The Prime Rib, Washington, D.C.

Well, today is the last day of Restaurant Week 2008 ("restaurant month" for those that extended), and it's been a fun run. For my last special lunch, I went with my friend Peter to The Prime Rib in the West End. The Prime Rib is always a nice, elegant place to lunch, and it is the only restaurant in town that still maintains a dress code requiring gentlemen to wear both coat and tie (a couple of others require just a coat). As I've mentioned before, it's decorated in ornate blacks and golds and has a grand piano in the middle of the dining room with a pianist playing lounge music—very early 1960s.

The last time I was at The Prime Rib was actually Restaurant Week in January 2006 (I had to look it up), and the menu was virtually identical. Peter and I both started with the house salad, a very tasty chopped salad with lots of egg and bits of pepperoncini dressed with a dijon mustard-scented, mayonnaise-based house dressing.

Peter chose to pay the $4.00 upcharge to have their luncheon size prime rib for his entrée. If what he got was "luncheon size," I'd hate to see what they bring for dinner! The slab of beef covered a large, oval plate. Of course, prime rib is their signature item, so it's always good. I might note that an RW-style special with the prime rib is always available here at lunch for $25.

I stuck with the RW plan and got the crab imperial. I got a good sized serving of sweet crab meat, very lightly sauced, baked in a large scallop shell. Peter and I were each both brought the same side dishes in little individual-sized au gratin casseroles, one with mashed potatoes and the other with some exceptionally delicious, bright green, lightly creamed spinach. One of the things I like about this restaurant is that they don't overwhelm their dishes with sauces and fillers. Both the crab and the spinach could have been filled with all kinds of cheap fillers, but in both cases, they used a lot of the main ingredient and let the virtues of that ingredient shine through.

For dessert, Peter got the key lime pie, and I got the crème brulée. My crème brulée was very nicely done, and I was very pleased to note the sugar crust was warm while the underlying custard was cold, so the sugar was freshly broiled (or, more likely, propane torched) immediately prior to serving.

The one service faux pas of the day occurred at dessert, when the waiter initially brought me a key lime pie (I'm certain I ordered the crème brulée at the beginning of the meal), but the problem was immediately rectified. Otherwise, the service here is formal, dignified, and efficient.

The Prime Rib is a lovely restaurant, albeit an expensive one. It's an excellent, dependable location for those special "meals to impress" or anytime one wants a big piece of meat elegantly served.