Oohhs and Aahhs lives up to its name
They are certain you will enjoy their fare, because they heap on enough to last for a week.
The confidence is justified.
They are a testament to how "soul" became attached to food. It isn't the size of the kitchen or the elegance of the dining room, but just the care that goes into the food.
In Say Grace and Wipe Yo' Hands Befo' You Slap Yo' Mama: Black Restaurant.Net's Guide to America's Black Restaurants, we chronicle many places around the nation where the reputation for taste expands far beyond their physical location.
Food Network's Guy Fieri found Oohhs and Aahhs, and event planners around Washington, D.C. are calling them at 443 889-3340 for catering. Orders of $50 or more can be delivered for a $5 delivery charge.
But it is worth the visit to go there. At the first floor bar, you are less than two feet from the kitchen. It has the effect of hastening service. Not long after ordering, the wait staff pivoted, deposited enormous portions and wheeled back around.
The diverse menu includes catfish, teriyaki salmon, shrimp, whiting, crab cakes, croaker, T-Bone steak, rib eye steak, beef short ribs, baked, grilled or fried chicken, meatloaf, turkey wings, turkey and lamb chops and lobster. Shrimp and grits is a specialty.
I decided to skip the meats and try out the holy trinity of soul food: macaroni and cheese, greens and yams. Piping hot, seasoned delicately and cooked to just the right consistency for each item. The greens were tender and sweet; the mac was cheesy like it was cooked for Thanksgiving dinner at home; and the yams were mashed and whipped. Each one was so good that I ate them completely in sequence just to savor the flavor.
Notwithstanding the portions, there were no leftovers.
The restaurant is located at 1005 U St. N.W. Washington, D.C. 20005. The main phone number is 202-667-7142.
