Amy, Peter, Debbie, and I went to Cranes together.
This location was a Ruth’s Chris restaurant that was closed in December 2018 as they were starting the remake of the Public Library which is across the alley. The nearest Ruth’s Chris restaurant in D.C. is now located at 21st and L streets NW in Alexander Court.
Cranes is a Spanish/Japanese fare restaurant. (Shoto, in WW issue #200, is a Japanese fare restaurant.)
Debbie started with Spanish G&T gin/blueberry/basil/lemon/tonic
Peter and I had mocktails. Amy passed.
Peter had a Green Machine seedlip garden. Lime/cilantro/ginger
I had an Island Time – seedlip/spice/mint/pineapple/pomegranate/lemon
The restaurant offers a 10-course tasting menu for $118/person. We all decided against that option and instead opted for a la carte.
From the Tapas section of the menu, we selected:
JAMON IBERICO – grated tomato/cocoa bread/extra virgin olice oil
VEGETABLE TEMPURA – romesco/fresno pepper
SHRIMP TEMPURA – lime aioli/togarasi/nori
PATATAS BRAVAS – yuzu kosho ketchup/alioli/poppy seed
DUCK RILLETTE GYOZAS – chive/noisette vinaigrette
From the A La Carte section of the menu:
OCTOPUS – edamame hummus/sesame/quinoa
MUSHROOM RICE – shio kombu/scamorza/bubuarare
UNAGI PAELLA – white ponzu/smoked eel/snap pea/jalapeno allioli
From the Dessert section of the menu:
Debbie and Amy chose,
BROWN BUTTER CHURROS – black sesame chocolate sauce/miso caramel
Peter chose,
STRACCIATELLA MANGO CHEESECAKE – salted brown butter power/ finger lime/mango sorbet
Mike chose,
CHOCOLATE DE CABRA – goat milk ice cream/milk chocolate cremeaux
Cocoa candied rice puff/soybean power
Our server was Ashley. The service was fine early on but slowed down as the evening wore on and the restaurant became busier.
There is seating for 170 dining room and bar and there is a private dining space which can add 24 seats.
To access the restrooms, you walk up three stairs to another level of the restaurant but there is obviously another way to get there because I saw a person in a wheelchair being directed in another direction.
There are separate gender-specific restrooms.
As you enter the men’s restroom, to the right is a copper looking shelf which has inserted in it an oblong white ceramic wash basin with a mirror above. Next to this area is a wall-hanging urinal with a partial wall between that urinal and the wash basin.
Within this larger room, there is a separate room with a white ceramic commode hanging from the wall with various handicap bars on the walls midway up or a single bar going up the wall. And there is also a baby changing table…in the wall there is also a full-length mirror next to the door.
Cranes
724 9th St NW
Washington, DC 20001
202-525-4900