It’s been almost five months since Ed Witt replaced Pedro Matamoros as executive chef at 8407 Kitchen Bar, and after having dinner there on Tuesday night (in the aftermath of the Silver Spring Metro fire), I can’t say the food was electrifying.
Some of it was good, like the smoked deviled eggs appetizer, sitting atop a lovely green pea puree, and pastry chef Rita Garruba’s desserts—such as the bittersweet chocolate torte—are still top notch.
But the two entrees I tried lacked polish. The seared scallops with curry, cauliflower, pickled carrots, golden raisins and pistachio brittle suffered from ingredient overload, and the components didn’t all mesh. And the “crispy” confit duck leg was on the flabby side, with dull beans and potatoes as accompaniments.
Our waiter, a chatty guy who had seen the Metro fire unfold from the second floor dining room, advised against the pasta with veal ragu when we asked about it, saying it didn’t compare to former chef Matamoros’ signature lamb Bolognese, a comparable dish.
Some of the more recent reviews on Yelp seem to concur that the place has had its hits and misses. Still, I’m hopeful that as time goes on, the hits will prevail.
8407 Ramsey Ave., Silver Spring, 301-587-8407, www.8407kb.com
