Kith/Kin

It's been a large hard march (and many a meal) to try and find a good veggie place at the Waterfront.  Pretty though the setting may be I have been plagued by average, overpriced food and one too many dishes advertised as veggie which were clearly not (leading to unfortunate post-meal moments).  Kith/Kin was one of the better expensive restaurants but didn't knock it out of the park.  Like the other upscale places this restaurant has a stunning view and an elegant interior.  The menu is limited and changes frequently, a series of so-called "small plates" representing the chef's Afro-Caribbean roots with a good amount of haute cuisine skills applied.  The food is creative and downright photo-worthy. 

The good news is that the "small plates" aren't really that small.  I ordered three, thinking they were tapas sized, and ended up taking home a doggie bag.  I went at lunch as their veggie offerings seem more plentiful at lunch than dinner.  I was thrilled to be seated at a table facing the window rather than a defacto placement at the bar (often where singles are dumped).  They had 15 dishes, four of them listed as "vegetarian and/or can be made vegetarian".  The waiter was skilled but showed more attention to a table of young pretty women nearby than to me -- asking them perfunctory questions which he omitted when serving me (as in, "any dietary restrictions we should be aware of?" and "is that all or would you like to see our coffee/dessert menu?")  That being said my water glass was consistently refilled and the bread (served from a waiter walking around with a basket and tongs) was outstanding.  A kind of sweet Hawaiian-style roll.  Super-soft and very buttery. 

I began with the Brussels, which turned out to be my favorite dish.  I've grown a bit tired of Brussels Sprouts at ~every~ restaurant but Kith/Kin refreshed my love of them by creating something unique and unexpected.  The Brussels Sprouts here come bathed in chili honey and lime, which were a rather amazing balance of sweet, spicy and tart.  This was followed by the Cucumber and Avocado.  Again, Avocado is overused these days but this dish mixed the familiar fruit with nicely crunchy cucumber, a super-tart sauce (poured on at table-side) and the surprisingly sweet goose berries (thought they were cherry tomatoes until I bit into one).  The Asian Pear, listed, was absent and the puffed quinoa was minimal but it didn't matter much.  The dish was great.  Last up was the Everything Carrot Salad, which was the least-impressive of the bunch.  The carrots were intentionally cold (not great on a cool, wet day) and, while they had been blanched to al dente, were fairly flavorless.  The pine nuts created additional crunch but no seasoning.  The Habanero Vinaigrette was the best part of it but pushing around the carrots trying to sop it up didn't work very well. 

For dessert I had the Tamarind Pecan Pie.  Again, an interesting combination of flavors and textures which were each good but it didn't, in my mind, come together in a cohesive way.  I liked the Banana Gelato yet the pie was pretty standard.  The crust was so hard I nearly broke the plate trying to cut through it and worried about tooth damage as I chewed it.

Bottom line:  I appreciate the effort to have veggie offerings, especially at the Wharf, and the food was nothing if not conversational.  However, an $84 lunch, with tax and tip, was a bit much for a couple of good plates.  Would go back with a group but not a place I will be seeking out on my own.

Upscale Chef Inspired Afro-Caribbean
801 Wharf Street, SW
https://kithandkindc.com/