Johnny’s Half Shell, Washington D.C.

Location: 400 N. Capitol St. NW,
Washington, D.C. 20001

This past Thursday the company I work for hosted a celebratory dinner at a well-known Seafood restaurant right near the Capitol building. Looking back on the event, I remember visiting the website ahead of time to see what the menu was like, and the two experiences simply dont match up. The website gives a very “mom & pop” feel to the restaurant, with a very unpretentious look. Not to say the atmosphere in the restaurant was incredibly snobbish, but it was certainly the type of place you would feel out of sorts without a sports jacket, or similar semi formal attire. The crowd itself seemed to be a mix of well-to-do families and executive level business professionals.

The outside of the building is very unassuming, but once you step inside you are immediately transported to a world of adornment and well planned architecture. Directly across from the front door is the central hub of the restaurant — the bar. Well lit and with a large, tropical fish tank in the background, the bar is fairly large, with room enough for about 30 – 40 people to be seated along its L shaped length. Across from the bar to the right and the left are mini dining areas, with stand up dining available. Behind the bar and to the left is what seems to be a convertible private dinning room. By convertible I mean that one wall is made up of retractable glass panels. When open, they look down over the main dining room (where we were seated) and when closed, completely remove the room from the atmosphere and bustle of the establishment. I heard tale of more private rooms down a level, but I didnt get a chance to check those out.

Now for the food. Ill begin with my cocktail from the bar. I ordered a Stoli Raz and 7-up (something Ive ordered a million times) and the bartender simply couldnt comprehend what I was trying to say. Finally, I spelled it out for him (Stolichinaya Raspberry vodka with 7-up) and was then informed that they only kept orange around. Although I thought that was odd, I just told him to use orange instead. What I received was 7/8ths vodka, 1/8th soda. Some people might prefer it that way, but I certainly wasnt trying to get drunk, so I was slightly perturbed. To me, logic might imply that if I wanted to taste just alcohol, why would I have bothered with the 7-up? Anyway, we only had time for 1 drink before being seated for dinner.

Our appetizers were pre-ordered and arrived shortly after the bread and wine that was served. I cant quiet recall the name of the white wine I had, but it was splendid as long as you like your white wines sweeter rather than dry. The appetizers themselves consisted of mini crab cakes, which were fried rather than boiled, and large portions of the Chicken in Creole Etouffee Sauce. The crab cakes were explosions of large lump crab meat, minimally seasoned to accentuate the taste of the crab. The chicken arrived a little cold, and with overcooked rice, but the sauce over the chicken (and the chicken itself) was delicious.

For my entree I selected the Black Sea Bass which was grilled and served with red pepper chili flake oil, Carolina black rice and chick pea salad. The flavor of the fish was quite mild and very tasty. There was no hint of this fish being anything less than incredibly fresh. The sauce provided was on the side of the fish, and was actually somewhat unnecessary. It provided a great aesthetic contrast with its bright red color, but it lacked any sense of taste or heat and didnt really add any interesting dynamics when paired with the fish. The black rice and chic pea salad was tasty if not also a little bland. For purists, who would prefer the fish to be the main attraction of this dish, the combination worked well. For me, the fish was excellent, but should have had a good supporting cast. My final criticism would be the temperature upon arrival. Although I acknowledge that we were a party of 14, I cant help but feel that throughout the meal food arrived unacceptably luke-warm.

We capped off the meal with some desserts to share. Among those selected were the Crispy Chocolate Napoleon with poached pears and the Banana Pudding. The chocolate Napoleon was heavenly. Bitter chocolate, sandwiched between thin dark chocolate wafers, and topped with poached pears proved to be a wonderful combination. And it arrived warm. The Banana Pudding was also splendid. The right mix of bananas, crust and custard were masterfully combined and well presented. My only regret was that I didnt eat more.

In summation, Johnny’s Half Shell provides an inviting yet sophisticated atmosphere perfect for important family or business events. The restaurant has great atmosphere but achieves it without loud music or annoying clientèle. For a smaller party, I imagine my temperature issues wouldnt have surfaced. The seafood is fresh and tasty, and is certainly the star of the dish. Prices vary, but do not top $28, a surprising twist for a fancy city hot spot.

Enjoy!