Last week I met a friend at Ripple in Cleveland Park. I have passed the place many times before and have always heard good things so it has been on my list to try for quite some time. The interior is really pretty and inviting and the restaurant spans multiple rooms creating an intimate dining experience. There was a lovely wood farmhouse table towards the back with colorful mismatched red chairs that looked like an ideal place to sit for a large group. My friend even mentioned she’d love to have that as her dining room in her home. The bar area is quite sizeable and they leave their fresh cheeses out on display which plays into Ripple’s focus on organic and locally grown foods. We were in for a leisurely evening and the staff was incredibly friendly and helped us to think through our drink options. I knew I wanted a buttery Chardonnay and the knowledgeable waiter provided a great recommendation while my friend was feeling adventurous and went for the “bartender’s choice” and seemed very happy with the outcome which involved buddha’s hand and vodka.

After perusing the menu we decided to order a cheese plate to start and we were immediately drawn to the washed rind cheeses because they included a Cowgirl Creamery red hawk. Yes please! The cheeses were pungent and delicious and the honey on the cheese board provided the right addition of sweetness to each bite. So far things were off to a great start.

But then… disappointment ensued with the entrees. My roasted bluefish with crispy potato, garlic confit, tarragon puree, and beet emulsion was bland. The side I ordered of peppers confit in olive oil with almonds was so bitter I could barely take more than one bite. And my friend’s poached rockfish with yellow tomato marmalade and clams was fine until they covered it in the creamy yoghurt sauce at the table which she felt seemed unnecessary. While we both decided to pass on dessert the kitchen was kind enough to send out a butterscotch pudding with cream and toffee shards which was quite tasty.

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Ripple's interior. Photo courtesy of www.facebook.com/RippleDC.

Ripple does a lot of things right- the atmosphere is lovely, the wine selection and cocktail list is excellent (as well as the bartenders), the staff is friendly and helpful, and the cheese plate was wonderful. However, the food itself was a bit inconsistent and also tends to be a bit pricey. I’ll definitely come back to Ripple, but I’ll take a seat at the bar next time and grab a glass of wine and a cheese plate and leave it at that.

Ripple
3417 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20008
www.rippledc.com

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Tagged as: cheese, cleveland park, dc, restaurant, Ripple, sustainable, washington

Ripple

by Jenna on August 22, 2011

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

Lori Gardner August 22, 2011 at 8:42 pm: This is a disappointing review. I am planning to head to Ripple this weekend but am having second thoughts, because the two fish dishes you describe are likely what we would order. Time to our destination?
Jenna August 23, 2011 at 9:30 am: Might be worth a try, I just wasn’t impressed with the fish dishes at all. If you still want a great dinner in Cleveland Park I love Palena, Dino, and Ardeo + Bardeo has been great lately since their renovations. Sorry for the disappointment, I also was disappointed!
rich white III August 26, 2011 at 5:32 pm: went to ripple and had the same experience, except it took 45 minutes for a salt bomb of a soup and an hour and a half for the worst softshell (or should i say ball of beer batter) and first time ever flavorless pork belly. didn’t even get a managers visit after we had registered our dissatisfaction albeit our several hundred dollar check (nothing comped). cant believe this place got such a rave review from the post. then again TS’s credibility is on the slide.
Jenna August 26, 2011 at 8:33 pm: Thanks for your comment. I agree, I’m not seeing what’s so great about this place. Cheese and wine is as far as I’ll go in the future.