It’s safe to say that $66 is the most I’ve ever spent on dinner for two at a cafeteria. But that was the tab for two $19 apiece entrees (served in cardboard trays) and a $28 half bottle of wine (in plastic cups) at Next Stage by Jose Andres, the new café in the recently rebuilt Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in Southwest Washington. Bethesda’s José Andrés Catering with Ridgewells, the collaboration between the well-known chef and the longtime local caterer, won the bid for food service operations there, which includes the café, a concession stand, refrigerator case items, boxed lunches and more.
Cleverly, the menus will change, inspired by the theater’s current production. “Oklahoma!” is playing there now, and wild turkey is apparently the state’s official game bird, ergo my wild turkey meatballs and gravy. Granted, the entrees came with three well-prepared sides (potato puree, Oklahoma succotash and Yellow Hammer cornbread, plus a rasher of bacon), but my meatballs and potatoes were swaddled in oil. Let’s just say it was decent for cafeteria food, but way overpriced for 66 bucks. (The show, however, was well worth it.)
