The Avenue, Chevy Chase, Washington, DC

I was just talking to my friend Steve Bottorf about The Avenue on upper Connecticut Avenue. Our family seems to go there more and more often. Nancy and her buddies usually have dinner there whenever her movie group goes to the Avalon Theatre, Liza and Micheal take the kids there, and Michael goes there when he has to stay in town and work while the rest of us lie on the beach and eat bon-bons and crab cakes on the Bay. The Avenue cheeseburger, of course, is the stuff of legend, but Michael and Scott Hammons recently have veered over to the Avenue’s chicken wings. They’ve been raving about them.

So chicken wings were on my mind as Nancy and I went up there with Nancy’s niece, Lee Zdankiewicz. Lee had come to town to check on her mother, Lib Berry. Some of you will remember Lib as the former head of the Middle School at Holton Arms. Lib, Nancy’s sister-in-law, was in the hospital, and Lee drove down from Connecticut to help Lib with her transition out of the hospital. Lee, by the way, is an obstetrician/gynecologist.

The server came over with menus and took drink orders. I reflexively ordered some DC Rolls, which are egg rolls with a cheese-less cheese steak filling, if that makes sense, and a pot of delicious poblano queso for dipping or for smearing on the rolls. I love them, and always seem to dig in before I bother with pictures.

We discussed the menu, and Lee ordered a cup of the Corn and Crab Chowder with a Caesar salad. I didn’t photograph the chowder, which came in a tall white mug — a generous cup — but it looked like chowders look, white with lot of lumps of crabmeat. I did photograph the Caesar salad, which differs from my usual Caesar salad photos only by the absence of anchovies.

Lee fairly swooned over the chowder. A spoonful, and then “That is good!” A few more spoonfuls, and then “This is really tasty!” And so on.

Nancy ordered the Pan Roasted Salmon.  

The salmon had a honey mustard glaze and came with mashed potatoes and broccolini. The salmon and mashed potatoes were good as always, but the broccolini was an unexpected hit. You can see that it was chopped and tossed with sautéed onions. It also had char on some of the pieces. I’ve commented on the Avenue’s roasted green beans before, see here, and the broccolini shouldn’t really have been such a surprise. It’s not something I really focus on, but I can’t think of any place in the area that does side vegetables better. If you’re aware of a place, please let me know.

Lee’s mention of the chowder inspired me to order a cup, and I ordered the Buffalo style wings, rather than the Bay style.

I’m not a huge wings fan, although I eat them greedily when occasion calls. The meat on the drumettes is the least good meat on a chicken, tough and flavorless. The meat on the flapper is excellent, second only to the back, but it’s … a project to access. I really enjoyed these wings. I mean really enjoyed. The seasoning and frying were expertly done, and the crust was crisp and flavorful. The Buffalo sauce was just right. The frying and the Buffalo sauce elevated the drumettes, and once my hands were messy, I attacked the flappers with gusto. Michael and Scott were right. These are excellent wings. They just may be the best wings in the Washington area.

Lee was right about the chowder. It was very, very good, full of lumps of crabmeat and fresh corn. It had a chowder’s richness, but it wasn’t at all heavy. The Avenue is connected to a crab catering business, so their crab for crab dishes is always local. Indeed, a diner at the next table was eating steamed crabs, really big ones. He was very, very enthusiastic about it. The Avenue often has steamed crabs in season, usually out on their back deck, but I didn’t see them on the menu. You probably should call in advance to check on availability, especially as the season heads toward a close.

It was a fine meal and a good evening. It’s always a treat to see Lee, and it was especially good to find that Lib was on the upswing, fighting through. Nancy should be able to resume her weekly visits. There’s something about the Avenue that makes it perfect for getting together with friends you don’t get to see often. I wonder what it is, but it’s certainly there, part of what makes the Avenue special. Mostly, though, it’s the food. The crab dishes and cheeseburgers always stand out, as now do the wings, but it’s finally sinking in to me that the vegetables are also dependably great. You really need to go try some. And your mother was right. You need to eat your vegetables.

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