Adour: Still an Underachiever

Although I had a good dinner with friends at Adour this past weekend in Washington, I still can't say that I was blown away. And at this price point, a diner should feel blown away.

This was my second dinner at Adour. The first one was also good, but nothing really dazzled me or my fellow diner. Given that Adour's non-soup appetizers average a price of nearly $20, I think the restaurant should be held to a higher standard than a restaurant like Bistro du Coin (near Dupont Circle).

Here were the highlights from my most recent meal at Adour. The lobster medallions with diced advocado on a bed of Israeli couscous were marvelous. The simplicity of this appetizer allowed the wonderful flavors of the lobster to shine through. The poussin that Adour recently added to its entree menu is sublime -- moist and tender.

The macaroons, provided gratis at meal's end, are as yummy as I remembered them the first time I dined there. On that first visit, they were raspberry and chocolate macaroons; this time, they were coffee- and cassis-flavored.

On the other hand, the duck breast was simply okay. One part of the breast was much too rare and, even so, a bit tough to slice. The '06 red wine from Burgundy that our server recommended was very lackluster. Still, it was cheaper than the initial red wine we'd discussed with him so he clearly wasn't trying to torque up our cost. It gave off a musty odor and probably needed more time in the bottle.

I won't be hurrying back to Adour because there are too many other restaurants in D.C. that offer better value. But I still hope for the day when the kitchen lives up to the man (Alain Ducasse) who opened this restaurant.