Le Diplomate

There is something about a classic French bistro that always makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside *smirk*. Perhaps because the decor and food--regardless of where I have it--always transport me to my summer abroad in Toulouse and Paris in the tenth grade. It seems so long ago but I can still vividly remember the exact way I felt whenever I reminisce my trips to the beautiful gardens and historic castles, the crepe stall outside of Alliance Française whose crepe batter seemed to be infused with rum and that I enjoyed with dollops of nutella, or my host mom's home-cooked meals that always begins with tough-as-hell french baguette (just the way it should be!) and never fails to include a cheese board and, for some reason, beets cooked in a variety of ways.

I am also a huge fan of how refined french food is, for the lack of a better word--the food is rich but at the same time, simple and real. So when R had told us she had booked Le Diplomate for dinner, I was ecstatic. I had no clue it was a Stephen Starr restaurant, either!

We started with a lavish bread basket that was so good we wished it didn't make us full so that we could enjoy everything else we ordered. If there are two things I judge a restaurant on, it would be their bread basket and bathrooms, and this bread basket was out of this world.

What followed was the most perfect buttery and garlicky escargot, a very tasty warm shrimp salad, and a selection of delicious regional french cheeses. And wine--lots of it.

We reveled in the good and hearty food set before us and, over good drinks, reminisced about how much we missed being complete. You never really realize how little time you'll have physically together as a family once your siblings start graduating from high school--but such is life. It's really a necessary part of growing up.

I had a heavenly bowl of moules frites -- steamed mussels in white wine served with thinly crisped fries and addictive aoili dip. Amazing. The sauce was the perfect combination of herbs, garlic, and white wine. I am a sucker for mussels and, hands down, this was one of the best ones I've had.

Below is the roasted scallops with red wine salsify and truffle sabayon. I am aware of the fact that scallop dishes always come in just a few pieces, which is why I'm always reluctant to order the entree, but this was a winner. 

The other dishes ordered were the steak frites and trout amandine--all of which were wiped clean from the plates save for the trout because it was a whole fish!

I can't say enough good things about Le Diplomate--the food was spot on, the atmosphere was bustling, and the evening breeze that was streaming in from the open windows across our table was lovely.

Before our food had arrived, I was talking to a friend from DC who visits Philly often and likes to explore the food scene himself. He had already claimed 'le dip' was his favorite restaurant in DC and sums it up quite nicely: "Even away from Philly, Stephen Starr makes his presence felt." Truth.

Le Diplomate
1601 14th St NW
Washington, D.C.