Tom Sietsema: The Atlas Room offers "a world of flavor" & "deserves a full house on every night"

Tom Sietsema's Sunday restaurant review is of the Atlas Room (1015 H St) and he likes the food quite a bit.

His highlights:

• The seafood salad is "one of the chefs' best efforts" and the fish chowder is "enlightened."
• The pan-seared chicken breast is chicken "put on a pedestal." 
• The pork flatbread has an ok crust , but "pinches of goat cheese, forkfuls of pork, glossy Italian parsley and pureed squash on top keep me amused.
• The short rib pasta? "unless you want fork marks on your hand, I suggest ordering a couple of plates if you're eating with company."
• The vegetarian offerings of the root vegetable gratin and the indian chickpea dish.
• Also worth a visit, the "sublime cocktails."

Although, he didn't enjoy his desserts (we think they've gotten better recently) and he thought the chicken fritters were a bit light on the chicken, he clearly really likes the Atlas Room.  Noting that the restaurant is typically packed on weekends, but relatively quiet on week nights, he says it should be packed all week long:

The most ambitious kitchen on H Street NE deserves a full house every night.

We agree, but hope we wont need reservations to get in on coming weeknights.  Congratulations to Matt, Bobby, Mark, Chris, and everyone else at the Atlas Room on the well-deserved recognition.