Siren Brunch

June 16, 2017 by Stephanie

Logan Circle

From the street, Siren doesn’t lure you in. It’s not until you enter the stunning navy blue and mahogany space connected to The Darcy hotel at Scott Circle that you fall hook, line, and sinker.

My friend, Lauren, and I took full advantage of the gorgeous leather booths and made ourselves at home at a glorious table near the bar and windows. Siren is connected to the newly renovated The Darcy and flows seamlessly from the hostess stand to the reception desk via a hallway of lush velvet couches and mirrors. This space would be perfect for a sexy date night.

The first thing you notice when you are seated is the beautiful, modern olive oil vats at each table. We learned they are filled with house-made olive oil made with lemon zest, ginger, mushroom, and star anise. Our pita took a little longer than normal to arrive, but that’s because it is prepared fresh to order. It was warm and crispy and absolutely heavenly with the olive oil, which was a beautiful blend of earthy and acidic flavors.

This is the type of brunch where a mimosa is just too basic. We couldn’t resist the cocktail descriptions, and I’m glad we didn’t because they ended up stealing the show. Perhaps the most memorable was the 2401, named after their sister restaurant, made with Bluecoat Gin, St. Germain Elderflower, arugula, simple syrup, lime juice, and an arugula sprig. It was refreshing and tasted like a sweet, but not too sweet, salad. It may have been the most unique—and brightest—brunch cocktail I’ve had to date. Lauren, who hates gin, said it was one of the best cocktails she’s ever had.

The Call of the Siren was another cocktail that we sipped on like mermaids. It comprised rosemary infused vodka, a splash of Prosecco, lime juice lavender bitters, and a cucumber wheel garnish. Otherwise known as all of my favorite ingredients in a coup.

Never one to pass up tuna, we started with an order of the big eye tuna with Kalamansi lime, sesame seed, wakame seaweed, macadamia nut, and avocado mousse. The presentation was gorgeous, almost too pretty to eat. We loved the creative presentation of avocado mousse in small cubes topped with sesame seeds. The photo of the tuna doesn’t do it justice, if you can imagine it was even more vivid and fresh looking in person.

The grilled octopus with Anson Mills grits, farm eggs, and confit morel mushrooms sounded too intriguing to pass up. It also happened to be one of the only egg dishes on the menu. We shared this plate and although wasn’t the most pleasing to the eye when it arrived, the flavor profile of creamy grits, eggs, and chewy octopus made it one of the most unique dishes we sampled. Sadly, after a few bites we couldn’t locate any more octopus. This was disappointing because that grilled octopus was damn good and for a seafood restaurant, we’d expect to have plenty.

The crab cake was heavenly and is vying for my best crab cake of the year. It had zero filler, was flaky, and fell apart with each bite. The celery root slaw added a creamy yet somehow light taste to each bite almost like a mayo would, and the razor thin potato crisps were the much needed crunch to an otherwise soft, albeit savory dish. I will go back just for the crab cakes alone.

Since we were at a seafood restaurant, we figured we might as well be adventurous and try the crispy soft shell crabs. They were some of the most enjoyable soft shell crabs I’ve sampled, with a citrus sauce made with tamarind jus and pickled green almonds. It reminded me of an orange chicken sauce you would find at an Asian restaurant.

As expected, this was a very seafood-centric meal, so we were ready to add a proper punch of sugar to our meal. We decided on one of the only sweet options on the menu, the buttermilk cinnamon waffle served with honey creme fraiche cream,and all the berries. The dish far exceeded our expectations when it arrived, the description did not do it justice. Instead, we would have suggested: “buttermilk cinnamon waffle: a waffle cream puff, topped with the freshest berries in all the land.”

We were spoiled, stuffed, and could barely walk further than the nail salon a block away on 14th street. So we wrapped up our glorious seafood odyssey and headed for a quick polish change. As mermaids do.

The Bitches say: A-. A posh, fancy-pants dining experience, with unconventional brunch items and a menu primarily focused on fresh seafood that arrive in creative, stunning presentations. Definitely a brunch to impress your date.

Siren
1515 Rhode Island Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20005

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Siren Brunch

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