This was one of the best Restaurant Week experiences I've ever had. At a time when some restaurants make the unwise decision to put forth half-hearted efforts (see my Brasserie Beck review) or mediocre performances, Jardenea shone bright like a diamond in the sky. Both the food and the service were exemplary, and I'll definitely be back for more.
Jardenea is located inside The Melrose Hotel, swanky lodging off 24th and Pennysylvania. The interior of the hotel reminded me of the W Hotel with its decidedly more modern (though not graphic, more playful) accents and use of neutral, darker shades (blacks and greys). Hotel restaurants seem to be the forgotten cousins of other fine dining establishments anywhere I go. Why? Not really sure. Perhaps they seem a tad too boring? Anyway, Jardenea, elevator music and unremarkable decor and all, was still a very nice and surprisingly un-stuffy environment for enjoying some farm-to-table dishes.
Our server was very helpful and polite. She introduced us to the their food concept and gave us time to peruse the restaurant week specials as well as the regular menu offerings. We opted to go with the specially-priced three-course meal. I ordered the goat cheese salad, coriander sea bass with blue corn grits, and the chef's special dessert. The dessert, a rich decadent chocolate cake adorned with berries, was to die for!!! I unfortunately could not finish it due to the decadent ingredients, but it was amazing. My sea bass was juicy and dressed with a creamy yet light sauce. The blue corn grits were also lovely. My starter featured obviously fresh greens, goat cheese, beets, tomatoes,and a toothsome dressing. The plating was gorgeous (pics will be posted ASAP!) for all dishes. While I wouldn't say these were the most creative dishes I had ever encountered, they all showed a certain amount of restraint. If you see enough of my reviews, you know I'm not a fan of things drowning in sauce, so it was pleasing to see how Jardenea's chef dressed everything simply and let the freshness of the ingredients speak for themselves.
Returning to the service, we received great treatment from all the staff, not just our server. The manager even stopped by to see how we were doing. That's always nice. I wasn't decked out in Louis and Gucci and had sneakers on my feet, so I wasn't expecting them to care much, but they were as respectful towards me as they probably would be towards a woman in a mink coat with Jimmy Choos on. So despite the location inside a fancy hotel, Jardenea is a warm and welcome spot for a celebratory dinner. I think Jardenea would work well as a place for rehearsal dinners, birthday dinners, intimate couples' dinners, etc.Go and see for yourself what I'm raving about. read more