Rogue24 - a 2014 James Beard Award semifinalist


Rogue24 was the  final stop in the search for local  2014 James Beard semifinalists.

 I'd  heard how hard it was to obtain a reservation, and was glad to reserve a seat early on a Sunday evening.  Two days before I received call a call from Rogue24. The chef was going out of town  Sunday so restaurant would be closed. Would I come in on another evening?  Stuart, the restaurant manager rescheduled my reservation to two days later. Bonus: I was upgraded to premium wine option since the restaurant  cancelled the original dinner reservation.

I walked slowly to Rogue24's entrance. I'd read reviews about diners being admonished for taking photos at the restaurant and made a mental to ask if photos without flash was permissible.  Despite my slow paced walking I still arrived on a few minutes early.  Stuart greeted me and guided me  immediately to my table.


Rogue 24's open cooking area

Rogue24 is a converted warehouse space that still has exposed brick walls and a very high ceiling, but the decor encourages diners to relax and enjoy the space. Soft rock music plays in background.

My server confirmed I opted for the 24 courses and beverage pairing as well as the food allergies I had disclosed to Stuart. Rogue24 also offers 10 course and four course options.

Courses 1-7: kumo oyster, hackleback caviar, tapioca puff , smoked sable, duck blood lavash, beer yeast meringues, popcorn marshmallow. I enjoyed  all the small bites except the popcorn marshmallow. I think the texture of the marshmallow did not appeal to me.



Courses 1-7: small bites

First drink: vermouth, campari, grapefruit bitters, Ford's gin



The beverage pairing begins with a lovely cocktail

 Course 8:  Char roe, sauteed onions, foam served in egg shell with top removed. I loved the unique presentation and liked the combination of ingredients.



Char roe

 Second drink: Andre clouet  champagne

Course 9: swordfish belly , blood orange, fennel, truffle. Tender, delicious.


swordfish belly

Course 10: grilled foie gras, parsnip espuma, almond shortbread. Granny Smith apples are used. Delicious. Nice presentation. The parsnip and apples were added just a touch of sweetness to this savory dish.




grilled foie gras and almond macaron

Third drink: white Burgundy  Green notes, but has long, dry finish. I asked Stuart about the rationale behind selecting this wine (it is infrequently offered to diners).  I discovered that Stuart as well as the server for my table were  working on obtaining their sommelier certification.  The certification process can be long and not everyone completes the training. In addition, the number of female sommeliers has been low historically, but that is changing.




Nantucket bay scallops

Course 11:  Nantucket Bay scallops, lemon zest, microflowers , touch of coconut. Delicate looking, but  substantial and a surprising combination of flavors.









Course 12: Fluke, brown butter emulsion, spinach puree, fluke pudding. Served a proper fish knife!  I don't think I've eaten fluke before. I now see what I've been missing and made a note to try it again in the future.



Fluke

Course 13: Salisify with ice lettuce and ice seagrass. Good vegetarian dish.


salsify

Drink four: Belgian style ale from California. Pale orange color, caramel notes. Best served cold. At warmer temps is not impressive.


Course 14:  Pigtail donuts. Puff covered in 'sugar' from bacon fat, filled with tender meat mixture accompanied with fruit puree. Jerusalem artichoke, cippolini onions, artichoke puree. Okay dish.



pigtail donut

Drink five: merlot, cab franc '04 combination. It has a cinnamon nose. Dry with. Mild to medium tannins.  My server says it has a short shelf life.

Course 15: araucana cured yolk. Potato puree, egg yolk, garlic crisp on top. Garlic crisp is good. Overall dish is cute, looks like sunny side up.  It would be my first choice..

araucana cured yolk

Course 16:Buckwheat gnocchi, green onions, jam puree broth. Underwhelming. The gnocchi tastes like the dough has been kneeded too many times - tough and a bit chewy.


Buckwheat gnocchi

Course 17:  Shenandoalh lamb neck. Terrine of lamb neck , puree, pepper jelly, yogurt, pepper jelly. Jelly is sweet, lamb is warm, tender. I like the colorful display

Shenandoah lamb neck

Course 18:Black morel mushrooms. savory. Tender, meaty ground pistachio, almond. Another good vegetarian choice.

 Course 19: Squab leg, rutabaga, squab roux. Roux tastes a but like molasses and pairs well with the well seasoned squab. Very good. Some of the best squab I've ever eaten.  



Squab leg

Drink six:Vinzanto, 2002.  Strong raisin note.

Course 20: Black sesame cake, coconut snow,yuzu  The dense black sesame cake is satisfying, but not too sweet.



black sesame cake

Course 21:Orange cake with elements of honey, ginger and lavender. Light and luscious.



Orange cake

Course 22:chocolate: cherry pistachios, sage. The chocolate is smooth,



chocolate covered cherry

Course  23- 24:Box of chocolates - small bites to end the evening.  All chocolates made in house. I really liked the raspberry square

 

 

The bathroom is clean and tidy. Guests are provided cloth hand towels to dry their hands - a very nice touch.

I felt sated when I left, but not uncomfortably full. However, I could see how someone bigger than me might still be hungry because the courses are tastings, not a full meal.

The entire staff works as team to  ensure dishes are delivered and removed in a timely manner. The team encourages questions and is happy to educate diners.

An evening at Rogue24 can be expensive. I think Rogue24's dining format is best suited for adults. Reservations are recommended and can be made through Open Table

Rogue24 is located is located on an Blagden Alley in the Shaw section of DC. The Alley can be accessed from M or N streets.  The closest metro stop is Convention Center. Street parking (zoned, permit and metered) is available.

I look forward to visiting Rogue24 again in the future!

.
Technicolor girl


eating implement for a course