Pesce (Dupont Circle, 1/13/09)

Finally!!! A really good fish restaurant in D.C.! I have to tell you, I’ve been to a lot of restaurants in this city that are supposedly known for their fish. I’ve done Oceaniare and Hook. I’ve had Grillfish and Black Salt and Kincaids. But every time I go to one of these places where the fish is supposed to be the focus, it’s disappointing. To be honest, I was starting to think that I’m not a fish kind of guy. I’d leave these places completely unsatisfied, wishing that I had ordered something with legs or wings. And my growing disdain for fish in restaurants has not only made it tough to eat healthy when eating out but it has also suppressed any urge I might have to cook my own. How can I be inspired by another piece of sea bass?!

But on Tuesday night, J and I met up for a little impromptu date and decided to walk along P Street in Dupont until we found something interesting. Café Japone wasn’t going to happen, and neither of us is really into pizza – especially when trying to eat healthy. Eventually, however, we came across a tiny little place called Pesce. We entered the restaurant, finding it about half full with a generally older crowd, and took our seats. It was cozy and warm and perfect for a quiet Tuesday night.

There is one menu at Pesce. When you’re ready to start paying attention, they bring over a big blackboard on which they have scrawled the day’s catch, prop it up on a chair next to your table, and invite you to stare at it awkwardly until you decide what you want. J and I chose to start with an appetizer – the Pesce Trio – which featured eggplant caviar (a fancy name for babaganoush), tuna ceviche and crab with avacado. Every single bite was fantastic. The fish was really fresh and the textures of the three different pieces were wonderful – especially when eaten with their fantastic crusty bread.

For mains, J went with an arugula salad, having already eaten a little bit at work. It tasted like arugula. And I opted for the cod. The COD, for chrissake! When have I ever ordered cod anything? When I think of cod, I think of cod oil. And when I think of cod oil, I think of 1950s tv characters and the mean old aunts that used to make them drink it. But here I was, ordering fricken cod and regretting it before the words even left my mouth.

As you can almost certainly tell given the tone of this post, my fears were unwarranted and, in fact, totally off base. This was, quite possibly, the single greatest piece of fish I’ve ever had. It was fresh and flavorful, crispy and light. The potatoes and chive sauce that it served with, combined with wonderful mushrooms, made this a perfect dish. Perfect. We left feeling satisfied but not stuffed, and we weren’t set back too much in the wallet.

I can’t tell you how excited I am. I really do love fish. I just needed to find a real fish restaurant in D.C. It looks like Pesce fits the bill.