Piece de Resistance

Elegance in Décor and Decadence on the Plate- Marcel’s Washington, DC

Pass beyond the cozy vestibule and through the heavily curtained entrance of Washington’s top-Zagat-rated restaurant, and you’re instantly at ease.  The light is gently dimmed, the colors are warm and soft, the fleur-de-lis and chanticleer motifs set the scene firmly in France; you are welcomed by the caring and practiced staff, and shown to your waiting table – or perhaps to a seat at the clubby wine bar. 

The overall impression is calm, elegant, uncluttered and comfortable.  It is a place that makes you happy to linger.  But once you’ve left, you may not remember the details of the newly renovated interior -- because it graciously defers to the spectacular dishes being served.

The walls and ceilings are the color of Dijon mustard mixed well with heavy cream.  The interior spaces are cavernous yet intimate, by grace of the gently vaulted ceilings, not too high, and by floors carpeted in a quiet pattern of leafy black vines winding over brown.  Between the main dining room and the rear dining room along L Street, a taupe floor-to-ceiling curtain drawn along a simple iron bar creates semi-private dining spaces, including one single private table, enclosed by yards and yards of the fluid drapery.  Across the windows, soft lace panels shield against the outside world; along Pennsylvania Avenue they are flanked by curtains in a subdued deep red-on-cream ikat pattern.  Light is shed by chandeliers and sconces in the Empire style.  The polished wood chairs feature comfortable curved neo-classical backs and red upholstered seats.  Burgundy leather banquettes form a pleasing anchor along the longest wall of the main dining room, surmounted by a row of handsome black and gold-framed mirrors. 

All the accent pieces have been chosen with care and restraint.  A pair of gilt ‘sunburst’ mirrors flanks the shallow flagstone steps leading up to the kitchen area – as if to announce “This is where the magic happens.”  Several handsome bureaus in an aged red finish serve as service areas, looking every bit as though they belong in the library of a tasteful friend who inherited some very good antiques.  On one sits a lacquered tray holding an arrangement of several Japanese iron teapots, tea canisters, and lidded Chinese tea cups.  Small but heavily framed oil paintings of barnyard poultry keep the interior from taking itself too seriously; they also celebrate the purpose of the space – Marcel’s, after all, is ‘secretly famous’ for its off-the-menu Roasted Farmhouse Chicken favored by Washington insiders.  

In the welcoming space of the wine bar, a gleaming baby-grand piano holds court at one end, and a wall of wine cabinetry grounds the other. Behind the bar, a broad mirrored expanse reflects the tables of an intimate seating area and the row of high-backed barstools – the one at the end rounding toward the kitchen bears a brass plaque inscribed with the name of Marcel’s most dedicated guest, who dines there regularly.  Elsewhere in the restaurant, a whimsical silver snail among the elegant table settings is all that denotes a particular reservation.

Robert Wiedmaier’s kitchen is no less attractive than his dining room at Marcel’s.  The vaulted ceiling continues over the service area, which is entirely open to view, and outfitted in old-school European charm, from the flagstone pavement to the grand copper hood, the island faced in the salvaged sides of vintage wine cases, the green-and-yellow checkerboard-tiled counter, and the half-wall of hand-glazed green tile below ‘the pass’ that conveys through to the kitchen several steps above.  There, the copper pots gleaming overhead are as hard used as they are decorative: each piece is hand-scrubbed after each use with a time honored blend of salt and lemon juice– about eight times every night, according to the chef’s best estimate.

This is where Marcel’s signature dishes are produced to perfection on a nightly basis, and the daily changing menu sees the constant creation of new wonders.  Perhaps it is the Flemish influence on the Belgian chef that keeps his elegant French fare from being too refined, too fussy.  It is comforting, welcoming, and, above all, special.  And each course, when it is presented at your table, will seemingly blend with the elegance that surrounds you and direct it to where your focus should be-the decadence of ingredients found on each plate. Who can resist?