Cities is a very inconspicuous restaurant located in downtown Washington, D.C. While it’s only a block from Farragut West metro station, one could easily pass it without notice. Cities’ claim to fame is that it’s menu changes to reflect popular dishes from different cities around the world. I had a steak… I think that covers ANY city…

Atmosphere: Very nice vibe. It reminded me of many of the places I frequented – restaurant or not – in NYC’s Soho. Modern, dimly lit, energy in the air. It’s pretty spacious too; There’s an outside patio area, an indoor bar and lounge area and then there’s a general seating area in the back. Really well designed. A+.

Food: I had the Filet Mignon. It came with roasted potatoes and sauteed green beans. There was also a gorgonzola sauce. All pretty good, but, not outstanding. My fellow eater-in-crime had the three bean salad and the sauteed shrimp. I’m told they were quite good and a perfect small lunch. Overall, I think the food gets a B-.

Service: Here comes the critic in me. So the server we had was a young man, maybe late 20’s, early 30’s, possibly South American. I gleaned his nationality because the ladies we were sitting next to told us they were Argentinian and they were speaking spanish with him. Deductive logic, right!

Anyway, the real tell for this dude was that, the ladies came in after we did, but, managed to get more attention, quicker than we did. We were clearly a distraction from his intention to talk up these two Argentinian ladies. My friend noticed his distraction because she’s a lady and they notice these things. I was busy eating. But, agreed, let’s do that when we’re not at work. I’m there to get five-star service, not watch the dating game. He gets a C-.

The final word on Cities: Overall, they get a solid B. I will definitely go back – I love it’s international vibe. I’d really like to see how the place feels at night. I bet it’s a great place to have some after work drinks or some late night drinks. I’m also intrigued by the concept – I wonder which city is next? It’s a great way to generate repeat business and a gold mine for marketing and advertising purposes. Hopefully next time, I’ll get a server who’s also focused on advancing the concept…