The Warehouse Bar & Grill, Old Town - Chef Chef Sert Ruamthong Serves up Steaks and Seafood

[weezy]

Dined at the Warehouse in Old Town tonight on their RW menu. I started with the she crab soup which was excellent -- rich, full of shreds of crabmeat, with a nice little spicyness to it. Friend got the crawfish & shrimp beignets and said they were fabulous -- and wouldn't let me have a bite, so I'm guessing they were damn near perfect. She followed with the lobster-crawfish-shrimp etoufee and I went the braised lamb shank with saffron risotto. I won round 2 -- the lamb was oh so tender and rich with melded flavors of onion and wine and who knows what, it was like eating savory meat butter. It overpowered the saffron in the risotto is my only quibble. Other than the color, that was a waste of an expensive ingredient. Friend thought the etoufee was fine but nothing special. I could see nice big chunks of seafood in it and it smelled nice, but I'll take her word on it. I'm not a fan of etoufee myself, as I think it works better in an appetizer size portion, because I don't think the flavor stays interesting thru a full bowl of it. Dessert, I won again -- she got a flourless chocolate pie wedge and I went with the creole bread pudding. The chocolate pie was very rich and dense but really too big a portion and kind of monotonous after a couple of bites. The creole bread pudding was made with a soft sweet bread with pineapple and currents and walnuts in it, served warm, with a thin rum sauce drizzled on and a little rosette of chantilly cream on the side.

It's an attractive, relaxed restaurant, cream colored walls, dark woods, many different levels and rooms, easy to talk even though it was bustling by the time we were halfway through dinner. Our waiter was attentive and charming but not intrusive and he got things right. Looking at the rest of the menu, most of the entrees were in the $25-$35 range, apps $9-$15, though a few things less expensive. So the limited RW menu was a good introduction to the restaurant and a good value.

[Kibbee Nayee]

Dined at the Warehouse in Old Town tonight on their RW menu.

Am I missing something here? The Warehouse in Old Town is now RT's?

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[split off from the RT's thread. Ed.]

Edited August 18, 2013 by DonRocks

[Escoffier]

Am I missing something here? The Warehouse in Old Town is now RT's?

Warehouse, RT's and another restaurant on King St. are all owned by the same group.

[Kibbee Nayee]

Lady KN and I were strolling Old Town on a nice Saturday afternoon when hunger and thirst struck. We scanned a few places and decided on the Warehouse. The outdoor seating and what appeared to be a seafood friendly menu appealed to Lady KN, while my eye caught the ambitious-looking attempts at authentic New Orleans cuisine.

We began with the oysters on the half shell, at six per serving/$11.95. These were big, succulent, meaty Bluepoints, and they were so good that we had four orders. And we could have kept ordering. And let's give credit to the shucker, there wasn't a hint of shell in any one of them.

Next came a bowl of seafood gumbo and a bowl of alligator stew, and we shared them. These were absolutely top-notch, with shreads of seafood studding a thick gumbo and small tidbits of alligator swimming in a bowl of sherry-infused goodness. In cooler weather, I would start with these two dishes on an inevitable return visit.

We were more than satisfied by our mid-afternoon snack, accompanied by a bottle of chardonnay.,,,,but the rest of that menu beckoned. There was the seafood omelet, the lobster Cobb, and plenty other temptations. I decided, with the help of our server, Brahim, that the crab cake had to be tried. He said it was the best in Old Town -- and from my experience, that wouldn't be a very high bar. Out came a split order of two cakes with fries, and I have to admit, these were very good crabcakes. Yes, they were 95% crab, at least, with the only noticeable filler being the seasonings, but the crab itself was only about 50% jumbo lump and about 50% shredded special crabmeat. But yes, it was nearly all crab, and yes, it tasted like a damn fine crabcake - and not a single hint of shell anywhere. The accompanying tartar sauce was really good. I could have dabbed it all over me, but I digress.

I like The Warehouse and will add it to my Old Town rotation. I can't wait to try it in cooler weather.

[DonRocks]

Warehouse, RT's and another restaurant on King St. are all owned by the same group.

Does anyone know the name of the group? The gentleman behind it is named Ralph Davis.

[monavano]

Does anyone know the name of the group? The gentleman behind it is named Ralph Davis.

RT's Restaurants.

[Escoffier]

The Wharf, The Warehouse, and RT's are the three restaurants.  The group (as Monavano said above) is called RTs restaurants (not to be confused with Arties which is owned by GAR)

[Kibbee Nayee]

I will give this group some credit for their Louisiana cuisine. Back in the '80s, the New Orleans Emporium in Adams Morgan was dishing the best of that cuisine, and since they closed, it has been difficult to find suitable replacements in our area. This RT Group -- I've only eaten at RT's and The Warehouse -- is not too shabby, and because Tunks spent significant time in New Orleans, Acadiana and the gumbo at PassionFish are also close to that New Orleans Emporium standard.

[ktmoomau]

Ate lunch here for a marketing meeting, which it is a good place for, although the service may have been a tiny bit overzealous.  I had the sesame encrusted salmon special that came with three pieces of avocado sushi, and a side salad.  The salmon was really good, the sushi was fine as was the salad. The bourbon pecan pie on the dessert menu is really tasty.  All in all was a pretty good lunch and a quieter place to have a meeting.