Long Time, No See: Jardenea
Jardenea’s Duck Tortellini
No news is usually good news. I had not heard a peep out of Jardenea since I left their cozy, elegant dining room some odd years ago and I am guessing that was a good thing. I recently had the opportunity to revisit the Melrose Hotel’s resident dining space and was pleased to find not much has changed. The food is still good, the wine list is up to par and the scene is just as private as when I left it on my last visit.
The Duckhorn Wine Dinner is what brought me back to the space and the things Jardenea does with the Duck to match the Napa Valley wines is the reason this place stays consistent. The Duck Tortellini is housemade and paired with a poached quail egg in a smoked, bacon garlic cream sauce. It would be hard not to like this dish. When paired with the Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it is easy to see why wine dinners happen so frequently here. The place has a knack for exploring and finding the wines that pair well with their products. This is a skill that should not be overlooked.
You will not find the tortellini on the menu daily but you will find dishes on the most recent Fall menu that are reminiscent of the meal I had at the Duckhorn dinner. Jardenea tends to not disappoint and from the looks of things, people that frequent this District gem are being mum about their whereabouts.
Category: restaurant reviews, Reviews, Washington D.C.
About the Author (Author Profile)
Johnna French is a Harlem NY native with deep roots in Panama, Washington, DC and North Carolina. All four places have heavily influenced her life and the foods she loves today. After graduating Howard University School of Law and beginning her life as a young professional in the city she was led to start Johnna Knows Good Food in November 2007 to keep family, friends and colleagues updated on where to go and what to eat while dining in the nation’s capitol. French, who still practices law, leads a team of three writers to cover the ever expanding Washington, DC food scene. French has been featured in print and television, appearing in Washingtonian Magazine and is a regular contributor to various local TV affiliates including WUSA 9, FOX 5 DC and WJLA (ABC Affiliate) News Channel 8. During the 2016-2017 football season, Johnna aired on Comcast Sports Mid-Atlantic (CSN) show, Redskins Life, as the weekly tailgate host. Johnna is currently a regular contributor to the FOX Baltimore Weekend morning show.Subscribe
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