I have a general rule for sustaining a fondness for multiple course meals on a budget: go for lunch!  The food is the same, the service is better, and the prices are much more reasonable.  And ending today, you can use a 50% off Scoutmob for PS7’s.

Using another deal (Bloomspot— $30 for $60), I was hard pressed to get a three course meal for two over $60.  Did you hear that?  Three course meal cost too little!  Fabulous.

What made this such a shock was the delicious meal served by attentive and friendly staff in such a clean and enticing atmosphere.  Usually a lot of that feeling of relaxation is swept away with the arrival of the check, (“Oh geez, they added tip!”) but not this time.  A meal at PS7’s is just lovely.

Before I get to the meal itself, I must insist that PS7’s is unfairly underrepresented in the DC scene.  Few people have heard of it, or if they have, don’t know where it is.  It’s highly central, located at 7th and I NW, just a block from the Chinatown metro, yet secreted away between office buildings.  The cocktails of mixologist Gina Chersevani are Passenger-quality yet affordable (if not cheap).  Pair the cocktails (Gina makes a new punch most every day) with the half price flatbread and free popcorn at happy hour, and you’ll start your night right.

PS7’s has a modern and irreverent tone, especially for an upscale restaurant.  The OMFG Dip and Chu on This burger (bahn mi pork belly with ginger relish) are just a couple of the cute names that keep the menu as fresh as the food.

Anyway, I digress.  On to lunch!

Even though I had been looking forward to a three course meal, I could have been perfectly happy with my salad as a main course.  The warm spinach salad came with fried shoestring onions and chubby feta with sauteed cremini mushrooms.  Lots of flavor, freshness, and self-congratulatory imaginary pats on the back for being healthy.  The broccoli rabe risotto was good, but sadly, would have benefited from some of the mushrooms from my salad–a risk with large single dishes like this is monotony.  Sidenote: leftovers were excellent at home with a gently fried egg on top.

If you just want a burger, you’ll have your socks blown off by the PS7’s Burger.  Served between a warm homemade bun, the effect of the meat, the fresh onion and tomato…oh whatever, it’s just awesome.  The patty is moist and tender, not grainy or tough.  I believe we may have found…my favorite burger!

Dessert and coffee after lunch are mainly the domain of retirees and tourists, but I couldn’t resist putting off returning to work.  I ordered the Ap-ple Strü-del, which can run the risk of being bland and soggy.  Not so here!  This version was more punchy than mellow, with boozy apple-Jello garnish scattered in tiny cubes over the plate, adding spice to the scrumptious strudel itself.

Not only is this an excellent lunch destination (you get to try inventive dishes for less) but happy hour is also just wonderful.  Whenever you get there, just get there.