Bistro Bliss

I had an excellent dinner at Bistro D'Oc on 10th Street earlier tonight. I started my meal with a bowl of garbure, a wonderful peasant soup with cabbage, carrots and rabbit sausage. (For more on garbure, check out this food blog.)

For my entree, I had a roast duck cooked Peking style. My companion had the poulet roti with frites. Both main courses were excellent, and we drank a bottle of Worthy to accompany our meal.

There are swankier and better French restaurants in Washington, D.C. than Bistro D'Oc, but it's hard to find a French eatery that offers more bang for the buck. Citronelle and Gerard's Place are excellent, sometimes even superb. But you'll drop a lot more money dining at those restaurants than you will at Bistro D'Oc.

Bistro D'Oc serves French classics that are prepared with consistently high quality, has a pleasant decor, and offers a nice selection of wines without the sticker shock.

Bistro D'Oc is what Lavandou used to be before the latter suffered an identity crisis. Bistro du Coin in Dupont Circle is also excellent, and it offers a menu that is very similar to Bistro D'Oc. But dining in the former can be a bit noisy at times.