Finally Got a Table at St. Anselm

I've had the Metropolitan Ave. restaurant St. Anselm on my must-eat list since this summer. I'd walk by the abnormally dim restaurant (they're not open during the day) every time I went grocery shopping at Foodtown and would eye the whole grilled fish on their menu. Just my luck, the New York Times reviewed the restaurant in late September making it impossible to get a table at any hour since. They don't take reservations so I've tried to stroll by for dinner a couple of times, only to find the restaurant packed and wait times greater than I can tolerate.

The birthday gods must have been very generous with me this year, as I arrived Tuesday around 7:30 pm to find only 2 or 3 tables filled. NO WAIT. No way!

Time to feast! We ordered grilled artichoke hearts and garlic butter clams to start. For my entree I had haloumi salad with pea greens and green beans and grilled whole trout with butter garlic sauce. Sean ordered New York strip and a side of pan-friend mashed potatoes with truffle oil. I burnt the top of my mouth pretty badly on the pan-fried mashed potatoes--it's really hot. Everything was delicous. There literally was no food left on our plates. I will definitely be coming back to try the grilled sardines with pickled lotus root and the bourbon brined pork chops. Oh man, can't wait.