Overheard Hotel Chatter

Mrs. Eats and I ran into the head chef of the Sheraton Grand last night and he couldn’t have been a nicer fellow. (Ok, he could have been nicer but it would have involved full release.) He chatted with us about a number of things, but most importantly all the changes he’s bringing about at the Sheraton. The Mrs. has to go to the Sheraton a lot for banquets and other civic events, so she’s a good barometer in this regard. Apparently, the changes have definitely been for the good.

Everything is being made from scratch (no crappy prebattered frozen nuggets of reconstituted animal chunks), the chef is putting a limit on group size when more complicated dishes are ordered (like souffles and eggs Benedict), and the menu at Morgan’s, the oft-overlooked restaurant at the Sheraton, is slowly adapting to the local/fresh bandwagon that everyone else headed into town on a few years ago. If you haven’t checked out the Sheraton Grand recently, maybe it’s worth a stop. If you’re planning an event, it’s definitely worth a stop.

Also, I’ve discovered a little bar that feels like it’s in Philadelphia or Chicago but happens to be on J Street. It’s Scandal, the bar at Citizen Hotel. No, not the bar at Grange, the overhyped flagship restaurant, but a separate bar on the second story of the hotel. Walk in the front door of the hotel, take a right at the registration desk, walk up the stairs, and find yourself in a relaxed, sophisticated, adult drinking space. They’ve got a great cocktail menu and a neat lineup of California micros. The walls are paneled in dark walnut, the leather chairs look like came out of a East Coast men’s club, and the bookshelves (yes, that’s right, bookshelves) are lined with leather-bound legal tomes. You’ll feel like you’re having a drink with Adam Schiff. Give it a try if you find yourself by CC park; you’ll be surprised.