Art and Soul

Art and Soul

415 New Jersey Ave, NW

April 2013

Heard it Through the Grapevine

No Art and Soul is not a Motown exhibit residing here in DC. Art and Soul is a swanky spot on the hill near Union Station..

Okay let me say from the start, that this is one of my favorite DC restaurants. Whenever I get an invitation to join up with friends for dinner or happy hour its hard to decline.

This restaurant is located inside the Liaison Hotel near Union Station on Capitol Hill. The chef offers a southern influence with sides like Hoppin John and Geechie Boy Grits. Wait, WTH, let me google 'Geechie" because...okay back - it didn't mean what I was thinking... we're cool....anyway....Art and Soul is consistent if you're looking for a little nosh or entrees, its usually all done well. So far, my friends and I have always left happy with our choices and experience. I can best describe the dishes here as complex comfort foods. I know that doesn't sound proper but that's what comes to mind. When I pair my meal with a glass of wine my taste buds start singing. 

On my most recent visit I resisted my impulse to order duck (because its my favorite) and I got the Pan Roasted Gulf Snapper over a crawfish étouffée and baby potatoes.  Let me just say it melted in my mouth. So fresh, moist and seasoned just right. One friend decided to order something different so she went with the Crispy Fried Pigs Head  (see the pic below) and another got the meat and cheese board. As usual everything disappeared in record time.

Happy hour is popular here and the bar area usually seems to fill leaving larger groups looking for a place to sit. You can pull up to the bar or sit at the few surrounding tables. I cant recall that we had difficulty hearing one another during conversation  so the noise level was fine BUT then again my friends are pretty loud (giggle).Of course there is the actual newly remodeled restaurant that is very sleek. We actually had a hard time figuring out what was new about the space but the server confirmed that the entire place was renovated.

The servers are experienced and our group of 5 was never left waiting for attention. The happy hour menu has $4 beers and $7 wines. Take a look at the dinner menu here. They also offer breakfast, weekend brunch and lunch.

The restaurant is about a 10min walk from the Union Station metro red line stop and worth a visit.