Urbana Washington, D.C.

I made a quick trip to D.C. last weekend for my friend's wedding.  My flight was delayed in Detroit so I missed a brunch reservation with another friend.  After dropping my bags at the Fairfax, I decided to find a lunch somewhere close.  The Fairfax dining rooms appeared to be closed.  Therefore, I started walking toward several restaurants near the Fairfax. 

The first one was Urbana and that was where I ate.  The restaurant appeared to be full but the bar was not.  I asked the hostess if I could sit in the restaurant's bar.  I often have sat at a bar especially a hotel bar when I have been eating alone. 

The defining feature of the dining room seemed to be the walls that were tiled in a dark green ceramic subway tile.  What struck me about the bar was the well-worn corners of the bar stools.  A vivid picture came to mind of a full bar with customers holding onto the corners while leaning over to give the bartender their order.  Or friends holding on and leaning down to speak to their friends on the stools.

The menu was full of standard lunch/brunch favorites of eggs, pancakes, and french toast.  I decided to get the shrimp.  The menu stated that it was "five fresh shrimp seared in a cast iron skillet with garlic olive oil and chiles, served with a salad of arugula, feta, and olives."  The arugula salad was great but it definitely got better as I ate my way to the warm wilty parts at the bottom of the skillet, where the greens and the other ingredients met in a heavenly combination.  Who knew arugula salad could be this good!

The bartender Eric was really nice, and he told me about their brunch special bottomless bellini.  Something I did not need right before a 3:30 p.m. wedding at the Cosmos Club.  The bride and groom were gorgeous and seemed very happy!