New Years Eve at Medium Rare: Steak & Champagne

When I asked Medium Rare's Mark Bucher about their New Year's Eve plans, I should have known he'd "go contrarian and not gouge people." After all, the Cleveland Park steak mecca didn't make their name on gobs of options... just doing what they do... really well.

Medium Rare

Medium Rare is offering their usual $19.50 set menu of rustic bread, mixed green salad and prime dry aged sirloin cap steak with hand cut fries. Want to kick it up a notch for the festive occasion, Bucher will throw in a bottle of Champagne and your whole tab will be just $40 per person (based on a party of two.)

My tip: Pace yourself and save room for their enormous, decadent classic America desserts like carrot cake, apple pie, hot fudge sundae, double chocolate fudge layer cake and New York cheesecake.

Medium Rare normally doesn't require reservations, but due to anticipated volume, will be taking reservations for New Year's Eve on Open Table or by calling the restaurant at (202) 237-1432.

Medium Rare is located at 3500 Connecticut Avenue Northwest, Washington. DC at Cleveland Park Metro.

TO DO: Christmas Eve Contest at Medium Rare

Christmas-ing in Cleveland Park and just gotta get out of the house? Head on down to Medium Rare in your WORST, tackiest, most ridiculous Christmas sweater and you could be a big winner (of food, not attention from the opposite sex).

Everyone donning Christmas themed sweaters will get free Egg Nog, but the worst of the worst will score a $150 in Medium Rare gift cards.

And if your entire family is the first one through the door wearing matching sweaters, Medium Rare will buy ya dinner:

Follow Medium Rare on Twitter for more fun deals and treats! Medium Rare is Cleveland Park's hottest steak joint, located at the 3500 Connecticut Avenue, right at Cleveland Park Metro. Check out their menu at http://mediumrarerestaurant.com/

Post-Thanksgiving Deals in Cleveland Park

Sick of turkey? Saunter up to Dino today through Thursday, December 1, 2011 and owner Dean Gold will celebrate the Cleveland Park restaurant's 7th anniversary with you by offering a $30 family style meal.

Risotto from Dino

(Kids up to $11 pay their age - did you know that's always the case at Dino?)

You'll get salad, soup and meatballs to kick things off. Then chicken with citrus, ginger and garlic, beef cannelloni and risotto. For dessert, you'll be served Dino's tiramisu and gelato.

And just like home, you can get seconds for no extra charge. So, pop by and see Dean and Kay. Wish them a happy anniversary and let them know how much we love having them as part of our neighborhood.

Dino is located at 3435 Connecticut Avenue NW (at Ordway Street), right across the street from Cleveland Park Metro. Follow Dean Gold on Facebook and Twitter. Reservations via Open Table.


MORE DEALS:

• Medium Rare is opening at noon for lunch with free Champagne for adults and free sundaes for the kids! (Also, they've got hot cider!)
• City Fitness is waiving initiation fee today and giving you an extra five weeks free (Lord knows we need it after all of that Thanksgiving food!)
• Cafe Deluxe is open for a rare Friday brunch.

Seen other deals, let us know in the comments or tweet em to @CPUptownGirl!

PREVIEW: Brunch at Medium Rare

I was graciously allowed an early bite today as Medium Rare, Cleveland Park's new steak frites bistronomie, put their staff through a dress rehearsal.

Brunch sticks to their simple menu theme and is affordable at $14.50. Each item comes with their soft-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside rustic bread and your choice of yogurt parfait (suprisingly good!), fresh fruit or salad. Currently, the brunch line up includes Steak Frites (with a poached egg if you so desire), Medium Rare Benedict (steak, portabello mushroom, poached egg, red pepper & hollandaise) or Egg Frites (three perfectly poached eggs topped with their secret sauce (gravy-ish) and fries. Those were all solid choices - and if you're a meat and potatoes kinda gal/guy, you are really going to dig this joint.

I'm not, but I still think I'm going to like it. (Vegetarian options nightly will include portabello mushrooms topped with red pepper and their secret sauce, plus frites)

First off, the staff was incredibly welcoming, gracious and astute. They rarely missed a beat and I already feel at home in the warm, chic space (Yanni, who?). I adore the red exposed brick walls, inviting windows and smart bistro tables. The bar invites you to pull up a stool for a glass of wine or pint of beer. And, the bloody mary was one of the best I've had in recent memory (if you are a horseradish slore like me, you'll go nuts on it).

Lastly, though in my book it might go first, desserts. We tried the carrot cake and the apple pie. I think my live tweet said it best: After I have my way with Medium Rare's carrot cake, I want to go home and spoon it. It's huge, so there's another serving in my fridge and I just might do that.

My only complaint was that the menu wasn't sourced. I like knowing where my ingredients come from and the staff couldn't tell me what farm their beef came from. Nerdy locavore question, I realize, but if I had one thing to improve upon that would be it. Either way, I'll be back for more.

As the sign on the door today says, "Show opens and lines form Monday March 28th, 5pm."

Bottom line: Check it out.

Medium Rare is at 3500 Connecticut Avenue NW at Ordway Street. Brunch will be served every Saturday and Sunday. It less than a stone's throw from the Cleveland Park metro stop. Make a reservation, follow them on Twitter and let me know what you think!


Disclosure: Part of my meal was complimentary as this was a dress rehearsal and the restaurant is not officially open. That said, it's worth the hard earned dollars in my bank account. ;)


Live in Cleveland Park, follow me on Facebook & Twitter for the latest happenings in the 'hood.

Sneak Peek: Cleveland Park's New Medium Rare Menu

I just walked by the cozy new Medium Rare space at Connecticut and Ordway and peeked inside. The exposed brick walls and cafe tables scream French bistro and the menus I saw on one of the tables reinforced it.

I had heard that Medium Rare was going to do steak frites and steak frites only, but part of me didn't believe it (maybe the part that doesn't really eat steak.) But, the menus show Rustic Bread, Salad and Steak Frites for a grand total of $19.99. Not half bad and I expect the steak lovers to flock.

For the rest of us, I hope they cobble together some sort of kick ass sides combo like Hank's Oyster Bar's market plate.

When it comes to dessert, Medium Rare won't be a one trick pony. I spied chocolate cake, ice cream sundae, carrot cake and cheesecake on the docket

So, what do you think, will DC support a single item menu? When it's the vision of Michel Richard, Brian Zipin and Mark Bucher, I suspect the answer will be yes.

Medium Rare is located at 3500 Connecticut Avenue NW, immediately outside of the Cleveland Park Metro stop. We Cleveland Park residents urge you to take Metro to this new hot spot as it's combat parking out there already! ;)