Washington DC: Woodward Table (May 2013)

My spouse and I ate brunch at Woodward Table in late May 2013. We dined on a Saturday, and from their website at the time, we could not definitively determine whether they would be serving brunch or lunch on a Saturday. It was clear that brunch is served on Sundays, but we were hoping for the regular weekday lunch menu to be available on Saturday. We are not big eggs and pancakes eaters, preferring lunchtime food instead; however, there were plenty of non-breakfast items on the menu. (The website now clearly states that they serve brunch on both weekend days.) The restaurant participates in the Open Table reservation system, and that is how we made our reservation (although it was not very busy at the time that we dined, and reservations did not seem necessary).
The restaurant location is just a block from the White House, and the space is large, with outdoor seating and indoor seating in several different areas, as well as some more private areas for quieter dining. The kitchen area, which is open so that you can watch the chefs go work, features a large wood-burning oven. A portion of the building is dedicated to take-out food, if you are looking for something much more casual to take away.

We shared a few menu items: a house-made charcuterie board (with various sliced meats, pates, and terrines), and a wild mushroom and spinach flatbread pizza as appetizers, followed by shrimp (and cheesy grits) and fried chicken (accompanied by mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, and collard greens) as our entrees, followed by a pear tart with blue cheese ice cream for dessert. Some items were hits (like the delicious and varied house-made pates and terrines and the unusual blue cheese ice cream), and others were just good. We ordered the fried chicken primarily because we had received an email from the restaurant. Prior to dining, we signed up for their mailing list) telling us that the fried chicken was now available at lunchtime and that it often sells out. It was a tasty dish (especially the sides), but not particularly unique. At brunch time, the restaurant offers “bottomless” bloody marys and mimosas for $15 per person, although the bloody marys were somewhat weak (but nicely garnished with a pearl onion and a large olive). The cuisine features comfort food, some of which has a Southern twist.

We read about Woodward Table in Food & Wine magazine. It is part of a group of restaurants owned by Jeffrey Buben, including Bistro Bis and Vidalia. We were pleased enough with our meal that we would like to try another restaurant from their group of three the next time that we are in town.