Elizabeth’s on L

First vegan restaurant experience!
Elizabeth Petty, the founder and owner, started Elizabeth’s Gone Raw, the vegan restaurant that’s only open Friday nights and offers a six course tasting menu, as well as a catering company. Elizabeth’s on L is their private venue that Ms. Petty bought 11 years ago (formerly a federalist townhouse) and renovated into a gorgeous, open space that comfortably seats up to 90 guests. They also cater off-​site.
I came here for a work lunch to discuss renewable energy and green initiatives. Elizabeth’s on L was the perfect venue for this roundtable discussion. Everyone mingled downstairs while the staff set up upstairs. Once they were done setting up, we were taken upstairs where in the main area, there was a long table for us to dine at. There was also another waiting/​mingling area that faced the street, enough for all of us to stand and talk. The table was set up with immaculate place settings and decorated with fresh flowers in the center.
After we all sat down, staff members bought out both sweetened and unsweetened ice tea and then the first course. Elizabeth Petty was there to give a brief introduction into Elizabeth’s on L and Elizabeth’s Gone Raw. Another staff member talked about what the appetizer was before we started eating and going into our discussion.
The three courses were:
+ Beet and apple ravioli with macademia nut ricotta and fennel foam
+ Green papaya risotto with wild mushrooms, asparagus, and nut parmesan
+ Strawberry cake with banana buttercream
My favorite was probably the beet and apple ravioli. I think it had the most complexity in terms of flavors. Staff would replenish waters and teas quickly and take our empty dishes and silverware and replace with new courses efficiently. All staff members were highly professional and friendly. We had a guest speaker present for most of the lunch, but the staff moved around discreetly and skillfully while still switching out courses. At the end of our guest speaker’s presentation, the staff discussed the other courses we ate.
This venue does not charge a booking fee, so if you’re looking for a cozy and chic place to hold a dinner party, cocktail hour, professional forums, or even a wedding reception, you should definitely consider this space. The space is decorated with paintings, rugs, and even a fireplace.

Delightful little venue. Went here for an alumni event, and was surprised by the inside. Old pine flooring (restored), fireplace, somewhat colonial feel to it. For a small wedding reception (like 50ppl), it would be perfect.
As for the food, horribly disappointed. But maybe my alma matter didn’t spring for the good stuff :) Cheese and grapes were fresh/​fine. Didn’t care for any of the tray hors’ devours. Sauteed mushrooms were mushy; some tuna spring roll was definitely chicken of the sea; and the shrimp was very spicy (so I hear, I don’t eat the little bastards).

In short, Elizabeth’s on L offers one of the most intimate and elegant event spaces in the city, with food to rival what’s served at D.C.‘s best restaurants. What a rare gem! This is not the catering/​gala-​food you’re used to – i.e. The bland and lukewarm lamb chop served with roasted carrots and fingerlings. No… This is food that evokes Eric Ripert, not a white catering truck: delicate bites of lamb carpaccio roulade filled with chevre and mache, crispy eggroll cups stuffed with duck salad, frog leg tempura tossed in a lemon/​garlic sauce – all doled out during cocktail hour; an appetizer of rich artichoke risotto topped with Reggiano cheese and mandolin-​thin slices of flash fried artichokes; and an entrée of that obligatory rack of lamb – but here you’ll get the chops rare, atop a flavor-​packed mound of moist braised lamb shank and spaghetti squash. And just when you think you can’t be any more impressed, the dessert will arrive. It’s too beautiful to taste good, you think, then you crack the nest-​like pistachio cup filled with a buttery lemon cream, savor your first bite, and think: OMG, Am I really eating this at a corporate party??? I shouldn’t have been surprised by the food. The chef hails from CIA and Citronelle (he opened Michel Ricard’s Baltimore branch) and the company’s been a successful operation for 31 years. But I was still really impressed by my experience.
I found out that the space is actually free when you book dinners/​parties (many venues around town charge you for the venue and the food!). The space is lovely – it fits 60 comfortably for a sit-​down dinner; twice that many if you’re just doing cocktails. Aside from the fireplaces, gorgeous hardwood floors, and intricate oriental rugs, the room includes drop-​down projection screens – for that compelling office PowerPoint or say, a cycling photo album. If I were getting married anytime soon (hint, hint!), I’d definitely use the space for a rehearsal dinner or small wedding reception. And for all you foodies out there: Finally, here’s a caterer whose focus on quality and taste are paramount, with an elegant space to boot.