2013 Spring Dining Guide

By Tom Sietsema
May 16, 2013

Logan Cox left some sizable shoes behind when he headed West this year, but his successor, Marjorie Meek-Bradley, is filling them admirably in the kitchen of this neighborly wine-themed restaurant in Cleveland Park.

The newcomer’s ruddy hedge of lamb tartare, shocked with pickled mustard seed and capers, comes with cool dabs of Greek yogurt and a creamy drift of cashew butter. The nutty detail is one Meek-Bradley picked up as a junior cook at the esteemed Per Se in New York.

But her way with fish is even finer. Spaghetti scattered with kicky toasted bread crumbs and tuna poached in olive oil is bliss in every bite. And the chef, who came from Graffiato in March, knows that when halibut and fava beans are in season, they don’t need much more than a wash of spring onion butter to make them sing. Cavatelli cranked out using carrots is a bright idea that co-stars sweet lobster meat. Butterscotch pudding with crushed toffee and rum cake with orange curd encourage you to stretch out the night for a course that could use a turbocharge in this town.

As before, drinking is as much fun as eating; the cocktails and wine list are Big City Serious in this arty retreat. And as always, the service feels as if your best friend is attending to your needs. Food flash for fromage fans: The grilled cheese bar has expanded its early and late hours at the counter to every night of the week.

Ripple is included in Washingtonian Top 100

Destination: Washington, D.C.

The Beltway is teeming with award-winning restaurants, game-changing mixologists and haute hotels. Here’s where to eat, drink and doze in The District.

Wine & Food

"For dinner, local and sustainable is the name of the game at Ripple, a cozy neighborhood restaurant in Cleveland Park. In addition to a well-crafted wine list, which includes more than 350 bottles and 50 by-the-glass options, Ripple’s three sommeliers created the Fall of Rhône menu, which showcases wines from the Rhône Valley, alongside dishes like rabbit boudin with crispy pork belly and green peanut cassoulet."

48 hours in Washington:

Washington Flyer features Ripple's grilled cheese bar