot.
The fish was red snapper and it was cooked perfectly, though the accompaniments did nothing for it.
We finished with a tiny slice of buttermilk pie topped with blood orange and a blood orange sorbet. The pie was dull and too sweet.
Very nice service and a nice experience, but no longer wonderful. The Eritrean lunch I had two days later was more satisfying.
