Plum Bistro

Given that I’m generally such a carnivore, I wouldn’t normally choose a vegetarian restaurant unless brought along by someone who doesn’t include meat as a part of his regular diet. Such it was that I found myself at Plum Bistro on a recent Saturday night, another spot in the especially great restaurant-heavy south end of Capitol Hill. I had been curious about Plum Bistro since it opened last summer, as it shares an entrance with another favorite, Osteria la Spiga, as well as the high ceilings and exposed wood beams of its neighbor.

We started with a couple of cocktails, the nicely warm Lemon Ginger Hot Toddy (Maker’s Mark whiskey, housemade ginger syrup) and the Plum Drop (vodka, muddled red grapes and limes, triple sec, raspberry liqueur, splash of red wine).

I was impressed with the entrees: Cornmeal-Encrusted Seitan Steak with a white mushroom gravy, thyme-roasted new potatoes and sautéed red chard, and particularly with the Quinoa Sliders, a sloppy joe-style millet and quinoa blend with grilled sweet onions, spring greens, tomatoes and lemon basil aioli with roasted potatoes.

I’m pretty sure that I’m not ready for an entirely meatless existence, but a return visit to Plum Bistro will be a good reminder of how fantastic vegetables and grains and all-around fresh, organic ingredients can be.