Albi, Washington, DC

9.6 Ghost Score : Visiting Albi in Washington, DC proved to be worth the effort to secure reservations.  Recommended by multiple friends as well as highly rated it felt like it wasn’t meant to be until a few days prior a notification from Resy alerted that there was an opening at the bar for 5:00 pm.  Early, but game on. A lively space with an open kitchen the restaurant had a great vibe.  It was fun watching the team prep and cook each plate. The smells coming from the kitchen also comforted me that I had made the right decision. The bartenders were attentive and expertly explained the menu and helped order for what was for me my first ever glass of Arak.  Think licorice. I tried mutiple small plates and enjoyed Kousa Mahshi which was stuffed squash with Maryland crab. The Whole Smoked Goat Awarma on hummus and the half and half of Smoked Tomato and Shenandoah Lamb were both excellent. The main dish was BBQ’d Lamb Kebabs which was out of this world.  This was a restaurant that was out of my comfort zone and it was more than worth it and a meal I won’t soon forget!