Macon Bistro, Chevy Chase, Washington, DC

Charles Bell, our financial advisor, recently came up from Raleigh to see us for one of his periodic visits. After we’d talked finances for a while it was time to eat, so we walked up to Macon at 5520 Connecticut. Since it was a lovely evening, we sat at an outside table where we talked about fly fishing and the Levon Helms studio/concert venue in Woodstock, New York. In due course, we ordered.

First to arrive were the four complimentary biscuits that Macon currently offers every Wednesday. (On Mondays Macon’s burgers are half price, and on Tuesday a glass of wine is half off — and in addition they also have Happy Hour prices.) Washington is not really biscuit country, but these biscuits were very good, I mean good enough to have been cooked below Richmond. They came with butter and pepper jelly. Yes!

Next came deviled eggs ($8) topped with bacon crumbles and with roasted red pepper mixed into the yolk. We all agreed that they were exceptional, even by the lofty deviled egg standards.

On to the entrees. Charles ordered coq au vin ($28).

Charles didn’t mention the dish, so I can’t say much about it. I think I’ve had one there before and liked it, but I can’t say for sure, as I never wrote it up. Feel free to chime in.

Nancy chose two vegetable sides, haricots verte almandine ($9),

and ratatouille ($10).

She especially liked the ratatouille, as I can tell because she ate it all and never offered me a taste. She also enjoyed the green beans, but the portions were large enough that she was full before she finished. I graciously finished the beans with pleasure in the flavors and the mix of textures.

I was still struggling with the aftereffects of the Homeric Cincinnati Roadfood Crawl, and I had enjoyed — really enjoyed — lunch at Corned Beef King earlier in the day. So I decided to order something light, and chose a Salad Nicoise ($23).

As you can see the tuna did not arrive rare — a problem Marc Rosenbaum ran into at Le Chat Noir during our recent lunch and, for that matter, other dishes all over the place. The inner pieces were more rare

but not really rare. I was forgiving, like Marc, and enjoyed the tuna and the rest of the salad. The salad was beautifully dressed, and in addition to the very fresh vegetables, it included a generous number of very large caper berries. You can see one peeking out of the left hand side of the salad. I’m a devoted fan of caper berries, and capers, too, for that matter. And I like Niçoise salads. I also like the sandwich version, the pan bagnat, and I would love to find out where I can get one in the Washington area. Please.

It was a fine meal. The weather and the conversation were delightful, and there were some standout dishes. I can’t get over the biscuits. Macon has always seemed pricey to me, but the Happy Hour prices and specials are a considerable help. These are hard times for restaurants in particular, as you know well from the fate of Blue 44, a neighborhood treasure. Restaurants are like that — you use them or lose them. Give Macon some trade and have a fine evening.

***

And while you’re at it, click “follow” on our front page to receive blog posts in your email box. Or bookmark us and check in from time to time. We’re on Instagram (johntannerbbq) and Twitter (johntannerbbq1), and if you’re planning a trip, you can “Search” the name of the destination city, state, or country for good restaurants (in Europe, often close to sites, like the Louvre, Prague Castle, Vienna’s Old City, or the Van Gogh Museum, that you’ll want to visit in any event.  We welcome comments and questions, and eagerly seek suggestions of places to eat and stories to cover.