We went to Marcel's for our anniversary dinner a little while ago, but I'm just getting around to writing about it. I haven't been to Marcel's in over ten years, and Leslie last went there with her parents just before September 11th, 2001, so this was our first time in the quieter, more intimate setting. The redesign makes for a less bistro-like experience. The food was excellent (we highly recommend doing the five course tasting menu) as one would expect, including wild scottish pheasant (no buck shot), rabbit, venison, and numerous other dishes. Dessert is not overwhelming, in a good way, because after four courses, one is slightly wary of a substantial dessert. And the service is wonderful -- we found the courses arrived with sufficient interval to allow us to enjoy ourselves without feeling rushed or forgotten. And all things considered, the price is quite reasonable for a top-flight DC restaurant.
So why only four stars? There were just a couple of off notes. First, the bread is dissapointing and pedestrian. Attempts at something unusual falls flat and some of the bread was dry and/or even burnt. Second, the wine pairings were not terribly inspired. One white wine smelled like rotten milk. Our server (who did take wonderful care of us) was happy to pour something else, but the second choice was a non-entity.
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