Polite Society brings civilized—but not stodgy—dining to Lafayette Square
Seasonal American fare with a cosmopolitan accent is served in a vintage parkside setting.
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Shrimp and grits: blackened Gulf white shrimp, cheese grits, soffritto, and lime crema
On one of several bookshelves in Polite Society sit Japanese cookbooks, birding field guides, a treatise on pressed glass. Eclectic and engaging, the book selection captures the place’s spirit. Take the trio of deviled eggs, the creamy yolk pillows topped with fried capers and russet globes of trout roe. Magnificent doorknob-size scallops glow with a lemon-pepper butter. A seared steak is elevated with a luxuriant foyot glaze, that meaty variation on a béarnaise sauce.
The atmosphere? Urban nostalgia cool, with the now-standard exposed brick, smooth concrete floors, and retro electric bulb lighting. It’s all spread out over three vintage storefronts with terrific views of Lafayette Park. The diminutive bar serves excellent, goofily titled cocktail concoctions, such as the Strawberry Manilow and Thai Fighter. It’s all friendly, relaxing without annoying informality. The name Polite Society comes from a sincere desire to create dinners featuring just that.
Begin with a tureen heaped with plump mussels in garlicky white wine–and–butter juices. Or try the chicken wings, rendered in confit fat and fried crisp, served with three sauces. A salad of root vegetables—golden beets, rutabaga, and carrots, all pickled—is bright and piquant. It would work nicely as a side for the main courses.
Ingredients in those courses change with the seasons and availability. All are familiar, yet presentations are refurbished rewardingly. Monkfish is roasted and surrounded with a dark lentil stew studded with salsify and turnip nibbles, giving the fish succulent, earthy tones. Chicken breasts are schnitzel-fied, the golden crust holding juicy, perfectly cooked meat.
Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
A thick shank of porky osso buco, the size of a cantaloupe, is braised, leaving the meat as tender as a baby’s kiss. Bean cassoulet and wilted greens add to the fun. A subtle seasoning enhances the lamb chops—the accompanying mashed boniatos are buttery, almost sweet. (The boniato, a cream-fleshed sweet potato variety, is going to be the next big starch sensation.)
Sides are affordable and delicious. Spätzle nubbins—properly spiced with nutmeg and served in Gruyère gravy—are mandatory. Blue cheese enlivens potato crisps. Herb-marinated olives (the accompanying “blistered” shishito peppers were limp and kickless) matched with pinot noir is a great way to finish things.
Is it polite? Absolutely, with proper service and an attentive staff. So go. With summer sliding away, take a stroll through Lafayette Park and watch the light fade over dinner at Polite Society.
Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
