Equinox
- $$$
Pleasing Shades of Gray at Equinox
At Washington’s local restaurant awards, a.k.a. the RAMMYs, chef Todd Gray was long considered the Susan Lucci of the culinary cabal, having been nominated umpteen times for Chef of the Year. This year, he finally added that accolade to the long list he had accumulated since opening Equinox with his wife, Ellen, in 1999.
Steps away from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Equinox is a favorite among White House types, including the Obamas. (I like to tell people I lunched there with Michelle Obama, even if I leave out that we were seated in different sections.) The quietly chic dining room blends muted gray and blue tones with glass and leather accents, shiny hotel silver and crisp linens.
Food-wise, it’s seasonal, regional and sustainable all the way -- Gray held these beliefs well before they were trendy. The menu reads like a local roadmap (Maryland crabmeat, Cape Hatteras swordfish, Virginia lamb, Pennsylvania pork), but Gray’s classic French and Italian training lends an extra touch of refinement to his American interpretations.
Though the deftly-made pastas are hard to resist, save room for Tom Wellings’s clever desserts, especially the ice creams and sorbets.
Highlights
- Pastry chef Tom Wellings’ before-and-after treats are knockouts, namely cornbread squares and cheesy gougères, then pistachio financiers, figgy Newtons and passion fruit gelée.
- The main dining room offers privacy; the front-room atrium, looking onto Connecticut Ave., puts you on full display.
Good to Know
- Gray’s wife, Ellen, is a vegan, so Todd goes the extra mile to offer vegetarians intriguing choices. Try the 5-Course Vegetarian Tasting Menu ($65/$100 with wine).
- A fine way to take advantage of Gray’s prowess with seasonal ingredients is to opt for his 5-Course Market Tasting ($80/$115 with wine).
- Ask for the power table with the best view: Table 21. That’s where Michelle Obama sat.
Todd Gray
Chef/Owner
2011 was a big year for chef Todd Gray and his wife, Ellen, whose Harvest Moon Hospitality group acquired two catering businesses, opened Watershed, a new restaurant in the burgeoning NoMa neighborhood of Washington, DC, accepted a management contract with the Muse Café at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and took on the culinary directorship of Grand Resorts of Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic. The last post is an extension of Gray’s involvement with Sheila Johnson’s Salamander Hotels and Resorts, a relationship that began in 2000. This in addition to running Equinox, the fine dining restaurant Gray opened on Connecticut Avenue in 1999.
Gray graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1989. He worked for famed chef Jean-Louis Palladin and at Roberto Donna’s Galileo Restaurant for seven years before striking out on his own. He has continually demonstrated leadership in Washington’s restaurant community, supporting such causes as preservation the Chesapeake Bay’s natural resources and advocating local product sourcing and adherence to sustainable agriculture practices.
Among many accolades, Equinox was named as the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s Best Fine Dining Restaurant in 2008, with Gray himself taking home the award as Best Chef of the Year in 2011.
Reservations now earn you 200 Reward Points!
For every reservation that you make and honor (you actually show up at the restaurant and have the meal) on CityEats.com, you will earn 200 CityEats Rewards points. If you then write a review of your dining experience, you will earn an additional 200 points. Once you have collected 2,500 points, you can redeem them for either a $25 gift certificate or a charitable donation in the amount of $25.
