Restaurant Review: Matchbox in Washington, D.C

This weekend my friend and I went to another great restaurant near the DC Navy yard. It was a very cute and small, yet intimate place located on 8th street near some cosmopolitan bars and bistros.The service was beyond excellent and the waiter was overtly attentive; he is possibly the best waiter that I have had thus far. Their tables were laid out quite nicely with tiny matchboxes as their center decor etched into the table; hence the name: Matchbox. The menu consisted of two pages with an assortment of great appetizers, mixed drinks, and fabulous entrees. The wine menu and dessert menus were not on the entree menu, but more on those in a moment. My friend and I decided to go for a light dinner which turned out to be great since the day was beautiful and it was nice to be out and grab so great food.

We decided to share dishes which was a great idea because the portions were fairly reasonable for two people. We started out with drinks, and then we ordered an awesome appetizer. Lobster risotto with parmesan cheese, and Pecorino Romano with sweet peas. The lobster was cooked so delicately, which still made the meat sweet and juicy. The flavors of the sharp cheese and fresh lobster made for a great contrast. It awakened my taste buds and I could not wait for the entree.

The entree we decided to share was exceptional;we decided to get grilled romaine lettuce with hanger steak which we had cooked medium well. This was a fantastic dish with a unique assortment of flavors. There were croutons, hard boiled eggs, Romano cheese all mixed nicely with the caesar dressing. The lettuce had been grilled and you could taste the smoky flavors mixed with it's own seasonings. The steak was very tender and it had very simple seasonings, the age old favorites: salt and pepper. The entree was great and very filling, but there was still enough room for dessert.

This had to be my favorite part of the meal because there is nothing like ending a marvelous dinner with a mouth watering dessert. The dessert we tried was named the trio. A fabulous three part dessert that tied into each individual item. The first was a trio of sorbet with vibrant colors with a hint of mint. The flavors included mango, sweet strawberry, and a vanilla coconut. The second dessert was a molten chocolate cake topped vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate and caramel drizzle and a crispy chocolate piece of candy plated quite nicely at the top of the cake. The last item; which just happened to be my favorite was the cinnamon and sugar rolled donuts and the sweet espresso coffee shot. They were all excellent desserts; and we both enjoyed every last dish.

This is a great little place to go if you want some good food and you just want to relax; it is a bit upscale yet it wont break your bank account. It is a definite must try.



Appetizer: $6-17
Entree: $14-28
Location: 8th Street Washington, DC
Number: 202-548-0369
Website: matchboxchinatown.com

Compiled by Kisha