A Saturday night, the restaurant was packed with groups of young, attractive D.C-ers (J: I don’t think that’s a word. K: Even Shakespeare made up words. Just go with it. J: You ain’t no Shakespeare…). If it were merely the drinks, people watching, and ambience, the Fainting Goat would have been a pretty good spot.
That said, the Fainting Goat fell short. Its always a bit disappointing when a hot new restaurant doesn’t deliver. And with the availability of interesting ingredients, influences, and techniques, it is even more disappointing when it is the menu itself, not merely execution. Such was the case at the Fainting Goat.
We started with the ricotta toast points, which were reminiscent of the tea sandwiches inevitably served at those interminably baby showers (J: I also don’t think you can say that without alienating people. We officially lost our two readers. Thanks Moms.). A ricotta not all that distinguishable from cream cheese on sliced bread.
Moving on to dinner, there was not a single vegetarian item on the menu. The waiter offered to have the chef put together a dish, which consisted of a quarter plate of plain, boiled vegetables. For 20 bucks a plate.
The fault is as much ours as it is the restaurant’s. We are the ones with the dietary restrictions, eating at a restaurant that doesn’t cater to our kind. That said, we are just left with the feeling that there were so many simple ways to have done…better.