Blue 44 and Jake’s American Grille opened this year on Connecticut Avenue, a stretch of Upper Northwest D.C. right across the Maryland border that was badly in need of more neighborhood hangouts.
Located just blocks from one other, they offer modern American cuisine at moderate prices in attractive settings. They’re the kind of places that serve a range of purposes and people, and there’s plenty of local demand to accommodate both. But given their proximity and similarity, I couldn’t resist—I had to compare them.
And after lunch and dinner at both places, my conclusion is this: Blue 44 has the more serious kitchen; it’s a restaurant with a bar. Jake’s, with 18 craft beers on draft and a decent burger to go with, is a better bar than restaurant.
Blue 44
The owner: Pittsburgh native Christofer Nardelli, who stayed in the area after graduating from American University in 1999. Nardelli worked as a server, bartender and manager at Café Olé in Tenleytown before opening Blue 44.
The name: First off, Nardelli says “blue” refers to the fact that he comes from a blue-collar city. The “44” is in memory of a friend whose favorite athlete was Danny Ainge, a player for the Boston Celtics who wore the number 44. What’s more, when Nardelli would play football in the yard as a kid, his dad would call out “blue 44” before each play.
The chef: James Turner, a graduate of the Baltimore International Culinary College with an extensive résumé that includes five years as sous-chef at Bethesda’s Persimmon restaurant. Other gigs: the Tidewater Inn in Easton, Md.; St. Michael’s Harbour Inn and Marina; the Treaty of Paris and Harry Browne’s in Annapolis; the Ritz-Carlton in Boston; and the Monarch Hotel in Washington, D.C. The sous-chef and pastry chef is Quyen Vo, who worked with Turner in Annapolis.
Best bets: Despite the pub-like atmosphere, the best dishes here are the more upscale ones. A spectacular scallop special one night featured four huge mollusks sitting atop a risotto cake with a carpet of kale underneath. The texture and flavor contrasts of the slightly bitter veggie, the silken scallops and the crisped cake surrounded by a corn sauce reduction were terrific.
Equally sophisticated and satisfying was the bistro chicken, a pan-roasted half bird cooked with mushrooms, bacon, leeks, thyme, carrots and potatoes in an herb-infused sauce—a great choice with a robust wine on a cold day. Turner’s kitchen also does a nice job with a grilled hangar steak, cooked as requested to medium rare.
As for appetizers, I wouldn’t go back for the sweet potato biscuits with wild boar sausage and orange-and-pickled-pepper marmalade—those components didn’t mesh for me. Instead I’d opt for the sautéed calamari served over creamy, cheesy polenta and ringed with an herb-tomato sauce, one of my favorite dishes here. The fried oysters are also a worthy starter—as the menu promises, they’re plump and lightly fried.
Disappointments: I found the casual offerings (sandwiches, burgers and tributes to Nardelli’s Pittsburgh roots) less successful than the more serious food. The “classic Pittsburgh-style” pierogies sat on an Ohio River of butter, making the dough sodden and soggy. The Pittsburgh-style cheesesteak—served with the french fries and coleslaw stuffed inside—tasted like a big mishmash to me. (I’ll stick with Philly-style, and take my fries and slaw on the side.)
While it’s admittedly tricky to make a turkey burger with pizzazz, Blue 44’s was bland even with the additions of smoked provolone and mushrooms. And like so many restaurants, Blue 44 had trouble cooking a regular burger to the requested doneness, at least on the night I ordered one. It shouldn’t be that hard. If you’re a medium-rare person like me, a burger cooked to medium well tastes devoid of flavor and juiciness; here, only the blue cheese rescued it a bit.
Décor: The look is dark and pub-like, with black booths and black-tinted mirrors, and a faux pressed-tin ceiling that adds interest and detail. Photographs from the Chevy Chase Historical Society decorate one wall; old shots of downtown Pittsburgh hang on another.
Service: I had the same server for both meals here, and while she was perfectly pleasant, the staff might benefit from a little more training. She wasn’t well informed about the ingredients in various dishes.
Good place to go for: Dinner before a movie at the Avalon, lunch with friends after buying a birthday present at Barston’s Child’s Play.
Worth the parking hassle if you don’t live within walking distance? Yes.
