by St. Anselm is a damn good restaurant. It fills a nice little niche in the DC restaurant scene. Better than your average upper tier dinner place in terms of service and quality, but it avoids being a d-bag lobbyist destination steakhouse. In fact, I would put my most recent meal there head to head with anything at a Ruth’s Chris or Mortons, and go with St. Anselm. It really is a great place for that special night out, hence why I went there for my birthday!
Food
The menu at St. Anselm is very American and bluntly straighforward. It’s pretty much all a la carte. Get an app, get a salad, get a protein, get a side, call it a day. You can do some fun sharing and swapping though, especially on the larger protein options. Ample portions do make overordering a thing. If you are there for the special occasion feast, it’s not THAT big of a thing.
Little Things
Buttermilk biscuits occupy the star role in the appetizer category. “Buttermilk” might actually be misleading though. These things are edible pillows of butter stratified in flour, with maybe some buttermilk tossed in to bind the dough together. They manage through some dairy alchemy to achieve this crispness on the outside with the fluffiest, tenderest insides. Some piemento cheese is put with them in case you feel the need to bring some additional dairy to the party. Pairing these with more butter actually violates a state law.
Bigs/Smalls From the Grill and Sides
Mains and sides hold their own with those divine biscuits. My ribeye was perfect medium rare, and prepared with a great amount of skill. A sushi chef must trim their steaks, because this 16 ounce monster was 15.8 ounces of glorious moutherwatering tender beef. There was practically no gristle, which is quite a feat with a fattier steak like a ribeye. Also, they kill it with seasoning. There was just enough salt and pepper to enhance the cow flavor, not cover it up. The smaller protein items are big enough to be mains. The”Giant Prawn” in particular is overwhelmingly accurate. The creamed spinach is the pinnacle of it’s form, and the steak fries here shame just about anything else that calls itself a french fry.
Desserts and Drinks
St. Anselm’s desserts are not particularly innovative, but they are delicious. The bar is well stocked with lots of high end booze which gets poured into a number of old school cocktails. They have an extensive collection of Madiera wine, with some bottles going back to the 19th century. I didn’t realize that antique Madiera was a thing, but hey we all need a hobby.
Steak…. 
….and desserts.
Ambience and Service
Going to St. Anselm is kinda like hanging out in your union organizer uncle’s rumpus room or a really swanky VFW hall. Most of the lights flicker, are yellow hued, or both. Brick and dark reclaimed woods make up most of the interior. Shriner hats, election banners, and little league pennants hang from the walls. It feels homey and cozy. Also despite being there with a full dining room it was not too loud. Definitely not a place for quiet reading, but you don’t have to shout at your dinner companions like you are at a basement punk show.
Service was competent and unobtrusive. Our server was quick with the refills, polite and knowledgeable. Everything arrived in a timely fashion, and quite frankly we didn’t have to think about the service, so it was effective.
Final Thoughts
St. Anselm is one of DC’s best. The food is outstanding, and you can’t beat the feel of the decor. It’s not a place to go every night, unless you have a bottomless expense account and the metabolism of a velociraptor. However, going here will make a special occasion truly special.
