BIDWELL RESTAURANT (Washington, D.C)

Hidden Gems.  By now you should all know how much I love a restaurant that isn’t on everyone’s radar, but after reading my experience at this restaurant you may want to make sure you head to this place as soon as possible.  Washington, D.C. maybe one of the hardest places to pinpoint where you should eat and why, but that’s why you have me. Today, I visited Bidwell located in Union Market off of 5th Street which is a Warehouse-like food market with a host of artisans offering charcuterie, empanadas, gelato, and much more.  This area is a good place for you to grab some brunch and/or dinner then go grocery shopping right after.  The area is very busy and the restaurant is too.  Before you decide to go to this restaurant make sure you make reservations on opentable.com or simply reach out to the restaurant to inform them you’ll be dining there.  I don’t want you to get to the restaurant and be extremely hungry, only to find you you’ll have to wait another hour to be seated.  Don’t you hate that?

The restaurant has a very vibrant scene that caters to everyone.  It’s kid friendly, family friendly, and “adult friendly”.  (Adult Friendly = Beautiful Bar Area).  What I like most about this restaurant is that they have vegetarian options, healthy options, cocktails, and curated wines.  If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to sit right in front of the kitchen, where you can see where all the magic happens.  The service is amazing, as the restaurant is led by general manager Kelsie who is so focused on making sure your experience is like no other, you would think that she owned the restaurant.  The service doesn’t stop there as my waiter Kurt made sure my experience was one to brag about.  By now you should know that service is just as big as food when it comes to dining at any kind of restaurant, so if the service is great it makes the overall experience that much better.  When you decide to go, ask for Kurt, if he isn’t available I’m pretty sure the staff is trained so properly you’ll feel like you’re family.

I was able to order four dishes and two drinks.  All of the dishes were prepared so satisfactorily that they’re aren’t enough bombast words to describe what I’m going to tell you.  (Reading is fundamental, right? Every time I write, I learn a new word.  Even though I may not use that word, challenge me to words with friends, and I’m sure I’ll kick your a**. Wait.. People still play that game?) Roasted Oysters, Steak And Eggs, Corned Beef Hash, and Clam Pizza were ordered. Let’s start with the first dish which were the roasted oysters.  This dish came with three succulent oysters roasted under a wood fire grill topped with garlic butter, bacon, and parmesan.  These oysters were so good that I contemplated on ordering some more, but I knew I had more dishes to eat so I opted to wait until the three other dishes came.  I love oysters so anytime they’re prepared properly then it’s always a plus for the restaurant I’m dining at.  I’m not sure if you’re an oyster eater, but if you decide to order these oysters I’m pretty sure you’ll become one.

The second dish that was ordered were the Steak & Eggs Benedict.  The dish was prepared with grilled hanger steak (medium rare), poached eggs, and bernaise.  Today, I wanted to put a spin to this dish so it was requested that the eggs were lightly scrambled topped with mushrooms and the bernaise sauce.  I just want to say that decision-making skills are at an all time high for SavoryTravels because this dish was absolutely amazing.  It was accompanied with a house salad that had a dressing that had the taste of a creamy ranch dressing but the color of it was purple almost as if it was a thousand island dressing.  Mind-boggling.  The steak was grilled perfectly and melted in your mouth with each bite.  The eggs were scrambled so lightly that you would argue they were cheese eggs, but no cheese was needed for these eggs.  The bernaise sauce was nice and buttery and added an extra sweetness to the dish and the muffin it was placed on.  AH-MAY-ZING!

The next dish that was ordered was the Corn Beef and Hash.  If you’re looking for something that’ll fill you up then this is the dish for you.  At $11 you’d be making the perfect decision and your pockets will love you. The dish was presented in a pot and inside were five big breakfast potatoes, surrounded by shredded corn beef, and accompanied with two poached eggs.  I love corn beef and hash and although I thought this dish would be presented differently, by having the corn beef and hash shredded real finely together, I was very much pleased on how it was presented.  I’m not big on potatoes, but if you are, this would be the perfect dish for you.

Last but not least we have the main event.  If you love pizza and seafood you’ll love their Clam Jam.  The Clam Jam is a pizza topped with top neck clams, rooftop kale, and bentons bacon.  You have the option to choose different type of crust ranging from a charcoal crust to a veggie crust.  I opted for the vegetarian crust which consisted of Zucchini and Cauliflower crust.  How many times have you had a vegetable inspired crust on a pizza?  Well, if you’re asking me, the answer is never.  I’ve never had a vegetable crust, and I’m honestly ashamed to say that I haven’t.  I’m not sure why I haven’t had that type of crust, but from now on if it’s an option at a restaurant that I’m going to order it.  The pizza was cheesy, packed with flavor, and came with a garlic butter to pour over your clams, and an old bay seasoned lemon to juice all over your pizza for extra flavor.  There are so many words I can say about this dish, but words wouldn’t do it any justice.  Please let me know what you think about this dish when you order it, I’m interested in knowing if you and I are going to be best friends after agreeing this dish is one of the best pizza’s we’ve ever eaten.  (No? No best friends? Well, okay. I tried. At least we love food.)

Overall, this restaurant is a go to.  With the prices of each dish for brunch and pizza being no more than $15 for an individual dish, you’ll be sure you’ve made the right decision when it comes to your taste buds and your wallet.  There are so many hidden gems and so many restaurants that deserve the proper recognition so when I find them, it’s my duty to let you know where it is.  The only job you have is to google how to get there.  Wait, no, you waze, because if you’re speeding, we the people will alert you where the police are.  Oh, and slow down! You won’t live to eat another meal if you keep driving fast 🙂

OVERALL RATING : BUSINESS CLASS