I think I’ve identified the main difference between New York and DC. No, it’s not size (although in terms of being a extraordinary city, it does matter and as New York City’s constant land use politics reveals, it’s also about how you use it). In all things at all times, New York brings its A-game. There is in fact, no other game that is acceptable in New York.  Because of the sheer number of people in the city, competition for everything is fierce and if you don’t know how to crush it, you’ll get crushed. It’s not enough to be smart and good at what you do. You also need to market yourself well, have some style, be interesting and also stand out just a bit from the crowd.

DC, I’m sad to say it, but I think we need to talk about pulling your grade up a bit. You’ve got a lot of potential to be an A-game city. One of the reasons I know this is because of Boundary Road (although, in the future, if an awesome and hyped-up restaurant opens in your city, you absolutely cannot let people get reservations to it a week after it opens–that’s the first step toward an A-game).

I digress.

Boundary Road made me feel like I was back in New York. It is the complete package: amazing food, well-made (and cleverly named) cocktails, great atmosphere and unique presentation. In general, I have found H Street to be the most “New York” of all neighborhoods in DC (because it feels a lot like Brooklyn seven or eight years ago), so it’s not surprising that Boundary Road felt like home.

Let’s talk food: believe the hype, the PB&J Foie Gras is delicious and worth it. Midway through eating my half of it, I was already mourning the fact that I was almost finished. How can you go wrong with foie gras, peanut butter and peach vanilla jelly? After that experience, I was concerned that my entree might not be as mind-blowing. I was wrong. The Brick Chicken was delicious and even though I felt like Henry VIII, drumsticks with Brussels sprouts are always a winning combination. My companion for the night had the pork and that was also pretty tasty. Dessert was a Greek yogurt tart with fruit compote and it would have made the gods proud.

Let’s talk drinks: I’m a sucker for cleverly named…anything. I’m Thinking About Getting a Vespa was as delicious as the name was witty and if you knew me well, you’d know that I’ll drink anything involving blood orange. El Luchador, my first drink of the night, was tequila, lemongrass and jalapeno and if it weren’t for the fact that I had to try the Vespa, I would have gotten a second.

Now, let’s talk atmosphere. Wood and metal with interesting touches like a collection of pitchers on the shelves and an old mattress spring for a chandelier completed the experience. Add a finishing touch of knowledgeable and attentive servers and you get an A in my book! I will definitely be back…although this time, I hope that they play a little harder to get.