Declaration is the perfect DC restaurant. It has fantastic food, an upscale yet trendy vibe, and, most importantly, so much patriotism it is actually impressive. Throughout the restaurant there are many stylistic nods to our Founding Fathers, including framed portraits of each complete with little known facts. Not to mention, every pizza on their menu is named after one of the thirteen original colonies, and the price of each pie is the equivalent to the year the colony officially became a state. It’s the little things that count, and Declaration has covered their bases…
Even the cocktails at Declaration have a patriotic flair. I ordered the American Mule, which was essentially a Moscow Mule, but Declaration uses vodka that is made in the United States, rather than Russia or France like many other popular brands. My friend ordered the 1776 Swizzle, made with spiced rum, lime, cream soda, and angostura bitters. I stole a few sips and can attest this was a delicious beverage as well.
For the appetizer round, I ordered the Reuben Deviled Eggs and Local Kale Salad. Each deviled egg was stuffed over the brim with Declaration’s signature filling, and topped with a nice hunk of tender corned beef. The kale salad was very vibrant, and included an impressive roster of pistachios, currants, parmesan, cranberries and a charred lemon vinaigrette. You could tell the kale was very fresh. Kale is notorious for being unappealingly fibrous when served raw, but Declaration did a good job of creating a smooth texture that was easy and enjoyable to eat.
For the entrée portion, I could not resist the Roasted Salmon. The fish had that perfect crispy skin, and was plated with roasted Yukon potatoes, corn puree, more kale, and a sherry bacon vinaigrette. This dish was executed flawlessly.
I’m really excited it’s now time to talk about Declaration’s gluten-free pizza, because it was absolutely divine. Even though they have thirteen unique pizzas to choose from, I was in the mood to create my own pie, and opted for sausage, tomatoes, and arugula as toppings. Declaration makes their own gluten-free crust in-house, and it is fantastic. The most impressive part was that the crust was fluffy. When is the last time you had gluten-free pizza with a fluffy crust? Maybe never.
Last but definitely not least, we ordered the “Mel’s Mortal Sin,” which is delectably sinful, as the name suggests. This monster of a dessert is comprised of a warm, fresh-from-the-oven flourless chocolate brownie topped with hot fudge, gluten-free chocolate granola, and vanilla bean ice cream. This was the naughtiest thing I’ve eaten in a long while, and each bite was pure ecstasy. My friend and I gobbled down this dessert in blissful silence, reveling in every chocolate-y bite.
I’m always pleased when restaurants who pride themselves on their pizzas decide to serve gluten-free crusts, but this gesture is rarely executed well. Declaration is an exception to this rule, and for that reason, it is a NOBREAD-er’s dream. Please do go to Declaration and get one of their incredible GF pizzas, but it’ll be a straight-up crime if you make a visit and don’t order the Mel’s Mortal Sin.