Isla is the latest big win for Midtown Center, downtown’s buzzy dining hub for everything from Japanese (Shōtō) to Italian (Grazie Nonna), and now Caribbean cuisine.
Isla’s Lonie Murdock, a Canadian chef and restaurateur with Jamaican heritage , showcases
her island roots in style for her first-ever D.C. project that turns one at the end of the month.
Sink into a sleek tan couch surrounded by plants, use the soft palm-printed pillows as your armrest, and order like you’re on vacation, like my date and I did.
What to order
- Customers clearly had a craving for Isla’s whole fried snapper ($44) that night. At one point, I counted five (!) orders of the animated fish that’s plated upright next to bright escovitch vegetables being whisked away from the open kitchen.
- The Lobster Cook Up main – a meaty lobster tail placed over a creamy bed of Carolina gold rice and pigeon peas – reminded me of risotto. We each got one ($58).
- The mac pie is a creative take on the classic: a fried rectangular slab encasing elbow noodles is doused with a spicy yellow bechamel sauce. A heavy dusting of shaved Parmesan rounds out the indulgent dish that’s worth the calories ($15).
- The hamachi crudo is as gorgeous as it is good; creamy cucumber and soursop coulis, tobiko, and crispy ginger work well together in the bowl ($23).
- The lamb tartare (Murdock’s personal favorite from the start), features a pickled shrimp and Trinidadian green seasoning with a Jamaican sweet potato crema ($21).
- The Chocho slaw starter, a hit since day one, also isn’t going anywhere – the refreshing mound gets a fruity tang from guava vinaigrette and crunch from cashews ($19).
Best seat in the house
Any vantage point of Murdock and her team at work, where you can watch the fine-tuned symphony of fire-grilled branzino and oxtail patties coming off the line.
The look
It’s hard to remember this was once the home of Nick Stefanelli’s Pilotimo. No redesign details were spared, from an illuminated gold bar to luxe magenta furnishings imprinted with palms; but the most striking statement piece is right above you: a 10-foot shimmering pink chandelier reminiscent of Chihuly’s gorgeous glass work. Plating here is a work of art itself, and even the food’s outfits are stylish; starters like that crudo come in colorful crystal bowls that cast shadows on the marble table. In short, if Vegas and the tropics had a baby, this sophisticated, yet comfortable, dining room would be it.
The vibe
D.C. steps up its look here (there is a dress code), which makes Isla a good choice for a date, anniversary, or birthday. I spotted celebrity chef Carla Hall leaving whatever fabulous dinner party she was attending that night in a perfectly tailored suit.
Insider tip
Keep the night going with a five-second walk next door to Goodlove, its sultry sibling lounge overseen by glittery leopard prints that serves excellent cocktails at a bar lined with fringed lamps.
