THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Ortanique

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Ortanique Restaurant Review:

Chef Cindy Hutson brings her brand of Floridian and Caribbean cooking to the tropics-starved nation's capital and has set it up in a location that approximates a fantasy tropical destination. The atmosphere is underscored by larger-than-life, orange citrus fruit (the ortanique from Jamaica), murals and a wall-mounted aquarium separating the dining room from the entryway. Hutson's flights of fancy mean that she has taken some traditional Caribbean flavors and tweaked them with a Yankee hand: the Caicos Island conch ceviche is spiked with smoked scotch bonnet peppers, and the coconut milk-based bouillabaise has a gentle red chili flavor to back up its seafood components. We applaud such dishes as the Cornish game hen with its slather of barbecue sauce and the robust pork chop, but send a thumbs-down to the mundane salmon with its tumble of veggies and beans. For sheer drama, order the Baked Jamaica for dessert, flambéed at the table.