The Source (Downtown, 03-06-09) - Great Food, Cold Atmosphere

We've been to The Source, Wolfgang Puck's over-priced DC establishment, a number of times. And it seems that each time we go, the price from the last visit has somehow faded from my mind while the flavors of the delicious food have remained. Last night was no different. J and I went with my folks for an evening on the town, giving my mom and dad a little taste of life they don't get to see very often in the suburbs. The Source is ultra-hip. It's cold and dark with minimal furniture, a lot of brushed steel and classic rock playing overhead.

Puck's vision for this place is hard to argue with. Every detail is perfect. Even the silverware and the water vessels seem to match and just look, for lack of better words, sleek.

And the food is pretty much flawless. I split the tuna tartare with my pops. It comes in these crunchy sesame cones and is filled with spicy, sweet ahi, roe and watercress. It has the perfect combination of flavor and texture and beautiful presentation. One criticism I'll make is that the little wooden thing it comes served in looks a little 8th-grade-shop-class - out of place in the detail-oriented environment of the place. But whatever. You don't eat that.

J started with a spicy coconut soup with shrimp and ginger-scented tapioca. Creamy, light and silky, it was really delightful.

For my main course, I settled on the pork chop as they were out of the duck. And I must say that I was a little wary given that the dish was basically labeled as pork on pork - chop and belly. But the two cuts were SO different and SO perfectly matched that they were far from redundant. The smokiness of the belly played off the sweet chop, and even their textures seemed to provide depth. This dish was a slam dunk.

For dessert, we all split their version of the chocolate molten cake. Every restaurant in the city has one of these on the menu, and I'll put Source's up there. But, in the end, it's the same thing. The execution was great, as the center was really smooth and warm, and the ice cream was rich and creamy. But I guess dessert just doesn't excite me as much.

The final note that I'll make is that, for all it's perfect execution and sleek appearance, the Source leaves something to be desired in terms of soul. The place just feels a little contrived and has no warmth at all. I like modern as much as anyone. I think places like Oya and Zengo are really fun and are able to combine a cool atmosphere with something comfortable. There is nothing comfortable about the Source - at least not the dining floor. But the food is magnificant and must be tasted. Just get a drink to reflect some of the sting when the bill comes.