Agora
Thursday, June 24, 2010 at 09:00AM When Jack's closed for renovations at its former 17th street spot earlier this year, expectations were set very low for its updated incarnation. Jack's had been just more of the same in a row of mediocre-to-bad restaurants coasting by on the popularity of the neighborhood and their prime patio space - sure, we've got Komi and Sushi Taro, but I'm talking about neighborhood spots that you can wander to on a whim or on a budget. Angela and I had eaten at Jack's just once, for brunch, and had a very "meh" experience. But suddenly, the sign out front read Agora, and there were whispers of a menu filled with Turkish small plates. We were instantly skeptical. Would the new Jack's be like the old Jack's, only with a wardrobe change? We felt obligated to give it a try, cautiously optimistic that - if nothing else - it would satisfy expectations set by a very low bar.
Agora not only clears that bar, it vaults itself into an entirely different league. To say we were caught off guard is an understatement. Given our expectations, we were downright blown away.
I should take a moment to announce a slight conflict of interest. Do I have stock in Agora? Absolutely. This restaurant is across the street from our home and we wouldn't mind keeping it around for repeat visits. It's rare that I find myself eating at the same place twice, but Agora is the kind of place I can see myself unwinding at on a weekly kind of basis. The interior is a bit dark, but has been choicely remodeled with a nice bar, some exposed brick and a modern, moody, lighting scheme.
Our server was enthusiastic and helpful, even when some drunkies stumbled over from the bar, bypassed the host stand and sat themselves in her section. A manager came by to thank us for coming in and talked to us a moment about the wine program, which currently sports 150 bottles in house and is expected to expand to 500 in the near future. I thought perhaps it was our camera that caught his attention, but he seemed to be visiting every table that walked through the door. If there's a formula for making your establishment a fixture in a neighborhood, I vote that Agora's staff - after just a few short weeks in operation - already has it to a science.
We were also soon introduced to some fresh pita (below left) and olive spread for dipping. The staff kept our basket full of the delicious, warm and airy bread (I was especially impressed with the food runners, their smiles and friendliness. They were just a little more engaging and friendly than the norm, without being intrusive - a service point that, more often than not, goes ignored). As our cocktails (bottom right) arrived, we caught a whiff of the restaurant's creativity. How about a 'Fig Delight' which combines Tequila, Agave Nectar and Kumquat for a surprisingly mellow libation?
Even though Agora had made a very good impression thus far in the meal, there was still the matter of the food. The first of our small plates arrived, and I was pleasantly surprised. Our beet salad with lemon mashed potatoes, garlic, orange, savory herb, onion, and a lemon vinaigrette (below) boldly made its entrance to our table, flamboyantly announcing that this would not be the usual parade of borek, hummus, and baba ganoush. Each component of the dish was good on its own - the beets were sweet and cooked to a nice al dente, the little spoonfuls of mashed potatoes were smooth and flavorful, and the lemon vinaigrette was refreshingly tart. I was left a little undecided about how well the components of the dish actually worked together, but we were impressed with the rainbow of fresh ingredients and accepted the adventurous invitation to put them all together.
The Chef's Borek consisted of a crispy phyllo roll filled with goat cheese, savory herb and crushed peppers (below). The rich goat cheese on the inside had an unexpected but welcomed sweetness, as did the accompanying pepper mixture.
And on and on they came. The labneh was another beautifully composed dish made with strained yogurt, diced apples, and walnuts, and served with endive leaves (below). Its floral-like presentation was only half the fun. The sweetness and bitterness of dish, as well as the contrasting creamy and crunchy textures, played wonderfully together.
Wanting to give the restaurant's seafood options a chance, Angela ordered the grilled octopus, which was served with parsley, capers, and red onion, and lightly dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar over a bed of greens (below). The octopus was cooked perfectly - lightly charred on the outside, juicy and not the slightest bit tough on the inside. It had a nice smokey taste, and the red onions were even tolerable for Angela (who normally HATES red onions) since they were pickled.
With the Manti, a mini Turkish beef stuffed ravioli with garlic yogurt and red pepper sauce (below), we were served the first (if only very slight) disappointment of the evening. Perhaps our expectations had gone from 1 to overdrive in the first 30 minutes of our visit, but the tiny raviolis didn't taste all that fresh. More as though they'd been sitting around an extra few minutes before we tasted them. They weren't bad by any means, but definitely lacking the warm softness that a dish like this would need to be a complete success. The yogurt and flavorful red pepper sauce spooned on top helped though.
Our Cop Shish (below) on the other hand, came out very warm and ready to please. The charcoal grilled lamb loin was Raki-marinated and served with grilled tomatoes (Raki is the national alcoholic beverage of Turkey). The lamb was a little underseasoned, but as we continued to eat, we both arrived at the same conclusion: the meat was so tender and cooked so perfectly that it overcame any seasoning flaws.
The Sucuklu Pide (below) came next, offering us a wood-fired flat bread topped with spicy Turkish sausage and pesto. My first impression? Amazing. My second impression? If a Hot Pocket had been made with fresh, wholesome ingredients, was cooked in an oven instead of a microwave by a Turkish chef? It would taste something like this. As advertised, the sausage was actually spicy, so the green freshness of the pesto balanced it out nicely. And the bread itself was flaky, almost buttery, and delicious.
The pan-seared sweet breads (below) came with white wine and shallots. While you can never go wrong with tasty sweet breads, I wouldn't have minded a little more from this dish. Every dish prior had been so fancily decorated, yet these came across as very plain, and were almost too simple in their preparation (almost, but not quite bland). Even so, mediocre sweet breads are akin to having to pay taxes on lottery winnings. We polished off the plate with no trouble.
Agora offers only two desserts and I appreciate that they take what the Turks do well and stick with it. We got the Baklava (below) which was layered with an orange marmalade. It was as sweet and delicious as it looks in the picture.
Often with reviews, it seems customary to use 'I'd go back' or 'I won't go back' as a grading gauge. I'm sharing this with you because I really want Agora to succeed. I want it to flourish so this incarnation of the restaurant can continue to offer well-executed Turkish cuisine and stick around Dupont Circle for a long time. If it does well, then I will be able to keep going back. I just hope it doesn't do SO well that I can't get a seat.
D.C., Mediterranean, Turkish in Reviews: On The Town
Reader Comments (9)
G-d I love labneh. I've been unimpressed with the pides I've had, but the texture and color on the crust looks great. Thanks for making me seem "in the know" when my friends who live in that area asked "Hmm what's that, is it new?" when we walked by. Because of your tweets I was able to seem competent when I answered that yes, it was new, Turkish, and apparently delicious.
Hah! Glad to be of service! Relative to its 17th Street neighbors, this place is off to a really good start. And I've never had labneh before, but I LOVED it. It's like the perfect dish on a hot night. May try to make it myself, soon.
Wow Mark, the photos look amazing. I really can't wait to get out there.
Thanks Ali, I'd be curious to hear what a true Turk thinks!
I hear from our friend that this is the same owner as Jack's ... a Turkish guy who has brought his father over from Turkey to do the cooking. I absolutely can't wait to try it!
I actually didn't realize that! Thanks, WT! And when you do go, you should let me know - I may cross the street to join you!
we went last night after theatre at the Source because of Mark's review and because we were in Turkey this summer. I must say that my husband and I were very disappointed. Nice service, but we found our mezze disappointing, and the baklava, too! The Efes beer we drank all the time while in Istanbul and elsewhere was wonderful, but we wouldn't go back. We celebrated my husband's b-day at the end of August @ Corso, another new Turkish restaurant in Georgetown, and we liked what we ate more. Prices similar/good service/authentic/I'd give it a try. We'd go again to Corso.
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Barbara-
I'm sorry that you didn't have a good meal! Mark and I really enjoyed it a lot, but maybe that is due to our unfamiliarity with the cuisine, or lowered expectations (because the food at the previous incarnation of the restaurant was...not good), or both. I'm glad you found a place you like better, there's also a new place on the other side of Dupont Circle called Ezme, but I don't know anything about it.