CER (Celia) recently wrote a huge article about  a dinner event Pennsylvania 6. I was present at a media lunch there last week. Above are some images of the highlights.

Penn 6 excels at seafood. The Crab Croquettes (with a tasty gribiche sauce), Octopus (served with wonderful gigante beans), Lobster Rolls, and Fried Oysters were all well-executed and delicious dishes. I order a lot of octopus, but theirs was tender and delicious in a way that the competition can’t touch. I didn’t take a picture of the Wild Burgundy Snails (I was lucky to snag one) but they were exceptional. This new restaurant needs to keep this up and build it’s reputation; It could become a serious seafood destination in DC.

While most of the other diners in our large group were ordering Bucatini & Clams or Lobster Rolls as their entrees, I decided to try a meat dish. The  gentleman next to me (Mark Heckathorn from DC on Heels) did order a steak sandwich because he was thinking along the same lines. Some upscale restaurants can do great things with a humble pork chop, so I ordered the Berkshire Pork Chop with sweet potato, candied pecans, fried Brussels sprouts, and bourbon lacquer, and was not disappointed because it was easily one of my favorite dishes that day.

And, Penn 6 has some great desserts. My favorite desserts that day were the extremely rich and delicious 3 Creme Brulees (the pumpkin variety is seasonal), and the Apple cake.

I’d like to see the restaurant come up with some vegetarian entrees to round out their menu; there are definitely some salads and cheeses on the menu, so I’m thinking of more substantial vegetarian dishes just in case your best friend’s sister or college roommate needs them. I’d also like them to work on the Duck Fat Fries coming out crispy consistently, since some orders were crispy and some were not.

I have plans to try their brunch in a few weeks. So, expect a followup to this article. I can hardly wait.

-JAY