Willowsong serves worthwhile dishes on Washington DC's expensive waterfront
Generous portions and spice blends are highlights in this pricey neighborhood, where the local sea bass and shredded crab are worth every penny.
Chef Jeffrey Williams, with a long history in the kitchen, brings seafood and local produce to the Willowsong restaurant at the InterContinental Washington DC. He travels to nearby farms, and his upbringing in the area and his West Coast experience are reflected in seafood dishes with creative spice blends.
Seared local sea bass and succulent half-chicken are safe bets, though the more experimental dishes are the real highlights of the menu. The restaurant offers views of the southwest seafront.
The fresh milk bread with miso butter, brown honey, and salmon roe ($12) is the go-to starter, and it's an exquisite way to begin a meal, bursting with umami flavor. The hamachi tartare ($25) combines fiery chili oil, preserved lemon, and a blend of furikake, sumac, and paprika, served with fries alongside raw fish and cashews. The same spice blend coats the crispy shrimp and calamari.
The pasta dishes are also noteworthy: duck with puttanesca sauce, or crab and squid ink orecchiette with olive oil and citrus ricotta. The Cresto di Gallo ($35) combines garlic mascarpone, slow-cooked and seared oxtail, broccoli rabe, and roasted tomato, which lightens the otherwise hearty dish.
Happy hour is one of the best in the neighborhood, which is notoriously pricey. It offers jackfish tacos ($10) and Brussels sprouts with capers on tostadas ($10), which can be served as a main course, along with Aperol Spritzes or margaritas on tap ($13 each). It's served from 4 pm to 6:30 pm on weekdays and until 3 pm on weekends, either on the floating shelves of the central bar or on the patio by the waterfront.
It's a place for a luxurious romantic date or a gala dinner after an afternoon strolling along the picturesque seafront.