Nora

I’ve been trying to write a comprehensive review of Restaurant Nora (aka Nora) for months now, and I keep getting stuck. How do you sufficiently praise your favorite restaurant? Especially if you’re a crusty and curmudgeonly old broad like me. Let’s see...

Nora Pouillon is a god.

Her eponymous restaurant isn’t perfect. The infamous Waygu beef episode mentioned in other food-plan reviews was a major embarassment, because I arranged it and talked some friends into going — friends who rarely spend that kind of money. But that’s the only bad experience I’ve had in more than a dozen trips to this long-standing shrine to organic ingredients.

Restaurant Nora is located at the end of a length of row houses a few blocks west of Dupont Circle. The walls are hung with lovely old quilts, and the tables and chairs are simple and well-spaced. There are several dining areas, on differing levels, so there’s a nice intimate feel wherever you sit.

Nora’s menu changes daily, based on what ingredients are available, and her culinary interests range the world. The food you eat is a reflection of a well-considered and earth-friendly personal aesthetic, not to mention the work of a fantastically talented chef. Each course is individually composed, so you’ll find something completely different on each plate (in other words, the same vegetable and starch preparations accompanying one meat won’t be found with any others). Usually there are about a dozen first and second courses offered, and a handful of desserts.

In the Washingtonian’s 2003 guide to the 100 Very Best Restaurants, Thomas Head wrote an aside that claims “the kitchen is maddeningly inconsistent”, in response to readers’ questions why Nora is never on the list. I have a deep feeling that he might be right (again, the Waygu beef episode). And my dozen or so trips here have been spread out over a decade, so maybe I’ve been inordinately lucky. But then, best-of lists are frequently weighted toward the new and exciting, with just a little space left for the long-established. At any rate, I’d rather dine at Nora than an expense-account steakhouse or old-money French place, not just because of the food, but because all the little pieces — ambience, philosophy — fit together just right. It’s an intensely personal restaurant... my favorite kind of place.

I’m guessing Nora needs a higher rating, but I’ve only been the once and the particular entree preparation was disappointing. Very disappointing, as we had called ahead to see if they would have enough for our entire party. On the other hand, they went out of their way to serve it to us [it wasn’t on the menu that night], so that made it impossible to complain. Especially when the complaint is “this is ok, but I wanted my socks knocked off”.

Reserved atmosphere, friendly and attentive service, organic ingredients. Good date restaurant, but spendy.

Should be a 10, but I have to downgrade them based on their substandard performance when we tried to arrange a Wagyu beef night. It was mostly very well done, but the steak itself was unevenly cooked and did not live up to the hype. Nora isn’t really a steak place, but if they’re going to have it on the menu, they should do it well.