Le Diplomate
Coffee
Complimentary Bread Basket – Cranberry + Raisin Walnut Bread, Whole Wheat Bread, Baguette and Butter
Foie Gras Parfait – Pain d’Epice, Huckleberry Moutarde, Brioche Toast
Mushroom Tart – Pioppini Mushrooms, Truffle Pecorino
Poached Eggs Basquaise – Prosciutto, Creamy Polenta
Millefeuille – Caramelized Puff Pastry, Vanilla Custard
Entirely unimpressed by Stephen Starr’s critically lauded Le Coucou in Manhattan it was with modest expectations that Brunch reservations were made for Washington DC darling Le Diplomate, and channeling the idea of a busting French Brasserie without any of pretense associated with his Daniel Rose project it can only be said that Le Diplomate succeeds where Le Coucou falters by serving true classics at a good value with service that is efficient, personable and competent.
Now open for four years and still amongst the District’s hottest reservations, a recent visit from Bill Murray making National headlines and sightings of Congressmen and Journalists a daily occurrence for staff, Le Diplomate fits snuggly in the center of the rapidly-developing 14th Street Corridor, the spacious insides and outdoor patio both frequently sporting a lengthy wait for walk-ins nightly and doubly-so on Weekends from 9:30 in the morning.
Featuring an in-house Bakery and a fairly extensive Wine Cellar, the V-shaped Dining Area divided into an elegantly-tiled greenhouse contrasting the more familiar Brasserie décor of a two-tiered space to the left of entry, it was with reservations made some three weeks in advance that a cozy two-top along the window was offered shortly after doors opened, a smiling young woman quick to present a menu and frequently returning to make sure both Water and Coffee were kept brimming.
Unique in terms of the Brunch offerings as opposed to Dinner, a bit of overlap seen in terms of Starters but the vast majority of both Entrees and Desserts entirely different, it was as the menu was being navigated that a basket of freshly sliced Bread was presented, the sliced Baguette a bit softer than many might prefer but the Dried Fruit and Walnut quite delicious while the supple Whole Wheat would prove helpful for sopping up Sauce.
Tempted by several signatures in addition to the classics, a basket of Gougeres and Duck Confit eventually passed over, it was alongside Brioche Toast that a large curl of Foie Gras Mousse was presented with Seasonal Jam and Gingerbread Powder, the slightly crumbly texture improving after a few minutes at room temperature and the flavor expectedly good otherwise while the follow-up Mushroom Tart was the very definition of richness with tender Stems and Caps tangled amidst Truffled Cheese atop a flaky Pastry Shell.
Weary of the Bread Basket so as not to fill up, the smallish size of each dish in no way indicative of just how heavy each was, it was with a cast-iron pan of Polenta topped with two slightly over-poached Eggs, Ham and a spicy Red Pepper Sauce that savories came to finish, the unannounced heat mostly overwhelming the rest of the plate but soon to be forgotten thanks to the stacked-to-order Millefeuille.
