Bistrot Lepic

Two splurges in one week, but in fairness our power went out yesterday afternoon after the wind toppled a tree in the neighborhood so we allowed ourselves a hardship premium when the only table we could find was in the more expensive downstairs dining room of this nice little restaurant.

I've always liked Bistrot Lepic and found it among the most authentically French of Washington's restaurants, but we had not been to dining room in at least a couple of years. It's quite small, charming, and not too loud because the decor softens noise and most of the patrons are even older than we are.

A special starter was calves' brain, which I've never had but decided this was the place to try it. It was very refined, nicely sauteed, with a soft interior even creamier than sweetbreads. There was, oddly enough, a slightly fishy taste, which may have been due to the capers. It was quite good and I'm glad I tried it, but I might hold out for sweetbreads the next time, or brains without capers. Andrea had a simple lentil soup which she liked.

My main course was grilled tuna on a chickpea crepe and it was fabulous. "It tastes like steak!" Andrea exclaimed when she sampled it (she's not a fan of most fish, tuna included, so this is high praise). Her braised veal cheeks with orecchietti that had to be homemade (by somebody) were also spectacular. The orecchietti had cream and cheese on them and were divine, nicely setting off the warm, meaty flavor of the braised meat.

Looking for a pinot noir, we took the waiter's recommendation to go for the Trimbach from Alsace rather than a cheap Burgundy, and it opened into a perfect accompaniment for both dishes.

Mini-bite bargains

Grazing is not the right word for our efforts to escape the high cost of going out by sampling places in a less expensive way than a full meal. Restaurateurs have recognized this need, and the vast array of small plates, medium-sized plates and gourmet hamburgers is designed to give customers the choice of small bites or large.

This past weekend we ducked into Palena for one of our favorite "bargain" meals -- Frank Ruta's gourmet hamburger, which has to be pure ground sirloin and which is so perfectly seasoned and grilled it remains as my favorite burger in Washington. It comes on homemade buns with a slice of melted cheese.

At the newly increased price of $12, it may not seem like a bargain for a burger, especially since you have to order any sides separately. We split an order of the Palena fries -- French fries, onion rings, "dauphine" potatoes, and some lovely deep-fried marinated lemon slices.

The burger and other less expensive dishes are available in the front of the restaurant, with the back dining room reserved for the prix fixe menus.

Another day, we stopped in at Bistrot Lepic's Wine Bar, upstairs from the restaurant that offers some of the most authentic French cuisine in the city. The decor upstairs is an odd but strangely tasteful mix of Tiki and French provincial, with a humorous series of wall paintings playing on a Bistrot Le Pig pun. I had the Bistrot Le Pig cocktail, a variation on a Planter's punch, and we split a small appetizer of fried goat cheese on a bed of greens. It was a pleasant, relatively inexpensive interlude on the way to a family meal.

Other bargain favorites are Lia's generous happy hour -- which features a great $5 burger and $8 pizzas and is all evening on Mondays and Wednesdays -- and just sitting at the bar at Dino, which has great drinks, free snacks and Dino's assortment of small and large plates if you want to eat.