Saturday night in D.C. I wanted to meet up with some friends who live in the D.C. area. I figured it would be good for Angela to meet a few people that I already knew were decent and fun to hang with. We took the metro up north to U Street and walked a few blocks to Cafe Saint-Ex. You should also check out their listing here on the Washington D.C. menupages. Thank goodness for menupages!

Angela and I were a bit late, which perturbed the waitress I'm sure, but I tried to make up for it by ordering lots of drinks to boost her add-ons. Cafe Saint-Ex is a small bar on the corner of 14th and T Street, with a handful of tables for dining and a narrow bar. Another floor of Cafe Saint-Ex hosts Gate 54, a club with a rotating selection of DJ's. Must have been a popular one that night because the place was packed and loud! But I kinda like that on a Saturday night, makes me feel like I'm part of a big social event.

That evening, they were having a special price fixed menu. Any appetizer, entree and dessert was just $32. The deal gets even better if you dine before 7pm when the same three course menu is just $28. Considering the options on the menu, this was a pretty sweet deal, but I just wasn't that hungry. A few members of our party did partake in the special and I was jealous of their lovely looking mushroom soup and Wood Grilled Calamari served green beans, frisee, and basil-walnut pesto. But I had two #9's so I was happy. The above picture shows Andy's entree, the prime rib. It was served with roasted fingerling potatoes and grilled lemon pesto. Lynda's husband, Michael, also enjoyed this entree for dinner.

Both Kim and Lynda had the Fried Green Tomato BLT. Applewood smoked bacon, tomato mayonaise, mixed greens and the green tomatoes were served on toasted brioche.

I suprised myself by ordering a cheeseburger. But I was lured in by the promise of humanely produced beef. My Smith Meadow Farms Grilled Burger was made with virginia grass-fed beef and then topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, blue cheese, and bacon, and served with a side salad dressed with white balasamic. Yum!

I assured Angela that she would like Mahi Mahi, so she ordered the Costa Rican Mahi grilled with lemon and served with barley pilaf.

I did indulge in dessert! While numerous options were available, we all ordered the mocha chocolate torte. Layers of chocolate cake, doused with Kaluha, then covered with ganache and served with cinnamon whipped cream. Very chocolately and delicious.

In sum, this place was a great pick for dinner (thanks Andy!). Their menu changes often to reflect sustainable, organic and local products whenever they are available, and I totally can get on board with that.

Café Saint-Ex
1847 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
202.265.STEX (7839)

Lunch: Tues-Fri, 11am-5pm
Brunch: Sat-Sun, 11am-5pm
Dinner: Daily, 5pm