avoid this place

If you're in DC and looking for a place to have a nice meal, skip Viridian at 14th and P. Lovely space and, at least tonight, quiet enough to enable you to have a real conversation with the person with whom you are seated. But the food was astoundingly bland -- from the complimentary carrot soup starter to the white bean pate and pureed caramelized onions served with the bread basket. With all three, I felt like I had just raided the baby food aisle. The arugula salad was skimpy -- every element (beyond the arugula) was too neglible in size to have any impact (pecan pellets) and the oyster mushroom soup was ridiculously salty. The brussel sprouts were actually pretty good, although they could have used slightly less oil. And the raspberry cheesecake? Yeah, sorry, folks, that was NOT cheesecake. Not even close. The server recommended the flourless chocolate cake. Perhaps we should have reconsidered.