Good Neighbor Moderate Prices, Excellent Food Make Dupont Grille Welcome Addition by Rachel Hunt and Stephen Qualiana What ìneighborhoodî means in Washington may not be the same as what it means in Baltimore. Dupont Circle is one of the few areas that does have the feeling of real neighborhood, in the tradition of Baltimore, which should be applauded in this often sterile, all-business burg. Restaurants that encourage this neighborliness are to be doubly applauded because so many others aim their sights at the transient, whimsical tourist and commuter crowds. Dupont Grilleóon New Hampshire Avenue in the north part of Dupont Circle and across the street from the back entrance of Kramerbooksówants to be a good neighbor. You would never know that it is located in the Jurys Washington Hotel, until it is time to visit the well-appointed restrooms in the hotel lobby. The restaurant, which recently opened, is a finely and meticulously designed space, with lots of attention paid to details such as the harvest gold, black and white color scheme in the main dining room, which uses a Mandarin-inspired wall design that carries over to the furnishings as well. Although Dupont Grille has two smaller, traditional dining r ooms, the long rectangular main dining room is one of the more interesting restaurant spaces that weíve encountered lately. The street side of the dining room is a long glass wall composed of eight floor-to-ceiling glass panels that when swung open give the dining room the feeling of an outdoor cafÈóof course, without the worry of being rained on. Although there are also sidewalk tables outside, they seem to have gotten little use in this monsoon-like season. The dining room is very comfortable, modern and chic with lots of 1960s retro touches, such as the black leather booths. The atmosphere was rather noisy, talkative and friendlyóthe way a neighborhood restaurant should be, where people come to meet and talk over a moderately priced meal. The appetizers were served on oversize white oval plates. Presentation was definitely a consideration in the kitchen. The flash-fried squid ($8) consisted of small, tender rings in a very light batter, topped with lemon zest and served with a homemade tartar sauce. The squid was so good that it should serve as a model on how to prepare this dish. Also very attractive was the tequila-cured salmon ($10), served with three mini-corn blinis, sitting in pools of crËme fraiche and olive oil. The blinis were stacked with shaved fennel slaw, the delicate salmon, and topped with black caviar. The dish was a great combination of flavors and textures, some familiar, some unexpected. The beef confit spring roll ($8) was served with a luscious sun-dried tomato chutney and basil dressing. This dish was a variation on an Asian favorite, with the crunchy deep-fried spring roll stuffed with a finely textured sausage-like beef filling. The house chopped salad ($8) was probably the weak link in the food chain we sampled at Dupont Grille. It consisted of chopped romaine, radicchio, purple onion, and big chunks of blue cheese and tomatoes in a garlic dressing. Although the salad was certainly tasty, it did not have the same high quality and creativity that the other dishes had. The main dishes were also served on oversize white plates. The soft-shell crab ($26) was lightly battered and pan fried on a bed of crisp fiddleheads, chives and leaks, in pool of Thai-inspired basil-infused broth with a light, spicy finish. It was a superb concoction and a good example of how chef Cornell Coulonís years in the kitchen of the noted Emerilís in New Orleans taught him how to bring together a variety of influences and unlikely ingredients to achieve culinary harmony. The grilled filet of beef ($26) was an inch-and-a-half slab of juicy, velvety meat. It was covered with a melted chunk of Stilton blue cheese for a powerful taste combination. The beef sat on a pile of what the menu described as ìhash,î a hearty mix of pan-roasted potato wedges, smoked bacon chunks, and sautÈed onion slices in a black pepper and cabernet reduction. This was a meal fit for a lumberjack king. Also arriving on oversize white plates were the desserts. The cranberry and white chocolate bread pudding was thick, rich and nicely spiced with a brown sugar brandy sauce and a scoop of ice cream. Served in an espresso-size cup, the pod de crËme was as close as you could get to a truffle without calling it that. It had the texture and consistency of a mousse but was several times as dense and thankfully not as sweet. Three little cookies accompanied it. The pear tartine was our favoriteóan alluring combination of thinly slice pears sitting on thin crust in a lightly sweetened sauce. The waitress was attentive, helpful, knowledgeable and very friendly without being intrusive, and it seemed this cordial neighborhood friendliness extended to management as well because the assistant manager stopped by once to check on us and the manager stopped by twice. In fact, the manager was so delighted that we enjoyed the food that he brought us desserts. Itís just that kind of place. Dupont Grille is located in the Jurys Washington Hotel at 1500 New Hampshire Ave., NW. The telephone number is (202) 939-9596. Dress is urban casual. All major credit cards are accepted. The kitchen serves breakfast from 6:30 to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday, and from 7 to 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Brunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays. Dinner is served from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 5 to 10 p.m. on Sundays. Rachel Hunt and Stephen Qualiana are the restaurant reviewers for The Washington Diplomat.